THE NATION
History
Smålands Nation in Lund was founded in 1668, the same year as the university was formally opened, to provide accomodation and services to students at Lund University coming from the county of Småland. At that time, the largest faculty at the university was the Faculty of Theology, and Smålands Nation housed many a priests’ sons.
That was a long time ago.
In the 1960’s and -70’s, radical politics was popular among swedish university students, and no less so in Lund. There was a strict requirement for all students to be member of a student nation, and all nations were distinctly bourgeoisie. This caused many of these radical students to feel marginalized and overlooked. In the early -70’s, they began to gather at Smålands and in 1972, a series of decisions were made by the nation meeting that in effect turned Smålands from one apolitical nation among others, into the haven for socialists, feminists, dreamers and outcasts that it has been since.
Nation meetings
Nation meetings are the highest authority at Smålands Nation.
Unlike yearly meetings of many organizations, nations meetings are usually held once per month on the first monday of the month, every month except January, June, July and August. The Board or 18 members in union, can call to an extra nation meeting.
Only members of Smålands Nation may attend the Nation Meeting, unless adjuncted by the meeting, in which case they are granted only the right to participate and to speak, but not to vote.
Only matters included in the definitive agenda may be decided upon by the meeting, only candidates included in the definitive list of candidates may be elected to posts by the meeting.
Platform
Governing documents
Board
The Board of Smålands Nation in Lund
The Board is subordinate to the Nation Meeting, is responsible for the Nation Meeting and the Board members are elected by the Nation Meeting.
The board consists of 18 board members distributed among 15 seats:
- 5 ordinary board members with seat each are elected directly by the nation meeting,
- 9 members with one seat each are elected by the committees,
- 4 members of the administration collectively hold one seat.
The administration consists of 4 members who collectively hold one (1) seat of the board: 2 Nation Agents who are the nation’s authorized signatories, one (1) Treasurer and one (1) Vice-Treasurer, though the Vice Treasurer may only be called to a board meeting as a member of the administration under special circumstances directed by the by-laws (5.20).
The nation’s existing branches of activity should be represented in the Board, through the mandates appointed by the committees. The Board is responsible to the Nation Meeting for its decisions.
Board work
The board is responsible for carrying out the will of the Nation Meeting, preparing the agenda of and issuing invitations to the Nation Meetings, and disseminating the minutes of each meeting, in accordance with the statutes.
The Board makes decisions about the Nation’s funds and the venue in accordance with the economic guidelines set by the Nation Meeting. The Board only has sole decision-making rights in certain special situations, for example, any urgent matters, but important matters shall always be brought up at the Nation Meeting. The Board also decides the division of stipends and grants that Smålands Nation has control over, as well as preparing elections for the Election Committee. Members of Smålands Nation always have a right to read the Board’s meeting protocols.
Since a decision taken on the Nation Meeting of May 1987, the presidency of the nation is vacant. Instead, the Board shall act as a collective chairperson, dictator, curator and senior college for Smålands Nation.