Representation and Excursion Guideline

Approved at the Extraordinary Guild Meeting of Tietokilta ry on 17.12.2024. Updated at an extraordinary Guild meeting of Tietokilta ry on 12.12.2025.

These Guidelines apply to the board of Tietokilta ry and to all persons who participate in or organize an event referred to in §3 or §4, where Tietokilta ry has acted as one of the organizing parties.

Hereafter, the Guild refers to Tietokilta ry, and the board refers to the board of the Guild.

The Guild organizes various excursions to company premises, events, other locations in Finland, and abroad. The following types of events in which the Guild has acted as one of the organizing parties are considered excursions:

1. Short excursion: A visit to a location or event within the Helsinki metropolitan area, excluding visits to premises owned or managed by Aalto University, the Aalto University Student Union, or the Guild.
2. Company excursion: A visit jointly organized by the Guild and a company, to the company’s premises, a restaurant, or another mutually agreed venue.
3. Domestic excursion: A visit to another city in Finland, typically as a guest of another student association. A domestic excursion may also include separate company excursions.
4. Foreign excursion: A visit outside Finland, possibly as a guest of a company or another student association. A foreign excursion may also include separate company excursions.

Hereafter, excursion refers collectively to the events defined in points a–d.

A representation trip is when Guild members represent the Guild, for example at another association’s annual celebration or at an event organized by another party to which the Guild has been invited.

For a representation trip to events other than those of AYY’s (Aalto University Student Union’s) student associations, the representatives must appoint a responsible person who ensures the smooth running of the trip and whose contact details are available to participants.

All Guild members without a valid excursion ban and with no unpaid excursion-related fees are entitled to participate.

The board or the event organizer may decide whether a non-member is entitled to participate, either as a participant, co-organizer, or partner.

Only Guild members specifically appointed by the board may participate in representation trips. Invitations are allocated by board decision to members without a valid excursion ban.

Each excursion must have a responsible organizer whose name and contact details are clearly indicated in the event description or registration form.

The responsible organizer must, if appropriate, apply for permission to wear the teekkari cap in connection with the excursion.

Excursions are funded by Guild funds, participation fees, and sponsorship. For a paid excursion, the maximum price and the minimum number of participants required for the excursion to take place must be announced at registration. The maximum price must not be unreasonable in relation to the estimated costs.

If the price exceeds the maximum before the excursion begins, participants have the right to cancel their registration even after the registration period has ended. If the price exceeds the maximum after the excursion has begun, participants are not obliged to pay the difference between the maximum and the actual cost.

The organizer may set quotas based on year of study or other criteria for excursions referred to in §3 a–d.

3 § a)-d) kohtien mukaisille excursioille voi järjestäjä määrätä myös muun kuin vuosikurssin perusteella määräytyvät kiintiöt halutessaan.

Excursions with only online registration cannot be queued for.

Excursions with physical registration may be queued. If someone wishes to start queuing, they must announce it in writing on the Guild’s notice board and official communication channels. The first in line maintains the list according to quotas.

Presence in the queue is verified by roll call, which may be conducted by any person in the queue, but not more often than every 15 minutes. The person first in line is responsible for its accuracy. Anyone absent for two consecutive roll calls is removed from the queue. A stand-in may be appointed if someone is unable to queue personally. Each person may queue for only one place.

The default location for queuing is the Guild room. The queue may be moved to another freely accessible location by decision of the board, the organizer, or the queue itself. The board must be informed immediately. Two board members may prohibit such relocation in writing.

The board may decide on exceptions to §10. In urgent cases, the organizer, chair, or vice chair of the board, together with another board member, may also decide.

The responsible person of an excursion is entitled to participate without queuing.

The board may decide on the right of other persons to participate without queuing.

Participants may register only while registration is open. Information must be published on the Guild’s official communication channels at least five days before registration opens.

A member may register themselves or another person with their permission. Registering another person without permission may result in an excursion penalty.

Representation trips may have quotas set by the host. If not, the board may set quotas. Registration practices for representation trips are decided by the board.

Registration becomes binding once the registration period closes. The organizer may permit cancellation after this time.

The organizer may introduce a stepwise system of bindingness, provided it is announced during registration.

Registrations exceeding the quota become waiting list entries once registration closes. Being on the waiting list is not binding, but a place becomes binding if accepted when another participant cancels.

During the registration period, cancellation may be made by removing the registration or notifying the organizer.

After the registration period, anyone unable to attend must inform the organizer immediately. The participant must still pay the full fee. With the organizer’s permission, a substitute may be arranged, in which case payment responsibility transfers to the substitute.

Each participant is responsible for their own conduct.

Every participant represents the Guild and the student community. Anyone who damages or soils the venue, vehicle, or accommodation, behaves violently, or causes unreasonable disturbance may be subject to an excursion penalty. Damages must be compensated by the individual. The Guild’s Ethical Guidelines may also apply.

If permission has been granted to wear the polytechnic cap, participants must pay special attention to representativeness while wearing it.

The excursion organizer may, depending on the nature of a specific excursion, impose special rules, which they must clearly communicate to the participants. These rules must not conflict with the Guild’s rules, these bylaws, Finnish law, or when abroad the local laws of the country in question. Any rule imposed by the organizer that conflicts with the above shall be deemed invalid.

Guild representatives are expected to behave in a respectable and irreproachable manner. If the board deems a representative’s behavior inappropriate and damaging to the Guild’s reputation, the penalties in §20 apply more strictly.

A person with an excursion ban cannot represent the Guild at events hosted by companies, organizations, or associations. A person with an excursion warning may represent the Guild only by board decision.

The board may also prohibit representation for other reasons.

For violations of these Guidelines, the organizer, a board member, or a person present on a representation trip may submit a written penalty request to the board within two weeks of the excursion’s end. Late submissions may be considered at the board’s discretion. The board must process the request within 30 days.

Penalties include an excursion warning and an excursion ban.

The board decides on penalties.

The decision must be communicated in writing to the penalized person within 14 days.

Parties have the right to be heard, and handling of the case is strictly confidential.

The board may issue an excursion warning to a violator. It is valid for 1–12 months. Receiving another warning during the validity period results in an excursion ban of equal length to the second warning.

The board may impose an excursion ban on a person who has caused significant harm or damage to the Guild or another party through violation of these Guidelines. The ban may last 2–12 months.

The ban may apply only to certain types of excursions as defined in §3 a–d.

The board may revoke an imposed penalty.

Compliance with these Guidelines is primarily supervised by the excursion organizer or responsible person, and secondarily by the board. Penalty requests may be submitted by the persons named in §20.

Penalties may be appealed to the Guild meeting in accordance with the Guild’s rules. The meeting may amend the board’s decision. In case of a tie, the lighter option prevails.

Matters not specifically regulated in these Guidelines shall be decided by the board.

Amendments to these Guidelines shall be decided by the Guild meeting.