Guidance Corner: Space booking instructions

Guidance Corner, Kaisa House (Fabianinkatu 30)

Guidance Corner is on the third floor of Kaisa House, right next to the entrance on Fabianinkatu.The space can accommodate max. 30 people (e.g., information session). For small groups, the space works best for a group of up to 15 students.

Guidance Corner, Info Centre Korona Library (Viikinkaari 11)

Guidance Corner Library is on the 1st floor of Info Centre Korona, in front of garden Niili. The space can accommodate max. 15 people. The space is well suited for e.g., small group and discussion events.

The Guidance Corner is available on the O365 booking calendar:

• Kaisa-talo, Ohjauskulma
• Infokeskus, Ohjauskulma Kirjasto (Kirjasto = Library)

Since the space is available only for events involving students and not for meetings, the booking rights have been limited. After you have checked the vacancy of the space, you can send a booking request to

• Guidance Corner, Kaisa House ohjauskulma@helsinki.fi
• Guidance Corner, Info Centre Korona kirjasto@helsinki.fi

You can book either the whole Guidance Corner or just a part of it, if you are e.g., running a small-scale clinic for just a few persons. Consequently, depending on the event, the Guidance Corner may host several events at a time. Please specify when booking if you require only a part of space for your use.

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages may be served in Guidance Corners. You can bring your own refreshments to the event or order them a week before the event from Well Kaisa-talo or Porthania or infokeskus@unicafe.fi. Please clean up all catering at the end of the event.

The Guidance Corner has been designed so that the furniture can be moved around depending on the activity. If you make major changes during your booking, please move the furniture back to its original position. 

Guidance Corner furniture may not be taken out of the Guidance Corner! 

Guidance Corner, Kaisa House

• Two armchairs
• A sofa set
• Three wooden low small tables
• Three white round tables with gas-springs
• Two black chairs
• Two coat racks
• Two movable room dividers

Twenty spare chairs have been acquired for the use by the Guidance Corner and they are stored in a trolley in the back office of the Kaisa House Library customer service. When needed, organisers of Guidance Corner events may fetch the chairs in the trolley from the customer service, but they are intended to be stored in the back office when not needed in the Guidance Corner.

Guidance Corner, Viikki Infocentre Korona

Library:

• 12 metal chairs
• Three tables (4 persons/table)
• 14 spare chairs
• Roll-up
• Three screens/dividers

The tables are heavy and should be moved so that they do not scratch the floor mat.

The Guidance Corner is equipped with a screen which event organisers can use when needed. The screen is turned on with a remote control which is stored in a closet in the Guidance Corner.

The screen is equipped with a variety of cables (including HDMI) to connect it to a laptop computer. Once a portable device is connected to the screen, audio from, e.g., videos can be reproduced through the speakers. 

Please lift the cables off the floor so that they will not be damaged when students move around the space or furniture is moved.

The responsibility for promoting events organised in the Guidance Corner belongs to the event organiser. The Guidance Corner does not have its own social media accounts where events could be publicised.

• It is recommended that you publish bulletins on upcoming events in the Studies service. Also use other possible channels to reach as many students as possible.
• If your event is open to all students, write a trilingual ad for it to be displayed on the kaisa House Guidance Corner’s info screen and send material to opiskelijaviestinta@helsinki.fi
• You can also add the event in the University's events calendar. If you choose Opiskelijatapahtumat (student events) as the event category, the event will also be shown on the frontpage of the Studies service, under the Events heading. More information on the use of the events calendar can be found on Flamma (requires logging in).

If students must sign up for the event, please mention the deadline for filling out the form or the maximum size of the group.

Was the event a success, did you get good photos? Do you know in advance of something great that could be publicised on the University’s Instagram account? Contact opiskelijaviestinta@helsinki.fi if you want to have your photo on the University’s Instagram or hulib-viestinta@helsinki.fi if you want it on the Library’s Instagram account!

Questions to consider when planning a remote event   

• How can I create an atmosphere of open discussion and dialogue as soon as the event begins? 
• Does the event involve work in small groups? How will this work be introduced so that it feels as meaningful as possible to students and so that they are not intimidated by it?
• What added value, if any, is provided by the participants having their camera on during the event? Or will students feel more relaxed if they are not expected to have their camera on? 

Please note the following when writing the event description: 

• Mention in advance if the event includes interactive elements. It is good to notify potential participants if the event includes small group work or active discussion.  
• Add the email address of the service provider or event organiser to the description. This enables students to, for example, ask questions about the event in advance or to cancel their participation by directly contacting the organiser. 

Consider the significance of the start of the event 

It may be easier for participants to get actively involved if they are invited to engage from the very beginning of the event. So consider whether to start with a short warm-up assignment before the presentation component begins to provide the participants with the opportunity to get in on the conversation right away. 

At the beginning of the event 

• Principles for a safer space must be followed, which means that all participants are accepted as they are. 
• Clarity is key: the presentation of the event programme and goal, if any, right at the beginning as well as clear instructions for various parts of the event often reduce uncertainty and misunderstandings. 
• Explain the principles concerning camera and microphone usage.  
  • If it is requested that participants have their camera on, the organisers should set a good example by having their camera on whether or not they are speaking at the time. Also explain why participants should have their camera on. 
• Describe what people should do if they wish to speak during the event. For example, is the chat to be used or should people just unmute their microphone (or do both), and can people make comments at any time or only after the organiser has invited them to do so?  
• You can also tell students how they can blur their background or change their name in Zoom. This can be done in Zoom as follows: 
  • Blur the background: Click on the upward arrow next to the camera icon and select Choose a virtual background. You can find the blur option in the menu that appears on the screen. 
  • To change your name: Click on Participant in the Zoom submenu and, when the list of participants appears on the screen, place the cursor on your name. Then select More and click on Rename. 

You can also explore the section Instructions for online event participants on the Instructions for Students website. You can also send the above text to students, for example, when confirming their registration or sending them a link to the event.