Behind the Numbers

Studentenraad Odissee is ranked first among college-based student unions in the 2024 edition of the Index for a good reason — it does an excellent job in the representation category. When it comes to representing its students, Odissee is simply unmatched by any other student union based in college, and even surpasses several university-based unions.

Studentenraad Odissee is a member of the Vlaamse Vereniging Studenten (Flemish Student Union). In addition, the Student Council is part of Stura KU Leuven (the student council for all KU Leuven students) and StAL (the student council for all students within the Leuven Association). But the Council also goes beyond the campus and sits in the Brik, the service desk for Brussels students, and StuGent, the city consultation with all higher education institutions in Ghent. The rules and regulations of the Council are available on the website. The Council has successfully lobbied for several issues — adequate school breaks, more focus on gender and sexual diversity, fair tuition fees, a balanced exam schedule, and others. The Council has used both advocacy and structural power approaches to achieve its goals.

Among its services, the Council provides referral assistance, counseling support, an Odibuddy system (finding friends for new students), and co-manages student facilities ranging from dining to sports and cultural events.

The Council seeks feedback from its students and works to ensure that student representatives can do their jobs well.

The Tweaks

The Council should improve its use of social media by increasing the frequency of posts. Although the Council is clearly dedicated to representing students and offering various services, it needs to ensure its constituents are more consistently informed about ongoing activities.