Representing the student voice

In this interview, we spoke with Emily Edepi (from Kenya) and Rizky Akita (from Indonesia), who recently served as student representatives on the Institute Council of ISS. The Institute Council represents the staff and students at ISS and has the authority to approve, advise, and handle certain matters related to the school. Emily and Rizky prioritized representing the students' voices during their tenure, and they shared their experiences in this interview.

Hey there! What is the role of student representatives in the Institute Council of ISS?

Emily: 'We were mediators. Any issues that came to the Institute Council relate to different constituents. The MA students, PhD researchers, staff and faculty represent ISS constituents. So, for whatever issue came in, we watched out for issues that related to the MA students.

From there, we asked questions like, 'Where do the MA students stand regarding particular issues?' and, 'How do said issues affect them?'. We also thought in terms of conflict resolution. We needed to fill the void between the students and the Institute Council and speak neutrally on crucial issues.'

Rizky: 'As Institute Council representatives, we were open to any of the concerns of the students and will not let our personal opinions or personal values interfere with how we convey or voice concerns to the Institute Council. We helped work on the existing structure of ISS and institutional-wide policies, for example, whether students faced issues of discrimination or accessibility.'

It sounds like a lot of work! Can you tell us what the experience has been like this year?

Rizky: 'Trying to manage being Institute Council representatives, balancing our students’ needs, and managing with our academics was very hard. We hit the ground running because we had to learn about all the structures within ISS rather quickly, like learning about budget functions and differences between the different bodies in ISS. Thankfully, the IC has a system with documentation of the previous work.

It was overwhelming, but I'm happy I got to work with Emily because we have good communication and teamwork.

Emily: 'We complement each other! Having access to final decision-makers sounds like a good thing. But until you need a decision on something, procedures must be followed. It was a bittersweet experience because your ideas are only sometimes embraced. There are a couple of ideas that we have recommended, and they've bounced right back.

However, working as a representative got easier over time. Rizky and I are a little lucky we didn't encounter many issues. But we took the initiative to grab onto the previous MA representatives and ask them a dozen questions.'

I'm sure you did excellent work! What has it been like getting to know the ISS administration from the other side?

Emily: 'It's made me realize the institute is more influential than I thought. Getting to know how much the staff and faculty have done to contribute to the institute was humbling. And, as students, it should be made known. We casually engage with our professors, who are huge people in the development field.

Working directly with your lecturers and engaging with them professionally as an Institute Council representative was humbling. The experience as an Institute Council representative made me more diplomatic. '

Rizky: 'I agree! Back home, I worked as a government officer; I learned to think critically about the government. The idea of working from "both sides" mirrors my experience as an Institute Council representative as well. I learned that everything is an ongoing process, and we must be critical and push issues forward.

But I also knew we must appreciate how far we've gone. Sometimes, students were critical of us, but we still brought the student voice forward to create change, tabling issues for our peers. Ultimately, we realized it's okay for students to be critical, but it is important to recognize that issues are being pushed forward.'

It's great to hear how beneficial it is to have MA representatives in this body of ISS! What's your advice for the following incoming representatives?

Emily: 'The position of MA representative of the Institute Council is very important for personal career development, growing in your leadership and being keen on voicing other people's opinions. I recommend incoming MA representatives of the Institute Council to take up the role confidently. If you take on this role and wait to be encouraged, you can easily get lost along the lines and lose your focus and priorities. Come with a clear goal and take the initiative.

Also, your opinion is super valid. Sometimes you think of something like, "This is stupid. Do I even need to say it?". But then you say it, and it makes total sense. Before you know it, there's change happening that you can see.'

Rizky: '—And, when you voiced your opinion, you discovered that people had been thinking of the same thing and didn't have the courage to speak their concerns beforehand. You realize an issue is more of a general experience than you thought before. When I first joined the Institute Council, it felt big and intimidating. Some of the colleagues that we saw at the table were our lecturers! [Laughs] Still, we voiced our concerns, and they would recognize when they overlooked something.'

That's good advice. To finish this interview, are you proud of what you've done?

Rizky: 'Honestly, I think I'm proud! It's a hard job, and demanding, and we had to juggle it with school. The fact that we could voice student concerns and process official memos to the Institute Council is good. I'm also proud of the students who collaborated with us in making memos and helped us build arguments for the cases we presented. I'm so proud of all of us for working together.'

Emily: ' I'm proud of our batch. We had selflessness. It's so easy to get things done when you're not thinking about yourself, but there's a lot of support regarding what others want. I'm proud we could work collaboratively as a student body with the Institute Council, the Scholas Executive Office and other student committees. Every constituent is at its best in its position, and we complement each other in meeting student needs.

I can proudly say that we have done tremendously well, even if the outcome we pushed happens later. In the next few years, I hope to come to ISS, look around, and see something we championed during our term.'

I hope so, too! Great job to both of you. Thanks for the interview!