Draft – November 04, 2010 by S.

De Vera
For comments – Sir Aldrin, Jake & Badik
EVENTS AND PROCESSES FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE UNP STUDENT COUNCIL
(under the term of the UNP-SC 2002-2003)

This document is written under the request of Mrs. Jesusa R. Unciano, Asst. Coordinator
for Student Organization Development Program of the Office of Student Affairs. Entries in this
document are based from the (primary) author’s memory recall of the events and processes
which transpired from the year 2001 up to 2004 related to the amendment, ratification and first
implementation of the constitution and bylaws of the UNP Student Council.

1. Recommendation for the amendment of the UNP Student Council Constitution and
Bylaws first surfaced during the firts quarter of 2002 under term of Erwin Rallojay (2001-
2002), I was then the Press Relations Officer and part of the group who recommended
the said undertaking. The recommendation for the review and amendment were set on
the following objectives:

a. Create ways to better improve the reporting and feedback mechanisms for the
Office of the Student Regent;
b. Provide venue for wider participation of student leaders on planning, program
implementation & assessment of the UNPSC;
c. Have a more effective means of administering services to the students; and
d. Stronger leadership for campaigns on student issues in the university.

2. The amendment however did not materialized since most of the officers then,
including the President were busy preparing for their graduation. After March 2002 –
only three members of the executive committee were left. To patch up the vacuum, an
INTERIM-SC was created by the UNP-SC and OSA composed of the 3 SC Execom
Members and remaining presidents of Mandated Organizations. The formation of the
Interim-SC was essential for the following reasons:

a. Manage and administer the services of the student council;

b. Assure the continuous exercise of the students right to participate in making and
implementing university policies (specially that the University Policy Conference
was slated during the summer of that year, held at San FabianPangasinan); and
c. Draft the working paper on the guidelines of the proposed Student Uniform and
Identification Card (tasked by the OSA director to the SC)

3. The OSA called for a Student Leaders’ Caucus on Student Issues before the
conference facilitated by the Interim-SC and attended by the incumbent presidents of
the Accredited Organizations and Staff of Student Publications who did not graduate
during March 2002, the OSA was represented by SODP Coordinator during the caucus.
It’s objective was to consolidate the concerns and recommendations of students on the
proposed uniform and identification card. However, since most of the leading student
personalities were present, the caucus was extended to discuss other student concerns.
The student leaders arrived with the following recommendations:

a. Uniform should be implemented university wide and would only cover the
incoming freshmen so as to allow the upper class to continue utilizing their
prescribe uniform prior to the institutionalization of a university-wide uniform;
b. The blue (lower garment) and white (upper garment) combination, the SC will be
in-charge of the bidding and would ensure that the university will offer the lowest
price per yard of the textile for the uniform;
c. Instead of outside production of the proposed PVC ID, the university should
instead purchase a machine to produce the said ID in a more affordable price;
 d. Update and review of the Student’s Handbook, specifically the Student’s Code of
Conduct and Guidelines for Student Organizations;
e. Conduct an educational tour aimed in providing a venue for comparative
benchmarking with different student handbook, interaction with the different
student councils and national student alliances; and
f. Since the body was just an interim-SC, the student leaders agreed to endorsed
the suggestions for the review of the student handbook and educational trip to
the elected SC officers next school year.

4. During the policy conference, the five recommendations above were presented and
was unanimously approved by the conference

5. When the SC Officers for AY 2002-2003 conducted its first meeting in August for the
preparation of the University Board Meeting and drafting of its Action Plan for 2002-
2003, the review of the student handbook, amendment of the constitution and bylaws,
and educational trip (bench marking) were included in the Action Plan.

6. The SC and OSA informed the Office of the President regarding the said undertaking
and asked permission for the educational field trip which was immediately approved by
the University President. After the educational field trip, the OSA and SC formed a review
committee to bench mark the student handbook and constitution and bylaws composed
of the SC President and Secretary, Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor of Tandem, SODP
Coordinator. The result of the review was then presented to the SC Officers, Mandated
Presidents, and TANDEM Editorial Staff for comments and additional annotations. Copy
of the recommendations was likewise given to the OSA Director. The review committee
presented the following:

A. General Recommendations
a. Conduct a Student Policy Conference to refine and finalize the draft of the
amended Students Code of Conduct, Policies and Guidelines for Student
Organizations, and UNP SC Constitution & By-laws.
b. Enactment of a Student’s Charter is necessary to provide a sharper classification
and understanding of the rights and welfare of the students.
c. A budget should be allotted for the process from the Student Miscellaneous Fund
since the project would require intensive reviews, discussions and editing;
extensive information, education and communication among the students; would
entail bulk printing of drafts; necessitate travel to Candon Campus and manpower
specially during the university student plebiscite.

B. On the Student’s Handbook

a. Some provisions of the student code of conduct are to vague and general (eg.
immoral acts), there is a need to provide more specific description of offenses
especially those that constitute to grave offenses;
b. Sanctions should be more constructive, focused on the over-all rehabilitation of
the offender and guidelines should be provided for the monitoring of the
individual – (community service & monitoring by the guidance office were
recommended);
c. The handbook should include the process/steps for the application of accreditation
of student organizations and the selection of advisers;
d. Should contain the basic rights and welfare of students (charter), description of
the different student organizations and mechanisms to address their concerns
and issues.
e. A recommendation from PROFRAT being the university-instituted fraternity council
should have a part in the recognition of fraternities.
C. On the Constitution and By-laws
a. Redefining the Student Council. The student Council is composed of all the
student organizations in all levels, colleges/institute and of whatever interest or
functions they serve. – (renaming the highest student organization as the
University Student Council)
b. Restructuring of the Student Council to provide more time for the SC
President to function as member of the board of regent – looking not only to the
concerns of the students but that of the different shareholders of the university –
(creation of 3 VP, 1 that would focus on student concerns, 1 on the administration
of the SC office and Volunteer Corp, and 1 for Candon. Integration of PROFRAT
and SC Volunteer Corps)
c. Centralized Leadership through the creation of a central student body were the
Student Regent could report and assist him in planning and decision making –
(USLA). Decentralized operation by creating councils of mandated and
accredited organizations that would ensure and monitor the implementation of SC
programs at the grassroots level – (CSIGs, AUCs, PROFRAT).
d. Election of a Student Regent of the members of the USLA. – (to give a chance to
student leaders from candon and those who are not interested in running as
president of the student council but has the ability, qualifications and guts to be a
part of the governing board)
e. Adding a section for the UNP-SC SEAL, DOMICILE and define an independent
student body that would administer the election of the student council –
(SELECOM).
f. Provide a means for Candon Campus to have a larger number of student leaders
from the campus participating in the planning, implementation, review and
assessment of student programs, projects and concerns. – (VP for Candon and
increasing the representative involving the members of PROFRAT Candon & CSIG)
g. FRESHMEN PARTICIPATION. Provide a venue for the representation, airing of
concerns and leadership development of freshmen – (Freshmen Bloc Assembly).

7. The OSA Director requested that the UNP-SC be in charge of the writing the working
drafts of the documents to be presented during the Student Policy Conference. The UNP-
SC in turn, divided the task among them – the student’s charter and constitution was
given to the president and secretary. The working drafts were then submitted to the OSA
director (through the SODP Coordinator) for comments and suggestions. After the
comments have been integrated a copy of the working drafts were distributed to the
different student organizations, student publications and SODP Coordinator for further
review and additional comments/annotations in preparation for the Student Policy
Conference.

8. The First Student Policy Conference was held at UNP-MRDC, Nalvo, Sta. Maria,
Ilocos Sur. It was attended by the officers of the Student Council, majority of the
Madated & Accredited Organization Presidents, and key members of the editorial board
of the different Student Publications. The OSA was represented by the SODP Coordinator
and at the same time as the Adviser of the UNP-SC. The following working drafts were
refined and finalized for presentation during the University Policy Conference in Banaue,
Ifugao:

a. UNP Student Council Constitution and By-laws

b. Students Charter
c. Student’s Code of Conduct and Discipline
d. Policies and Guidelines for Student Organizations

9. The above mentioned drafts were presented to the 2003 Policy Conference at
Banaue, Ifugao. Copies of the documents were provided to all the participants of the
conference for their review, comments and suggestions. (Based on our experience, this
is where most of the “grilling” and “grinding” would take place)

10.After the integration of the suggestions from the policy conference, the Student
Regent informed the University President for the presentation of the documents be
included in the agenda of the Board Meeting. Generally, the content of the documents
were approved by the BOR except for the separate election of SR – the SC President is
has enough time to discharge his functions as University Administrator and Student
Representative having three VPs to assist him with student concerns in the university.

11.The recommendations and revisions of the BOR were again integrated and was
certified by the BOR secretary, it was again presented to the majority of student leaders
before it was submitted for the approval of the University President and OSA Director for
bulk printing to be use for the information dissemination campaign in UNP Main and
Candon Campus. (the amendments were even broadcast in 3 am radios)

12.After more than 1 month of Information and Education campaign the plebiscite for
the student charter and constitution and by-laws were scheduled. While the Students
Code of Conduct and Policies and Guidelines were considered for implementation after
the approval of the BOR.

13.The Student’s Charter and Amended Constitution & Bylaws were ratified through a
plebiscite involving the entire UNP studentry (except for graduate and law school) and
was able to meet the 50% + 1 requirement. In UNP Main Campus, an overwhelming
“YES” vote was casted while a “NO” vote prevailed in UNP Candon because of internal
issues and machinations involving student leaders and officials in Candon Campus.

14.The Amended Constitution was took effect during the term of Emilio Torricer (except
for the stipulated date for the election), however since it was a transition Student
Council the formation of the different branches of the University Student Council took
time – (the entire term of Emil was geared towards the completion of the
terms/provisions stipulated in the student charter and amended constitution.)