Stand for Election to the VMU Dormitory ‘s Council

Vytautas Magnus University has announced the election to the dormitory Council, which is organised in accordance with VMU Dormitory Self-government regulations.

If you are living in VMU dormitory No. 2 Vytauto pr. 71 (“Baltija”), Kaunas or No. 6 A. Vivulskio str. 36, Vilnius or No. 5 Universiteto str. 8, Akademija, Kaunas dstr. and you are interested in becoming the Chairperson of the Dormitory‘s Council then all you need to do is to fill out this electronic application by the ^1st of October (until 11:00 p.m.) 2023 and comply with the following criteria:

you have to study at Vytautas Magnus University
you have to be motivated
you have to make a one-year activities plan for the Council
you have to have experience in social activities
you have to have experience of living in the dormitory
you cannot have penalties for infringements of the University’s internal legal acts

After becoming a chairperson, student will be exempted from paying dormitory accommodation fees for academic year (starting at October) 2023/2024.

The Chairperson of the Dormitory Council is elected in three stages:

I stage – candidate applies for this position, by filling this questionnaire until October 1^st(until 11:00 p.m.) 2023. The selected candidates will be informed of the invitation to run for the election of the Chairperson of the Dormitory Council in the first week of October.

II stage – candidates selected by the Students’ Representative and the Student Affairs Department are invited to attend a meeting of the Selection Committee, the date, time, format, and venue of which will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates.

III stage – if necessary, the candidate has to participate in the Election of the Dormitory Council’s Chairperson, which will be held in the general meeting of residents of the dormitory.

A person who is interested to become the Chairperson of the Dormitory‘s Council together with the electronic application form has to submit the following information:

Personal data
A letter of motivation
present in a narrative form the planned annual activities of the Dormitory Council (the Dormitory Council’s activity plan), which should include:
- the problems perceived in the hostel and proposed solutions
- the objectives, activities, and initiatives for the term of office
- informal activities to mobilise the community
Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Dormitory‘s Council and the Chairperson

We want to remind You, that the Chairperson has the right and power to form and manage Dormitory‘s council.

The elected chairperson of the dormitory will be exempted from payment of the accommodation fee for 2022/2023 academic year (from 1^st of October 2021 until 30^th of June 2023)

The main purpose of the Dormitory‘s council is to help the Chairperson to implement the following objectives:

To represent the interests of the dormitory Residents in University ‘s (dormitory ‘s) administration
To represent University (dormitory) requirements among residents
To maintain the integrity of a community
To carry out social and cultural activities
To mediate in cases of misunderstandings or problems between residents or residents and the administration

The Chairperson of the Dormitory‘s Council is elected annually at the beginning of each academic year by the general meeting of residents of the dormitory after the selection procedure performed by the Students‘ Representative Council and Student Affairs Department.

More information about dormitory‘s self-government

DON@: International Students Embrace “Sharing is Caring” Event

Last week, on August 24th, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) hosted “Sharing is Caring” Donation Day for the first time, a heartfelt event that brought together newcomers and international students to embrace the spirit of giving back. During the event, almost 100 exchange and full-time students were invited to find kitchen essentials, items for cleaning, and things for studies and sports to start their new academic year and study journey in Kaunas.

The event was organized as part of the DON@ Donation Opportunities for Newcomers project aimed to facilitate the integration and improvement of living conditions of students with fewer opportunities by promoting mutual support, inclusion, and sustainable development. We extend our gratitude to the Student Affairs Department, the “Baltija” Dormitory administration, and our dedicated volunteers for their invaluable support in organizing this event.

Rocco, an exchange student from Italy: “Thanks to the DON@ event, I managed to get a kitchen kit, which will be helpful for me. And during the event, I also managed to get this ladle to cook some sauce for my pasta. Thank you so much!”.

Mariia, a full-time student from Ukraine: “I think it’s a really good project that saves our planet and our environmental system. Also, we don’t overuse new products, we don’t buy items and new things”.

Yana, an exchange student from Ukraine: “I’ve joined this event, and I’ve got a wooden cutting board so that all tables will be saved now. Thank you for this event and for the donations!”.

The “Sharing is Caring” event within the Orientation Day’s program was not only for sharing things but also offered a unique opportunity for new international students to connect, share experiences, and make friends. Also, all registered students could win unique electronic things left by previous students via lottery, such as a sandwich maker, garment steamer, hand blender and smoothie maker kit, and electric lint remover for clothes.

Anastasiia, a full-time student from Ukraine: “We are very glad to be a part of this donation event because it’s a great opportunity to make new connections, meet more people, and get some free devices for free which we will use!”.

The “Sharing is Caring” Event was made possible by the donations of the previous cohort of exchange students, recent graduates, and volunteers. At the end of last semester, 35 students left gently used or new things they no longer needed (kitchen stuff, electronics, items for cleaning, hobbies, and studies). Many VMU students expressed their wish to help with the project implementation at the end of the previous academic year.

Shaurya, a full-time student from India, shares his impressions: “I decided to help the DON@ team in their item collection from departing students. The events were set to coincide with the students leaving after finishing the semester to ensure maximum collection and minimum waste generation. I helped the team during their collection events in “Baltija” dormitory, where different students came forward and donated their stuff for the future students”.

Roman, a full-time student from Azerbaijan, joined a volunteer team too: “I volunteered for the DON@ project that promotes sustainable development as it saves stuff and passes to the next generation from the previous students. It helps with plastic emissions, reduces waste, and helps students with fewer opportunities. They don’t need to go and buy the stuff; they arrive and get it. I was very glad to participate in this project and remember caring”.

Moreover, many items left by foreign students (clothes, footwear, bedding) were donated to people experiencing homelessness at the Kaunas Archidiocese Caritas (Ateik Caritas).

Quote from Day center manager Rosita Mikėnienė, who accepted donated items:

“Ateik” day center at the Kaunas Archdiocese Caritas is for people experiencing homelessness and loneliness to spend time, warm up, drink a cup of coffee or tea, and be in a safe environment. About 30-40 people visit here daily, even more in winter. Most of them receive very little or no income, so they need various assistance in the form of clothes, food, and other items. Thanks to the students for their help and this donation initiative”.

All VMU students can choose vacant rooms in dormitories from August 25th

As a reminder that from August 25^th, all students of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) who wish to stay in the dormitories located in Kaunas, Akademija (Kaunas district) or Vilnius can reserve for residence, both in the first year of study and in later years.

To have accommodation at the dormitories of VMU students shall reserve it from the List of Vacant Rooms by following the steps provided below:

login to http://studentas.vdu.lt or http://accommodation.vdu.lt (VMU Students accommodation), with your VMU login credentials and in the section Dormitories / Accommodation in Student Rooms one of the places of residence from the provided list. NOTE: list of vacant rooms in VMU dormitories is updated constantly;
receive the 1^st email which is sent to your VMU mailbox with the information, if your room reservation in the dormitory of Vytautas Magnus University was confirmed or decline (university keeps a right to decline any reservation);
receive the 2^nd email about the possibility of concluding the Accommodation Contract and sign the Accommodation Contract within 3 working days from the receipt of the email by logging in via http://apgyvendinimas.vdu.lt (link to the “Student Accommodation” system) and move in to the selected accommodation (check-in procedure).

IMPORTANT: a one-time moving-in fee of 10 EUR is paid both in the case of moving into a dormitory and changing rooms. Please note that students of other higher education institutions wishing to move into one of the dormitories offered by VMU in Kaunas, Akademija (Kaunas district), or Vilnius will only be able to do so from this year on October 1. They can only apply by following the information in the news section of http://apgyvendinimas.vdu.lt.

Student Centre (Student Affairs Department)

Phone +370 37 751 175

E-mail studentas@vdu.lt

Address K. Donelaičio str. 52-111, Kaunas

Join “Sharing is caring” event: save money and help the environment!

We invite you to the “Sharing is Caring” event, where you can find many necessary things and curious stuff to settle down successfully and make your new place of living a second home.

For whom:

new exchange students
the first year full-time international students
for all other students and the VMU community

Where: VMU dormitory No. 2, (Baltija), Vytauto pr. 71, 44321, Kaunas

When: Thursday, August 24, from 16.00 to 18.00

Why is it worth coming?

Join a sharing culture and save money!
Find all necessities and cozy things for your life in Kaunas for free (gently used or new)
Meet new exchange and full-time students and make a friendship
Leave less waste and make lower CO2 level
Treat yourself to refreshment drinks and cookies

There are some categories of things you may find at the event:

Kitchen stuff (from cup to the grater, etc.)
Electronics (kettle, table lamps, etc.)
Study and leisure time items (sports equipment, hobby stuff, stationery such as notebooks, paper, pens, holders, etc.)
Household items (cleaning tools such as mops, brooms, washing powder; storage containers or boxes, buckets, mirrors, hangers for clothes)

Agenda:

lottery for unique things
swapping things and enjoying your social time with others
photo and video shooting
playing games to get to know the Lithuanian language
enjoying souvenirs, drinks, and cookies

Attention to those who would like to donate and share things!

At this event, participants can bring in appropriate unwanted things to donate, and then browse and take home items donated by others.

Memo for the participants:

bring clean and gently used items
bring items according to the selected categories (kitchen stuff, electronics, study, leisure time stuff, household items)

We won’t collect and keep: food, medicine, clothes, footwear, bedding. BUT: you can bring clothes, footwear, and bedding into the box in the lobby, and we will donate them to Caritas!

We definitely will have some items left over. Depending on the situation, we will either donate them to the homeless people via Caritas (clothes, footwear, bedding) or store them for another “Sharing is Caring” event and future students’ needs (kitchen stuff, electronics, study, leisure time stuff, household items).

See you!

Application for Accommodation for New International Students of 2023/2024

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) has opened an application for new incoming international students for accommodation in the dormitories of VMU during the academic year 2023/2024 or just the Autumn semester. Please note, that this application is open only for new (first year) incoming full-time, Erasmus+, Bilateral or other international exchange students of Vytautas Magnus University. Other, higher year students, who are currently not living in the dormitories of VMU, would be allowed to reserve one of the rooms for the new academic year only starting from July 1st, 2023.

IMPORTANT:  the application is open only for students, who have already signed their Learning Agreements (Erasmus+, Bilateral Exchange or Visiting Students) and  Agreement of Studies (full-time Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students) (for more information about signing it, please contact International Cooperation department)

In order to reserve a place of residence in one of the dormitories of VMU, all new incoming first-year international students must follow this procedure:

NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OF VMU

find out about VMU dormitories, (No. 2 „Baltija“ – located in Kaunas, No. 5 – located in Academija, Kaunas dstr. and No. 6 „Vivulskis“ – located in Vilnius), price for accommodation services, living conditions, etc.;
log in to the online accommodation system (Accommodation for others) with your personal credentials (username and password) and reserve one of the places from the provided list on Accommodation in Student Rooms (Number of places in the dormitories is limited, however, the list is constantly updated, therefore it is recommended to check it regularly).
receive an e-mail with confirmation of your reservation. This e-mail means, that room of your choice will be reserved for your arrival until 31st of August, 2023;
receive a second e-mail in the middle of the August with instructions on how to sign your electronic Agreement for Accommodation, sign it, and move into the dormitory no later than by   31st of August, 2023 (if you are planning to move-in after the 31st of August, 2023, you shall contact Student Centre by sending an e-mail to studentas@vdu.lt and inform about your intended date of arrival. In all cases you will have to pay accommodation fees starting from 1st of September 2023, otherwise your room reservation will be cancelled).

IMPORTANT: please note, that Residents will be allowed to move into their reserved rooms only starting from August 16th, 2023.

FOR NON-VMU STUDENTS

For more information please contact:

Student Centre (Student Affairs Department)
Phone +370 37 751 175
E-mail studentas@vdu.lt
Address K. Donelaičio g. 52-111, Kaunas

The most important dates and terms of accommodation of 2023 / 2024 academic year

We would like to inform you about the most important dates and terms for the accommodation of our international students in the dormitories of Vytautas Magnus University during the Autumn semester of the 2023/2024 academic year:

	Accommodation of NEW international students, studying full-time or coming for exchange studies
From 2023.07.01	From this date, all new international students of Vytautas Magnus university, will be allowed to book a place of accommodation in VMU dormitories (places of accommodation, reserved prior to this date, will be cancelled).	More detailed information about accommodation procedure you will find http://accommodation.vdu.lt in NEWS the end of June.
Until 2023.08.31	Reservations made by new international students are kept until this date. If the student does not arrive and move into the dormitory by this date – the reservation will be cancelled.	–
	Accommodation of SENIOR students
Until 2023.05.31	Room changes and new reservations are allowed by choosing rooms from the list of available places on Student Portal studentas.vdu.lt	–
By 2023.06.30	Persons, whose Agreements for Accommodation are valid only until June 30, 2023, and whose Agreements will no longer be renewed (persons who have been imposed disciplinary sanctions; etc.) must move out of the dormitories of VMU.	Students, whose Agreements for Accommodation will not be extended, will be personally informed about that by an email, send to their VMU and (or) another mailbox.
From 2023.07.01 to 2023.07.06	VMU students whose Agreements for Accommodation have been renewed must sign it online on https://epasirasymas.vdu.lt/.	Students will be informed about that by an email, send to their VMU and (or) another mailbox.
By 2023.07.31	Persons whose Agreements for Accommodation have been extended only for the summer period must move out of the VMU dormitories. VMU Graduates of 2023, will be allowed to stay in the dormitory for no longer than July 31, 2023.	–
From 2023.08.25	List of remaining vacant rooms will be published for all VMU students.	–
	Accommodation for students of OTHER UNIVERSITIES
From 2023.10.01	Announcement of remaining places for all not VMU (other university) students.	–

In case of questions please contact VMU Student Centre:

Address: K. Donelaičio str. 52-111, Kaunas

Phone: +370 37 751 175

Email: studentas@vdu.lt

VMU students are invited to share things for the future students’ needs

We invite all VMU students to share the things they don’t need anymore with those exchange or full-time students who will arrive in August.

The initiative is being implemented within DON@ – Donation Opportunities for Newcomers. The key objective of the project is to facilitate the integration and improvement of living conditions of students with fewer opportunities by promoting mutual support, inclusion, and sustainable development.

All VMU students are invited to attend this event:

June 27, Tuesday, 16.00 – 18.00, lobby, VMU dormitory No. 2, (Baltija), Kaunas
June 28, Wednesday, 16.00 – 18.00, lobby, VMU dormitory No. 2, (Baltija), Kaunas
June 29, Thursday, 16.00 – 18.00, lobby, VMU dormitory No. 2, (Baltija), Kaunas
June 30, Friday, 17.00 – 19.00, lobby, VMU dormitory No. 5, Akademija, Kaunas district

Note! The organized collection of things will be provided every week till the end of June. You will be informed about the upcoming events later.

There are three main requirements only:

bring clean and gently used items;
bring items according to the selected categories;
bring your stuff to the appointed place and time.

We accept the following categories of things:

Kitchen stuff (pans, pots, plates, blenders, cups, knives, cutlery, dishes, kettle, dishware, etc.);
Electronics (USBs, fan, table lamps, iron, etc.);
Study and leisure time stuff (umbrella, backpacks, bags, books, sports equipment, hobby stuff for handmade, stationery such as notebooks, paper, pens, holders, etc.);
Household items (cleaning tools such as mops, brooms, washing powder; storage containers or boxes, buckets, mirrors, hangers for clothes; decoration such as candles, flashlights, photo frames, etc.).

All donated items will be kept in the special storage rooms in the VMU dormitories till the end of August. Before the new semester begins, we will organize a Donation Day and share the items with new students.

We do not accept for storage: clothes and footwear, bedding, food products, ingredients, and medicine.

Who can donate the items?

All VMU students, whether they live in a dormitory or elsewhere.

How often will such an event take place?

Every week till the end of June. You will be informed about the upcoming events later. Find out more about DON@ project here.

Room checks in dormitories

On June 6^th, 7^th, 8^th randomly selected rooms of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) dormitory residents will be inspected.

June 6^th 12:00:

Dormitory No. 4 (Studentų str. 1, Akademija, Kaunas district)

June 6^th 13:00

Dormitory No. 2 “Baltija” (Vytauto pr. 71, Kaunas)

June 6^th 14:30:

Dormitory No. 7 (Universiteto str. 6, Akademija, Kaunas district)

June ^7th 12:00:

Dormitory No. 8 (Studentų str. 5, Akademija, Kaunas district)

June 7^th 12:00

Dormitory No. 10 (Studentų str. 7, Akademija, Kaunas district)

June ^8th12:00:

Dormitory No. 1 “Taika” (Taikos pr. 119, Kaunas)

June 8^th13:00:

Dormitory No. 5 (Universiteto str. 8, Akademija, Kaunas district)

Residents, who have failed to meet the conditions laid down in the Agreement for Accommodation or who have violated the Internal Rules of the Dormitories of Vytautas Magnus University and who have been subject to disciplinary action:

10 euros if a reprimand is issued;
15 euros if a warning is issued;
20 euros if a severe warning.

A Survey of the Quality of Accommodation Services is Being Conducted

We invite you to participate and express your opinion in the university-level “Evaluation of Accommodation Services in Dormitories” survey, launched by the Student Affairs Department (SAD). The purpose of the survey is to find out the opinion of persons living in VMU dormitories about accommodation conditions and provided services.

We kindly invite students who live in VMU dormitories in Kaunas, Akademija (Kaunas District), or Vilnius to participate in this year’s survey and evaluate their opinions and suggestions, which would help to improve the performance and services provided in dormitories. We are hoping for ~10 minutes of your time, that you would dedicate to completing this questionnaire. The link to the survey was sent to all the residents by e-mail to their personal e-mail addresses. We invite you to fill in the survey by April 30, 2023.

Survey link

Taking into account the results of last year’s survey, the following changes/improvements have been made to the VMU halls of residence in 2022 in order to create the most favourable and comfortable living and leisure conditions for students living in the VMU halls:

No.	Dormitory	Significant changes/improvements in 2022
1	No. 2, located at the address Vytauto pr. 71, Kaunas	Outdoor bicycle racks installed
2	No. 5, located at the address Universiteto str. 8, Akademija, Kaunas District	Features a Meditation Room, outdoor bicycle racks installed, exterior staircase repaired
3	No. 6, located at the address A. Vivulskio str. 36, Vilnius	Partial cosmetic renovation of rooms

The survey on VMU dormitories is carried out annually to make the results comparable and assess changes in accommodation services and make new proposals.

Thank you all for your cooperation in taking 10 minutes to complete the survey – you are helping us to improve and grow!

If you have any questions, please contact the Student Affairs Department by email: srd@vdu.lt or by phone: (8 37) 327 977.

Room checks in dormitories

On March 6^th, 7^th, 8^th and 9^th, randomly selected rooms of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) dormitory residents will be inspected.

March 6^th 2:30 pm.:

Dormitory No. 1 “Taika” (Taikos pr. 119, Kaunas)

March 6^th 2:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 10 (Studentų str. 7, Akademija, Kaunas district)

March 7^th 3:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 2 “Baltija” (Vytauto pr. 71, Kaunas)

March 7^th 3:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 8 (Studentų str. 5, Akademija, Kaunas district)

March 8^th 3:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 4 (Studentų str. 1, Akademija, Kaunas district)

March 8^th 3:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 5 (Universiteto str. 8, Akademija, Kaunas district)

March 9^th 1:00 pm.:

Dormitory No. 7 (Universiteto str. 6, Akademija, Kaunas district)

10 euros if a reprimand is issued;
15 euros if a warning is issued;
20 euros if a severe warning.