UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOS BAOS

Minutes of the Meeting

Dialogue with Chancellor Cruz and the Vice Chancellors Monday, June 18, 2012, 8:00pm

UNIVERSITY STUDENT COUNCIL

Attendance: Ynik, Abby, Heugo, Kayla, Kim, Kevin, Jhenzel, Paolo, Sherwin, Marj, Sah, Albert, Aivee, Neal, Arthur, Mark, Enzo, Car, Paul, GS Donald Luna, Ex-officio Get Chancellor Cruz, Vice Chancellor for Instructions Oscar Zamora, OSA Director Letty Afuang, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension , Asst. to the Vice Chancellor for Administration Cris Dorado, Vice Chancellor for the Community Affairs I Tolentino, Vice Chancellor for Planning and Devt Fernando Sanchez, Asst. to the Chancellor Louie Carandang, Staff of the OC Olga, SR Cleve Arguelles, Outgoing USC Chairperson Pura Valle, Outgoing CEAT Rep Mikel Atienza, OSR Secretariat

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The meeting started at exactly 9:40am. This will be a regular meeting. Once a month meeting with Chancellor Cruz. Issues will be discussed during the meeting. Observer status given to the USC Chairperson in the Execom. Getting to know. Introduction of the Administrative Staff. Expectations of and to the USC and Administration Chancellor Cruz: Role of USC is being advocates. We want you to be participants/active players. USC should advocate is increase in the quality of education in UP. The students have role to play,not just admin. Mobilize the whole studentry and focus on what they do and that is to learn. USC should be the catalyst and make students realize that the main role of a student is to learn. Disciplined life and disciplined learner in the campus. Continue to advocate in increasing the subsidy from the government. No need to put in placards, no to budget cut. In reality, there is no budget cut. Increase subsidy must be the right term. 2013 hopefully must be the greater jump in budget allocation in UP. Participant and advocate in greater peace and order in the campus. USC should be in the forefront in promoting advocation. Harmony among student organizations. Zero organization conflict must be included in the priorities. USC in advocating increase scholastic leadership.

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USC must not be leaders in student activities only but also in scholastic terms. Hopefully to maintain good scholastic standing. Increase engagement in administration for protection and maintenance of UP properties. Increase participation in advocating cleanliness in the UP campus. Only four personnel in picking up plastic trashes all around the campus. Waste management and proper disposal from the students. Increase engagement in community development around UPLB. UPLB to be a key player in community development. Student organizations having systematic and organize program in facilitating community development programs. USC spearheading the role of the students in community development. Needs students in enforcing the rules and programs of UPLB. Enforce traffic rules and regulations. Realistic roles of the USC have been presented by the Chancellor. The table is now open for the response of the Vice Chancellors and USC. Chancellor commending on the performance of the outgoing USC, thanking Pura for the leadership. Outgoing USC Chair thanking the different administration offices of UPLB. USC Chair on response of to the Chancellor Cruz discussion. Increase engagement in UP properties; provide freedom walls so vandalism will lessen. Coordinate all the efforts of the organizations regarding different advocacies. OVCI ensures representation of students. Large class policy review now undergoing. Readmission considered by the OVCI. OVCCA regarding students security. Also on the dormitories. BPMSO and OVCPD for the help in Febfair OVCRE support on the publications especially to the Grad students. Asst. to the Chancellor for being accommodating and fast actions on the request. OC for also being accommodating for the students. During this term, regular dialogues have taken place. Concrete programs for the constituents and to the community. Chancellor Cruz on readmissions. Til when can we readmit. Student organizations on the case of readmissions. 80% of students in the student organizations might be included in the OSA recognition. Ynik on the student orgs issues. Comprehensive consultation in the student organizations. Pura: Start in advising the organizations. Get: Before we reprimand, we start in reward strategy. We start by encouraging the orgs and include it in their program. OVCI: Advisers are not for academic advice only. They must help the students in their different issues in life.

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Respect is important. Respect in the authority. Respect to the people. Study areas in the different buildings. IT system to be improved in the different buildings. Sausage, stuff education. Oyster, stimulate education. Ynik has an observer status in the Execom but cannot have a voting power. Sexual harassment incidence. USC must know the rights of the students regarding the matter. Chancellor Cruz on study area. If there is a need for the college and has an available place, the USC can request to the college execom. UPD hhas very expansive collection of online materials. Chancellor Cruz will ask the UPLB lib to check on the matter. The UP President wants to open the TEALNet for UP. Online access for the library to be pushed by the admin. Pura: On the available student spots, routers may be added to those spots. OVCI: Cannot mix the study areas and tambayans. Focus on one. USC Matters Agenda: 1. Fees A. Dorm Fee Increase There is a trend on the increase in the dorm fees inside the campus. Asking for documents regarding the dorm fee increase. Chancellor Cruz: We do not want to deviate what is commonly being practiced across the campuses. Make the maintenance and self-sustaining. What we collect is what we used in maintaining the dorms. We want to stay as comparative as possible with the other UP Units. Pura: The new memo of the housing office is good because it is now socialized. Increase has approval of the Chancellor. This time, no approval of the UPLB Chancellor for now. Chancellor Cruz: It has approval but no signature in the memo. Ynik: Comprehensive documents from the UPLB Admin. OVCI: We are sensitive with the fees. One of the things we are doings are review on the scholarships that are not being used. We charge little interest rates. We are looking for donors and sponsors. SR Cleve: We would not be able to understand the administration if we are not consulted in the increases. Lacking consultation on these matter. We hope that the admin should consult us since the increase is to sensitive. We hope to be engaged in this matter. OVCCA: Survey has been distributed during the Febfair. University cannot shoulder the gasoline

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for the multicabs. We will in the future be charging fees in the multicabs. Late dinner, reason of late Pura: There are surveys but no consultation and focused group discussion. On multiicab, later did we know that the gas is charged to the university. OVCCA: Repair and maintenance burden was put to the administration. Pura: Multicabs must not be used for personal use. Ynik: Ask for Mayor Ton Genuino. OVCCA: They have already responded but they cannot sustain the finances for the multicab. Ynik: Instead of service, we became sideline of the multicab drivers. B. Lab and Misc. Fees Ynik: lack of consultation for last years increase in the lab fees. While the survey is done the administration, the council may undergo consultation to the students. Explanation regarding the lab fees. Comprehensive documents. Breakdown regarding the misc. fees. SR Cleve: Re lab fee. The UPLB must be aware of the rules of the BOR in approving the lab fees. The USC and CSCs must have a copy of the lab fee. 50% + 1 of the affected constituents regarding increase in lab fees. As long as we know where the money goes, it would be fine for the students. OVCI: There has been a lot of clamor for increase. Cleaning around the buildings for two hours is suggested instead of getting NGW. It would be another way of giving employments and income for the students. Breakdown of the misc fees are not seen in the form5. C. Deposit Fee OVCI: It is being given to the the UPLBAA after you graduate. If you want to get involved in the NSTP, you can get involved especially CSCs. SR Cleve: Inquiry on the deposit fee, where are the deposit fees used? The deposit fees must be utilized for student services. Other UP Units have their deposit fees under utilized. Maybe we can give the deposit fees to the USC. We ask for the stop the collection for NF. Maybe the administration and USC manage the deposit fee instead of UPLBAA. UPV has implemented the deposit fee given to the USC already. Chancellor Cruz: proposal of adding trust fund for the student services on the form after graduation form. OVCI: 10.5 million has been out for the dormitories. Whatever increase, we assure you that services are being given back to the students. On VVGs appointment Ynik: Appointment of Lt. Col. VVG as the ROTC Commandant.

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Chancellor: We met the Regional Commander. To the commander: can you write a letter writing formally of the appointment of VVG? If you want to recruit her, she should be requested as seconded staff. She is not a commandant yet since the Commander did not replied. OVCI: Appointment of VVG is not under us. She must give up her position because so she wont get her salary from us. You can give her assignment but why get her salary from us? Prof. Panopio is still the ROTC Commandants. We do not have enough students for the ROTC Program. Ynik: The decision of the admin is right that it must undergo right and formal way. No any military element inside the campus. In consideration with her record. 2. Formations A. LLCP Review Committee Ynik: We commend the committee for the undergoing meetings. We will submit a contact person for the student rep for the position. May we ask for the progress of the LLCP? OVCI: We make it a research project funded by the OVCRE. This will run for two semesters. We assure you that it is a research work. Tell students that there will be data gathering for the research. From 1500 to 2000. Ang hirap talikuran na nakikita mong maraming estudyante ang pinasok. It will cost us 2.3M for only one subject. We also do not have classrooms for subjects when we do not have large class. We want to have access as much as possible. We just do not look for admin matters but also educ learning. SR Cleve: So far, hows the quality of the performance of the students under the LLCP? OVCI: So far, there are no significant difference in the results. There are faculty and professors that the LLCP is not effective, thus, make the policies of the class more strict. Pura: Why did we increase absorptive capacity of the admin this year? OVCI: Because we assume of the large class. We spend millions of overload pay in small class. There are positive and negative. We will build large classrooms and utilize the existing rooms that are not used. This is not about money but we want to have more access. Ynik: We understand the goals of the admin. We still push for comprehensive review since it started without consultation. OVCRE: Student reps do not attend in their meeting. Be sure that the student commits time. We want an empirical science based precision. Why dont we use the scientific method? Before

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we revise policy, there must be enough evidence. SR Cleve: Maybe the OSR can sit with the committee? OVCRE: Yes, you are very welcome. Arthur: We planned that there must be synchronized research patterned with the admins research. Maybe we can open here what the students really say. OVCRE: Part of the methodology is focused group discussions. Maybe we can help each other. We will combined the quantitative and qualitative. B. Endorsement of SA Council Ynik: Concentrated alliance of the student assistants. There is an existing SA council in UP Manila. Also, document in the salary of the SA. OVCI: I can give you the list of the SAs and then you have the responsibility in organizing it. OVCRE: Problem with the SAs is during the latter part of the semester. Being an SA is a right. It has also the responsibility. OVCI: Units get SA because they lack staff. We do not limit SA because many needs money. Get: We lay this down to the table to ask for support, help in the rights and responsibilities of the SAs, also, it may be the way to hear the concerns of the SAs to the admin and vise versa. Pura: Maybe we can involve the SAs in the research tasks. Albert: So that the SA can have easy access in applying. OVCI: We are now looking to the group. Instead of 8 signatories for approval of the SA, maybe we can make it 4. SR Cleve: One of the benefits of the SA. Christmas bonus, 100% attendance bonus in the UP Manila. Arthur: Clarity on the salary, what is the process of the release of salaries of the SA? Chancellor Cruz: Major reason of the delay of the reason is the delayed passing of the DTR of the student assistants. OVCI: We spend weekends for signing the SA forms. It is submitted in a voucher manner. Ynik: SA Council will centralize information and papers will be easily processed. Pura: To know the legislative power of the unions and alliances. We also formulate dormitory councils. We hope that the head of the dormitory council may seat in the housing committee of the administration. Recommendation from the admin for the representation to the committees.

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OVCI: We do not yet know where we can put thhe SA Council in the committees. We will look into this. Kayla: Step by step process in applying? OVCI: Ask your administrative office. These are included in their job. Step by step, AO should do the process. OVCI: In asking deadlines, request earlier, not an hour before. OVCI: Do not say repression because we see people from outside coming in the campus. Arthur: Office hopping every month so that we can see both views. Views of the students and views of the administration and offices. Chancellor Cruz: We would like to hear from everyone. If you need information from anything. OVCI: Let us know in advance. Regarding curfew: Ynik: Is there really a curfew? Chancellor: Yes but you will not be detained. Your identity will be checked beyond 10pm. OVCCE: IDs are important because from time to time it will be checked. Car: Re org GAs. We would like this to be clear? OVCCE: If you have activity permit, it will be fine. Get: it would be limiting for students if we have to file it everytime. Arthur: What if we extended? Chancellor: Aakyat sa OVCCA. The student orgs must have the control with their activities and programs. Manage activities. OVCCA: Training for student organizations. We do not want to repeat the Ray Penarandas case. When you done your work fast, you know you are efficient. Ynik: Work hand in hand to ensure the security inside the campus. C. Search Committee for OSA Director Student Council Concerns Oath Taking Ynik: When can we schedule? Chancellor: Coordinate with the sec Fiscal accessibility of USC and Perspective Ynik: Easy way to get money? OVCI: We talked the Pres. Pascual. To SR, how do they do it in UPD? Chancellor: When the money goes to the government, it would be the money of the government. On to who will release the money of the USC, the person who will release it will be the one responsible for not going to the government process. SR Cleve: Other UP Units, the USC is the one responsible for collecting the student fees. It would

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be difficult for the student councils to reimburse. The process of collection of the USC must be strict. Chancellor Cruz: You may write this as a formal request. The USC can make communication with the UPLB Foundation. Ynik: Mostly CSCs do not have offices. CSCs request for a small space for office. Chancellor: We will request and ask the Deans with this matter. Luzon-wide Congress SR Cleve: Annual activity of the OSR, we invite SC, students and org student leaders, Aug 24 and 25. As usual, we are requesting for financial support. At most 2000 per delegate. We want to show the strength and solidarity of the students. OVCI: You can ask with your college deans and execom. SR Cleve: The difference of between the GASC and OSR Congress is that only SCs are invited since the agenda iis the CRSRS Chancellor: We will. We will see whether the accoms or transpo is cheaper. NCPAG Proposal Kayla discussing the NCPAG Proposal. SR Cleve: The UP Good Governance Initiative. To strengthen the public service the universities. There are volunteers to be trained under the AIM. The teams will be sent to the LGUs and they will assess the particular area. The students will recommend and propose solution for the LGU. The first phase is the Galing Pook Lecture Series. The Galing Pook Awardees will discuss what they do in their LGUs. At least one or two lecture series for this. Chancellor: We will coordinate this with the CPAF. Search Committee foor OSA Director OVCI: We do not search for Directors. It is appointive. Less than 15000 is Director. Greater than is Dean. There must be trust and confidence of the Chancellor since you are staff of the Chancellor. You can recommend your OSA Director. There had been consultation with Pura regarding the characteristic of an OSA Director. Chairpersonship Issue Arthur: We would like to know re Chairpersonship issue. We ask for the Statement of the admin. OVCI: The CEB do not want to proclaim Ante. The Chancellor is looking with the legal aspect. We separated the issue of the promisory note. The UPLB Chancellor himself approved Antes proclamation. The Chancellor sent to the CEBs certification of Ante as bonafiide student.

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We explored every legal possibilities thats why it took long. SR Cleve: During the BOR Meeting, every member of the BOR symphatized to Ante. The meeting was called for recess around 1:40pm The meeting resumed exactly 2:00pm. Ynik: Same expectation in USC and Admin. Harmonious relationship for both. Invitation to UPLB Chancellor on the UP System-wide Prop Action on June 21. Basic mass integration program as a whole for the community. Cooperation on the BMI Program of the USC in Quezon. We are one in the community development advocacies. Pura: Outgoing USC fund will be given to the incoming. It is USCs job to check on the harassment of the students. The meeting was adjourned at exactly 2:10pm.

*Prepared by CEAT SC Representative Kevin Renz Mercado