Declining Interest Among Students of the Faculty of Social Sciences
at the University of Jakarta in Participating in Student Executive
Body Organizational Activities
Abdul Haris Fatgehipon
1
, Kamarulnizam
2
, Saidnazulfikar
3
and Hawa Hasan
4
1
Faculty of Social Sciences Lecturer, Jakarta State University, Indonesia
2
Institute of Malaysia and International Studies (IKMAS), University Kebangsaan, Malaysia
3
Faculty of Languages, Iqra Buru State University Maluku, Indonesia
4
STKIP Muhammadiyah Manokwari, Indonesia
Keywords: Student Interests, Student Executive Body, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jakarta.
Abstract: Student interest in taking part in the management of student executive body of the faculty of social sciences
at the university of jakarta has declined, in the last few years, research has wanted to use qualitative descriptive
methods by collecting data using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire was distributed to 102 fis
unj student administrators who are administrators of bem study programs, faculties and universities.
Researchers also conducted interviews with the haris bem fis executive board, ten fis students. After
completing the research, the researcher conducted an fdg, to discuss the research results. The results of the
research findings show that the low number of fis unj students is caused by the academic load, time-consuming
lectures, the economic burden of students, which requires them to work, asking students to take part in mbkm
activities, freedom to learn on their campus, lack of innovation and adaptation of the bem organization to
current developments.
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Universities, whose aim is not only to produce
prospective workers, who are absorbed in various
employment opportunities, but higher education
institutions, also prepare students to become future
leaders for their families, communities, nation and
state. Universities produce many smart, intelligent
people at every graduation, however, there is no
guarantee that universities can produce leaders.
Leaders are born from a long forging process, forged
by family education, community environment,
educational institutions.
The presence of student organizations has great
benefits, in educating, forging students, so that they
can have personal communication skills, social
communication, with the surrounding community, so
that students do not become individualistic
intellectual beings. Students are a middle group who
have social responsibility, in maintaining moral
values, ethics, national society and the state.
The government is aware of the importance of
student organizations, so that student organization
institutions have been formed at all tertiary
institutions, starting from university, faculty and
study program levels. One of the policy bases for
students to learn to organize and develop all the
knowledge and skills they have is through the
existence of student organizations.
According to Law number 12 of 2012 concerning
higher education, article 77 states that
(1) Students can form student organizations.
(2) Student organizations at least have the function
of: a. Accommodating student activities in
developing students' talents, interests and
potential b. Develop creativity, sensitivity,
critical power, courage and leadership, as well
as a sense of nationality c. Fulfilling the
interests and welfare of students and d. (Astadi
Team 2016). Mahasiswa FIS UNJ, has an
intra-campus organization, BEM, Legislative,
whose structure is from the University,
Faculty, to study program level. The term of
office of the BEM, Legislative, University,
Fatgehipon, A. H., Kamarulnizam, , Saidnazulfikar, and Hasan, H.
Declining Interest Among Students of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Jakarta in Participating in Student Executive Body Organizational Activities.
DOI: 10.5220/0013419600004654
In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science (ICHELS 2024), pages 687-691
ISBN: 978-989-758-752-8
Copyright © 2025 by Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
687
Faculty and Study Program student
organizations is one year. The election of the
BEM and Legislative chairman is carried out
by direct election, involving active students.
The BEM selection committee is carried out
by the legislative body, in accordance with the
organizational level.
The Student Executive Board (BEM), is a student
organization that runs a government- like
organization (executive institution). Led by the
Chairman/President of BEM who is elected through
student elections every year. BEM (Student
Executive Board) is an intra-campus organization that
represents students in managing and fighting for their
interests at the institutional level. There are several
theoretical discussions that can be used to understand
the role and function of BEM as an intra-campus
organization. (Erika Munte Team :2023).
However, the presence of student organizations
experiences ups and downs because the existence of
student organizations only carries out ceremonial
activities without looking at how to develop and
utilize the knowledge possessed by students in each
department. (Budiamin, Faridha, Muhammad, 2022).
In the era of Sukarno's government, campus
activists (BEM) had broad political influence, campus
dynamics were very pronounced, students were very
sensitive to various political, economic and
international issues, students also had a very big role
in the downfall of Sukarno's government.
In the Suharto era, although student political space
was limited, student activities still existed. Becoming
a BEM administrator is something prestigious, and is
a hot topic among campus activists. BEM had a big
role in Suharto's downfall In the reform era, where the
government opened up space for freedom, freedom of
speech was criticized, and this freedom did not exist
in the Suharto era, but it is very unfortunate, from
various observations that researchers found on
various campuses in Indonesia, there was a decline
in student interest in organizing Jakarta State
University also experienced the same thing, where
there was a decline in student interest in the BEM
organization both at the University Faculty and Study
Program levels. The decline in requests for students
to join the BEM organization can be seen in the lack
of student interest in registering as BEM chairman, in
fact it often happens that because no one has
registered to become BEM chairman, a single
candidate appears against empty contacts. The
position of BEM chairman is no longer a prestigious
position, it has influence among students, on this
basis researchers are interested in investigating this
problem, to be researched.
Historically, the term BEM was born when the
Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Student Senate
held the II UGM Student Senate Congress in
Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, in 1992. This congress
formulated the UGM student movement in the form
of a student government called the Student Family.
Currently, student activism to join BEM has
decreased drastically . This can be seen from the
minimal participation and lack of candidates in
student general elections (pemilwa), as happened at
Diponegoro University to Padang State University ,
as well as the limited critical discussion (Alfath 2024).
From the various problems above, the researcher is
interested in conducting research with the title, FIS
UNJ Student Interests, in participating in student
organization activities, Student Executive Board
Research Problems. Research Problem Formulation,
based on the problems above, the research problem
formulation is as follows. How are FIS UNJ students
interested in participating in the BEM organization?
What is the factor in students' low interest in joining
the BEM organization?
1.2 Benefit Research
The benefit of this research is to find the cause of the
low interest of FIS UNJ students in joining the BEM
UNJ Organization. Providing a solution concept to
the problem of low interest of FIS UNJ students to
participate in the BEM organization.
1.3 Research Methodology
The methodology in this research is Qualitative
Descriptive. (Moleong, 2017) researchers collected
data by means of literature study, observation,
interviews. The researcher also conducted an FGD
(Discussion Group Forum) to ask for various input
and opinions from parties who have authority and
competence, such as Student Organization Trustees,
BEM Management from the UNJ FIS Study Program
level and the Faculty of Social Sciences, FIS Alumni
Association Management and policy stakeholders.
2 DISCUSSION
2.1 How Are Students Interested in the
BEM Organization at the Faculty
of FIS UNJ
In the history of student organizations at UNJ, FIS is
one of the faculties with the most active student
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688
organizations, organizations at FIS have developed
not only limited to BEM but also extra- campus
organizations, such as HMI, PMII, GMNI. WE.
student executive body of the faculty of social
sciences at the university of jakarta has a role and role
in various national student actions. one of the roles of
student executive body of the faculty of social
sciences at the university of jakarta was involvement
in the 1998 student demonstration, during the reform
movement in indonesia. unj, during the 1998 student
reform movement, became the driving force of the
1998 reform movement in jakarta.
The term student as " the agent of change" is
true because many changes occur because of the role
of students. on campus, student organizations are a
forum for students to explore various personal
abilities, broaden their horizons and have personality
integrity. (yayuk 2017). After the 1998 reformation,
where democratic space was wide open, campus
activists who were previously affiliated with student
executive body of the faculty of social sciences at the
university of jakarta, looked for their own paths,
some chose to become part of the government's
power, some chose to remain critical of the
government.
even though we are in the era of democracy,
where freedom of expression is open, the
development of bem in indonesia, including student
executive body of the faculty of social sciences at the
university of jakarta, is not as active as in the 1998
era. The current BEM organization is still running,
starting from the study program, faculty and
university levels. As a result of our observations,
research and interviews, there was a decrease in
student interest in participating in the BEM
organization. In the 90s, becoming a member of BEM
was through competitive selection, because BEM
only existed at the faculty and university level, the
Study Program organization was the Study Program
Association. To become a BEM administrator,
students must receive support, selected from the study
program level, as study program representatives, the
number is not large, only 2 people per study program.
Being a member of BEM is something to be proud
of, and not all students get the opportunity to become
BEM administrators at faculties and universities.
Currently, elected BEM administrators at study
programs, faculties and universities are experiencing
difficulties in recruiting members. This can be seen
from the initial period of BEM management, it takes
a long time to prepare management due to the low
interest of students in registering as BEM members,
in study program, faculty, university level. The BEM
organization at FIS UNJ receives support from the
dean and the university. Support from the Dean is in
the form of guidance on student activities and
financial support. In each BEM organization at the
study program and faculty level, a lecturer is assigned
to supervise student activities. The funds provided for
BEM development come from the faculty POK, and
are distributed in a transparent manner to all student
organizations consisting of BEM and interest and
talent organizations. The funds provided by the
faculty are incentives for various BEM activities,
students seek financial support from outside campus,
to sponsor activities.
2.2 Factors That Cause Students' Low
Interest in Participating in BEM
There is low interest among students to be active in
BEM organizations, both BEM Study Programs,
faculties and universities, after we conducted
interviews, we found various reasons for FDG. First,
the burden of completing coursework assignments,
and limitations on lecture time cause students to
prefer to focus on lectures, because if they are active
in the organization and are late in submitting
coursework assignments, there is no relief or special
treatment given to BEM administrators, even though
the delay is a factor. Collecting assignments because
they are busy with BEM activities, which cannot be
delegated or replaced by other people.
Limiting the study period causes students to
compete to complete their studies on time, because if
they do not complete their studies on time, it will
result in greater costs for their parents to pay for their
studies. They also don't want to be expelled from
campus because their study period is over. There are
several student activists who do not complete their
studies on time and are threatened with dropping out
of campus.
Second, more interested in participating in
MBKM activities. On the one hand, Merdeka Belajar
and campus activities bring many benefits, students
are introduced to the industrial world, students are
also given the opportunity to study outside campus
either at the national campus or take part in IISMA
(Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards)
activities where students are given the opportunity to
study abroad with scholarship from the Indonesian
government. Students avoid becoming BEM
administrators because it will limit them from taking
part in student activities outside campus, doing
internships, earning money, or taking part in national
or international student exchanges, they earn money
and gain international experience.
Declining Interest Among Students of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Jakarta in Participating in Student Executive Body
Organizational Activities
689
Third, students are more interested in
participating in unique student activities, which are
aimed at developing students' talents, spirituality and
interests. At FIS UNJ there are talent and spiritual
development organizations such as FIS Ambassadors,
FIS Media Center, MAI, many interested, Era FM,
Nature Lovers, these organizations have many
interested people, in fact they have to carry out
member selection restrictions, because many are
interested. BEM is considered too theoretical and
cannot channel their talents and abilities.
Fourth, help the family economy. The sources of
funds obtained by students are generally from
parents, scholarships, and work. Many UNJ students
choose to work in order to fulfill their educational
needs. Their fields of work are varied, some work as
housing marketers, baristas in cafes, private tutors.
From their income, apart from being used to meet
family needs, it also helps the family economy,
sometimes they take on the role of parents, as the
backbone of the family, they work to help support the
family economy because their parents no longer
work, their parents have been laid off, parents, are
sick, or parents are separated. This situation causes
students to prefer to focus on studying, working to
help support the family economy. They are not
interested in becoming BEM administrators because
they think it is not time efficient and has no economic
benefits.
Fifth, BEM is no longer a prestigious
organization. BEM, experienced its glory in the 60s-
70s, up to the 90s, BEM experienced a heyday of
student interest in joining high BEM organizations,
students scrambled to win the election for BEM
chairman. Becoming BEM chairman or BEM
administrator is a prestigious position, known to
many students, lecturers and the public. BEM's
position has influence not only internally on campus
but also outside campus. Under pressure from the
Sukarno and Suharto governments, BEM activists
showed the courage to fight back, criticizing the
government. During the Reformation era, BEM
showed its role in contributing to the downfall of
Suharto's government. After the reform era where
freedom of opinion and criticism was opened, the role
of BEM was less strong, the start of BEM's role could
be due to the absence of common issues that could
bring down the student movement.
BEM is not supported by the campus, especially
in terms of funding. One strong reason why students
are reluctant to be active in the BEM organization is
that there is a lack of financial support from faculties
and universities, running the BEM organization
requires operational needs, administration, all of this
requires a budget, students feel burdened if all of this
is prepared by the students. Students expect the
Faculty to provide support to support various BEM
activities. So far, BEM has been given incentive
funds by the faculty. For various activities carried out
by BEM, the funds are obtained from sponsors or
partners.
Sixth, BEM lacks innovation and adaptation.An
organization must always innovate and adapt to
various existing changes. If an organization is static,
then the organization can be left behind, when faced
with various new organizations. Organizations are
born in accordance with the spirit of the times, many
organizations are abandoned by their members
because they are no longer in accordance with the
spirit of the times.
In the era of Revolution 4.0 which is marked by
advances in the field of information technology, the
model of student organization is changing,
organizations no longer need a secretariat to be a
place for people to gather, but rather need a website,
meetings in today's organizations do not have to be
offline but use various social media applications. like
zoom. BEM as a campus organization whose
members are Gen Z, must adapt to changing times.
BEM activities must be adapted to the needs and
tastes of Gen Z
The MBKM program does not give much
attention to BEM activists, for example there are no
opportunities given to BEM administrators to take
part in national and international activities for BEM
administrators. Students prefer to take part in MBKM
activities, PNM National Study exchanges, IISMA
International Studies. Or MSIB Certified Internship
activities
Students' motivation towards student
organizations has decreased because they prioritize
academics and are faced with lifestyle challenges that
lead to hedonism. The role of student organizations
in developing student citizenship skills is as a forum
for student aspirations and encouraging students'
mindsets to think critically, responsibly and
scientifically. The obstacles faced by student
organizations during the implementation of activities,
especially in developing civic skills , are internal and
external obstacles. For example, regarding funding,
permits, lifestyle, communication and coordination,
lack of student interest, different student
backgrounds, facilities, and regarding the secretariat.
(Kosasih 2017).
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3 CONCLUSIONS
The low interest of FIS students in getting involved
in the Student Executive Board, BEM, is a common
phenomenon that occurs on various campuses in
Indonesia. Student activities in the democratic world,
which are characterized by freedom, expressing
opinions, freedom of expression, do not necessarily
increase students' interest in organizing. there are
various reasons behind the low interest of students in
joining the student executive body of the faculty of
social sciences at the university of jakarta
organization
These reasons include, among other things, the
family's economic demands which force them to
work, to help the family economically, they become
the backbone of the family. Second, they are more
tempted to take part in the MBKM program (They
Study Their Campus), such as the International
Student Exchange IISMA (Indonesian International
Student Mobility Awarsds. Participating in the
Internship Program (MSIB) Internship and Certified
Independent Study, in various BUMN, government
and private offices, where they earn money.
Campuses are not just places that give birth to
academically educated people, campuses are also
places that give birth to future national leaders, giving
birth to leaders, it is not something that is young, it
must be placed in family education, organizational
education, while attending school or college. The
presence of BEM is one of the campus organizations,
with the aim of being able to train students to have
organizational skills, administrative skills, and
defensive skills. The BEM organization must
innovate and adapt to the spirit of the current era,
so that its existence is not abandoned by students.
Students will join the BEM organization if they feel
there are benefits to be gained.
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