{waiting watching wishing}

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

{FAQs re the Office of the Student Regent}

Who is the Student Regent, anyway?
UP is governed by the Board of Regents, our University’s highest policy-making body. Its policies directly affect our well-being. The Student Regent (SR), being a member of the Board, is selected from our ranks to represent us in their decision-making processes. That makes our SR an important person, as he/she represents our interests.

How do we select a Student Regent?
We don’t elect a Student Regent (SR) through a direct vote. Instead, a body called the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC), composed of our elected student council members from the constituent units of the University, select the Student Regent, just like the way a parliament selects a prime minister.

The process of selecting a SR has two steps:

(1) The GASC meets in late October yearly in order to ratify the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS), a document that is a sort of “rule book” for the selection process.

(2) They meet once again in December to select the SR, from a list of nominees forwarded by individual students and organizations all over the University system. Autonomous units like UP Baguio, Manila, Diliman, Los Banos and Mindanao get two votes each, while other constituent units like UP Visayas Tacloban College gets a vote. An SR is selected through majority vote of all constituent units of the University.

What is the upcoming referendum for?

The UP Charter of 2008, which was signed into law on 29 April 2008, provided that a referendum by the students should be held to ratify the rules and qualifications for the selection of the SR. In effect, this would formalize the existing rules (i.e. the CRSRS) as a document that would guide the annual selection process for our Student Regent. This referendum for the ratification of the CRSRS is scheduled on January 26-29, 2009.

What is the CHECK OSR campaign all about?

We also know that we are now being pushed to approve or disapprove the CRSRS in its entirety, with a referendum question phrased like this:

Do you approve of the EXISTING Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS) as rules and qualifications to govern the selection of our student representative to the UP Board of Regents?

( ) YES ( ) NO

Nonetheless, we know for a fact that we don’t necessarily agree nor disagree readily to everything that comes our way. As we put our hands forward to signify that we have to pause and think about our choices, ALYANSA also does the same.

As all of our fingers are involved in putting our hands forward and asking for time, ALYANSA also repres

ents its demands through our specific fingers:

THE THUMB: As pointing the thumb upwards indicates approval, ALYANSA fundamentally affirms the Office of the Student Regent as a force for good, and also upholds the referendum as an opportunity to further student empowerment.

THE FOREFINGER: As the forefinger normally indicates the number one, ALYANSA demands that the selection for the SR should be done in the one-college, one-vote system, consistent with the principle of proportional representation.

THE MIDDLE FINGER: As our middle finger stands out from our hand, ALYANSA also demands that the consolidated interests of the diverse studentry as represented by the student councils stand out in the SR selection process and not the interest of a partisan few, which is why there is a need to remove Kasama sa UP from the CRSRS.

THE RING FINGER: As the ring finger signifies commitment, ALYANSA demands that the CRSRS include the duties and responsibilities of the Student Regent, a concrete sign of his commitment to her constituents.

THE PINKY: As our pinky is the littlest finger on our hands, ALYANSA demands SR nominees comply with the MINIMUM academic requirement as a prerequisite for selection, consistent with her commitment to uphold academic excellence.

Hence, as we ask our fellow students to wait and think, we also ask our SR to include the following reforms to the CRSRS, consistent with empowering us and giving us a real choice in the upcoming referendum.

Besides, why should we vote for the CRSRS without including the PROGRESSIVE provisions that would allow us to choose for changes in the SR selection process?

But would staying the referendum abolish the Office of the Student Regent?
Staying the public referendum, or even in the passing of a NO vote, would NOT, in any way, abolish or render vacant the Office of the Student Regent (OSR). Under existing laws, as the OSR is a public office, the current SR has the mandate to continue holding her position until her successor has been selected and qualified.

Fears about the abolition of the Office of the Student Regent as a result of a stay or a NO vote are utterly unfounded. Any argument claiming such is neither logical nor honest.

What should we do then?
Beyond choosing yes or no, we should CHECK the referendum, whether it has followed a democratic process and it contains the reforms we want in order to make the SR accountable to us.

As Iskolars para sa Bayan, we must not hesitate to stop and think, if we feel that the referendum does not cater to our best interests as students.

This referendum is not merely an exercise in gathering consent, but for engaging ourselves in a timely debate about the relevance and accountability of the Student Regent in our lives. As constituents, we deserve that, right?

Opt to Strengthen Representation!
Open Selection rules to Reforms!
Onward with Securing our Rights!

UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA)

Posted by arianne at 7:55 PM