At the end of 2021, the students elected to the Conseil des Études et de la Vie Universitaire (CEVU), with the help of the Bureau de la Vie Etudiante (BVE), implemented the “participatory budget” project resulting from the Contribution de Vie Etudiante et de Campus (CVEC). With a budget of 15 000 euros, the projects selected were submitted to the students’ vote in December.
After studying their eligibility and feasibility, according to the CVEC themes (reception, social and health support, culture, sport, prevention and health education), 9 projects were chosen within the framework of the 2022 participatory budget. All of them will be implemented during 2023.
“For example, we have validated the UTSafe project, which offers first aid training in mental health. Another action consists of installing vegetable bins and composters in the student house and potted plants in the Benjamin Franklin building. Another idea is based on raising awareness as to water issues and another is to install a glass board, known as a light board, at UTC to create and present videos for educational purposes,” begins Sacha Benarroch-Lelong, 22, student representative at the CEVU since November 2021 and a student in computer engineering, artificial intelligence and data sciences.
Another winning project is that of the UTC association, Veloc, which wants to provide students with a cargo bike to transport goods and also with safety equipment to improve the mobility of everyone by bike.
“It is very pleasant to realise the real power of decision of the students in their student life through an approach such as the participatory budget,” says Sacha Benarroch-Lelong. It puts us on an equal footing with the students, the lecturers and the administration of our engineering school. It is also interesting to understand how UTC works beyond its teaching/research aspects. For the next edition of the participatory budget, we will have to wait until next November 2023. By then, some new and hopefully excellent ideas will germinate.
