How is AF organized?
When the Academic Society (AF) was founded, Lund Univeristy had 400 students and AF’s organization was comprised of everything from nation to student union and a cultural center. Over time the number of students has grown and AF’s organization along with them. AF Bostäder and AF Borgen AB are two parts of the original business which have spun off to become their own organizations. Today, the three parts are closely linked, in part because of student representatives being elected to be part of the organizations’ boards. Together these three become what we call the AF-family.
The Academic Society
The Academic Society, AF, is a large non-profit studentorganisation founded in year 1830. The purpose of the organisation since its founding, is to unite student, teachers and employees at Lund University. AF does this by having a multifaceted operation that is present within different areas of Lunds studentlife. Membership in Studentlund automatically makes you a member of AF.
AF Bostäder
AF Bostäder administers student housing in Lund and stiftelsen, with its approximately 6000 residences, is Lund’s largest landlord for students.
In order to be in the AF Bostäder queue and become a tenant, there is a membership requirement and a study requirement. The membership requirement implies that the student must be a member of the Academic Society, aka a member of Studentlund for the entirerty that one is in the queue and/or is a tenant. The study requirement encompasses a minimum at half speed - that is, 15 credits per term.
AF Borgen AB
AF Borgen maintans and rents out venues in AF Borgen. In AF Borgen their are a variety spaces to rent for parties and conferences, whether you are an individual, an association or a company.
Since the 1990s, management of AF Borgen is driven as a business, AF Borgen AB, and the Academic Society (AF) is a sole owner of all shares. In AF Borgen AB’S Board of Directors there are industry representatives as well as student representatives, the latter of which is elected by Överstyrelsen.
Överstyrelse
Överstyrelsen is AF’s highest deciding authority and makes decisions on such things as budgets, financial statements and member fees. Överstryrelsen is made up of representatives from AF’s owners/heads; the nations and student unions part of the Studentlund cooperation, in addition to two representatives from AF’s significant members. At the present moment there are 40 mandates in Översttyrelsen. 30 mandates belonging to the nations, 8 to the student unions and 2 for significant members.
Överstyrelsen carries out elections for positions within the Academic Society, such as chairman, VC, KC, PC, bomb, edil in addition to the committee foremen and the foreman for Studengården i Skanör.
Överstyrelsen also carries out elections to members of the board of the Academic Society, the board of Stiftelsen AF Bostäder as well as the board of AF Borgen AB.
The Board
The board leads the Academic Society’s operations and prepares questions to be brought up in the Överstyrelse. The board has a chairman a vice chairman. The board also includes an economic expert and a legal expert. The remaining 9 members of the board is comprised of 7 students plus AF’s VC and bomb.
Presidency
AF:s presidency consists of five full time student employees that manage the daily operations of the residential floor (Studentlivsvåningen) of the AF-castle. This includes an Operations Manager, Communications manager, the Program manager, the Edil, and a housing ombudsman. The Edil works for AF Borgen AB and the housing ombudsman works for AF Bostäder.
Committees
The Academic Society (AF) has 11 committees that carry out a wide range of activities. Each committee is headed by a foreman, whom is in charge of the committee’s activities. The committees are in multiple regards indepdendet aspects of AF, but is organizationally under the Society’s financial administration and is responsible to the Board and Överstyrelsen. AF’s committees are Studentinfo, Lundaspexarna, Boelspexarna, Radio AF, Studio AF, Ordkonst, Lund Studentteater, Marskalkeriet, The Archives and Studentmuseum, the Art Collection, Studentafton, and Klädkammaren
Affiliated Associations
The Academic Society (AF) has around 20 affiliated student associations. These are independent, non-profit, student organizations which, unlike the committees, are not subject to AF’s financial administration and does not have to respond to the Board and Överstyrelsen. The affiliated student associations are very important for AF as they bring a huge range of activities for the students at Lund University. Among the affiliated student association there are groups that are involved in sports and organizing sporting events, host lectures, have outreach-programs, as well as student orchestras.
Association with Subsidy contract
The Academic Society (AF) offers Subsidy contracts to student associations whose members are also members of the Academic Society. The Subsidy contract includes, in addition to subsidized rents in AF-borgen's premises, the possibility to use our premises Athen and the meeting room Edilkammaren free of charge in accordance with current guidelines.