THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE

FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS’ FORUM

(This is really serious stuff!)

 

PREAMBLE

 

We, the students of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Royal and Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas, imploring the love and grace and peace of the Blessed Trinity, and praying for wisdom through the intercession of our Patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria, in order to establish ourselves into a student organization, designed and envisioned to embody the ideals of the University, the Faculty and Forum, to develop our endowments into worthwhile and wholesome endeavors, and to give meaning and value to the Faculty and to ourselves as Philosophers and seminarians, do hereby ordain and promulgate this Constitution and by-laws.

 

 

Article 1: THE FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS’ ORGANIZATION

 

Sec. 1:

The Faculty of Philosophy of the Royal and Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas shall have only one main student organization. Any other faculty organization established by the Philosophy students shall be under the supervision and jurisdiction of the main student’s organization.

Sec. 2:

The Official name of the main student organization shall be: "The Faculty of Philosophy Students’ Forum". Abbreviated herein as FPSF.

Sec. 3:

The Official Address of the Students’ Forum shall be the Ecclesiastical Faculties.

 

Article 2: PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES

 

Sec. 1:

Sovereignty and authority reside in the whole studentry per essentiam and the Students’ Forum per participationem.

 

Sec. 2:

The Students’ Forum shall not absolutely be an autonomous student’s organization. All decisions and resolutions of the student body shall be subject to the perusal, approval of disapproval thereof, by the Faculty Dean and by the Faculty Council as the Dean may so desire.

Sec. 3:

The Students’ Forum shall promote the total human development of all student-members, and, towards his end, of endeavoring to enhance their intellectual, moral, spiritual, cultural, social and physical well-being through meaningfully oriented activities.

Sec. 4:

The Students’ Forum shall strive to create an atmosphere encouraging conscientious preoccupations in the philosophical studies as the recognition of the enduring relevance and the incessant necessity of philosophy and culture.

 

Sec. 5:

The Students’ Forum shall foster better understanding and closer relationship between the professors and students, and camaraderie and unity among the students themselves.

Sec. 6:

The Students’ Forum shall establish a forum or a venue where student-members can further develop their endowments through engagement in activities which are directly linked to the curriculum, intimately related to their formation in the philosophical disciplines and consistent with the objectives and principles of the organization.

Sec. 7:

The Students’ Forum shall uphold the interests and welfare of the students through representation with the faculty authorities in matters concerning student-members.

Sec. 8:

The Students’ Forum shall foster the spirit of courtesy towards faculty authorities and professors, and charity among student-members.

Sec. 9:

The Students’ Forum shall direct itself in inculcating among its student-members a profound sense of loyalty and faithfulness to the tradition and ideals of the University of Sto. Tomas, particularly the Faculty of Philosophy.

 

Article 3: MEMBERSHIP

 

Sec. 1:

Membership to the Faculty of Philosophy Students; Forum shall be limited exclusively to the bona fide students of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sto. Tomas.

Sec. 2:

The following shall be the legitimate members of the Students’ Forum:

    1. Ordinary students defined herein as those pursuing the Philosophy course for the purpose of obtaining a degree.
    2. Extra-ordinary students understood herein as those pursuing the Philosophy course in order to meet the requirement of the Ecclesiastical Career, whether formandi of the Central Seminary or Religious Congregation.

 

Sec. 3:

The aforementioned legitimate members as provided by Sec. 2 of this article shall automatically be members upon enrollment in the Faculty of Philosophy.

Sec. 4:

Membership to the Students’ Forum automatically ceases with the student’s graduation, honorable dismissal, deferment or expulsion from the Faculty of Philosophy.

 

Article 4: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS

 

Sec. 1:

Every member of the Students’ Forum should safeguard and fulfill the rights and duties, respectively, thereunto accruing to him through his membership in the Faculty Students’ Forum.

Sec. 2:

All the student-members shall have the following rights:

    1. to elect and be elected to an office
    2. to participate in the deliberations of the General Assembly,
    3. to avail of the service of the officers of the Students’ Forum,
    4. to have access to information on matters of consequence to his membership, on programs and affairs of the organization, and to official records pertaining to official acts, transactions and decisions subject to limitations as may be discerned by the Executive Board or the Central Board,
    5. to form associations or societies, academic or otherwise, on the provision that they are in consonance with the principles and objectives of the Students’ Forum and subject to its jurisdiction and provision,
    6. to present plans, motions and resolutions through the legitimate channels as provided for by the Art. 9, Sec. 4,
    7. to identify himself as a bona fide member of the Faculty of Philosophy Students’ Forum for whatever legal purpose it may serve him on condition that his gesture would not be prejudicial to the organization.

 

Sec. 3: All student-members shall have the corresponding duties:

    1. to attend the General Assembly and other important meetings convened, and to actively engage in the deliberations.
    2. to comply with the programs and decisions of the Students’ Forum.
    3. to accept any appointment or election to an office unless, for certain reasons, personal or otherwise, declines the appointment or election.
    4. to render personal services for the implementation of programs and activities, and to cooperate in the same endeavor with other fellow student-members.
    5. to submit themselves to the actions and decisions of the Executive Board or the Central Board in cases of violations of the Constitution and by-laws of the Students’ Forum.
    6. to promote the general welfare of the studentry through well-meaning and well-intentioned involvement in the Students’ Forum.
    7. to pay a membership fee of no more that ten pesos (P 10) per semester unless it is otherwise changed by the Central Board.
    8. to uphold the ideals of the Faculty of Philosophy and the Students’ Forum.
    9. to promote and support the Students’ Forum in any undertaking it may decide to pursue.
    10. to respect all professors at the Faculty of Philosophy, and to develop a harmonious relationship with fellow student-members.

 

 

Article 5: ORGANIZATION SET-UP

 

Sec. 1:

The Students’ Forum shall be governed by two bodies: The Executive Board and the Central Board.

Sec. 2:

The Executive Board shall be composed of the following officers:

    1. one President
    2. one Vice-President
    3. one Secretary
    4. one Treasurer, and
    5. one Press Relation Officer

 

Sec. 3:

The Central Board shall be composed of the Members of the Executive Board, ex officio, the Class Presidents, the Congregation Representatives and Committee Chairmen.

Sec. 4:

The Central Board shall have the right to present three candidates for the adviser of the Faculty of Philosophy, the choice of which must be subject to the approval of the Dean.

Sec. 5:

The Faculty Dean, either acting alone or in conjunction with the Faculty Council, shall be the ultimate authority in the Students' Forum superseding any authority vested herein upon the President.

Sec. 6:

The President shall be the Chief Executive, with the highest authority within the Students' Forum. He shall also be the ex officio Chairman of the Central Board.

Sec. 7:

The newly elected Presidents of the different classes shall be ex officio Class Representatives to the Central Board.

Sec. 8:

Congregation and other non-Centralite students enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy shall respectively have on Representative in the Central Board.

 

 

 

Article 6: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

Sec. 1:

The Executive Board shall be the body directly responsible for the governance of the whole Students' Forum.

Sec. 2:

The Executive Board shall have the right and duty to review plans and programs presented by the different committees. It shall also have the prerogative to determine the feasibility of a project, and to recommend to the Central Board for approval and implementation of any project through the agencies of the latter.

Sec. 3:

The Executive Board shall have the right and duty to make appointments, suggest substitutions and, in certain cases born out of necessity, change or dismiss members of the Central Board, either permanently or temporarily during the term concerned. However, it can recommend to the Faculty Dean or to the Faculty Council, appropriate action on any member of the Executive Board.

Sec. 4:

The Executive Board shall have the power to create such Ad Hoc Committees as it may deem necessary.

Sec. 5:

The Executive Board shall have the right to convene and make decisions by itself on special emergency situations, when convoking the General Assembly or the Central Board is not possible.

 

 

Article 7: QUALIFICATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.

 

Sec. 1:

The President must have at least two (2) consecutive years of residence in the Faculty of Philosophy immediately prior to his election and have obtained the degree of Bachelor in Philosophy. He must have at least a weighty academic average of 2.25, and be knowledgeable about the affairs of the Faculty of Philosophy and those of the Students' Forum.

Sec. 2:

The Vice-President must have at least two (2) consecutive ears of residence in the Faculty of Philosophy immediately prior to his election and have obtained the degree Bachelor in Philosophy. He must have at least a weighty academic average of 2.25 and be knowledgeable about the affairs of the Faculty of Philosophy and those of the Students' Forum.

Sec. 3:

The Secretary must have at least one (1) year of residence at the Faculty of Philosophy. He must have at least a weighty academic average of 2.25, and be knowledgeable about the affairs of the Faculty of Philosophy and those of the Students' Forum.

Sec. 4:

The Treasurer must have at least two (2) consecutive years of residence in the Faculty of Philosophy immediately prior to his election and have obtained the degree Bachelor in Philosophy. He must have at least a weighty academic average of 2.25, and be knowledgeable about the affairs of the Faculty of Philosophy and those of the Students' Forum.

Sec. 5:

The Press Relation Officer must have at least one (1) year of residence at the Faculty of Philosophy. He must have at least a weighty academic average of 2.25, and be knowledgeable about the affairs of the Faculty of Philosophy and those of the Students' Forum.

 

Article 8: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

 

Sec. 1:

The President shall have the highest authority within the organization. He shall be the head of the organization with representational rights. He shall have the following rights and duties.

    1. to be the representative of the Students' Forum, or to delegate such function, with concurrence of at least the Executive Board, to another officer or member.
    2. to call and postpone meetings either regular, special or emergency.
    3. to preside over all the meetings of the Executive Board and the Central Board and to prepare the agenda, but he shall not have the right to vote except to break a tie.
    4. To present the program of activities for the school year.
    5. To render reports regarding the activities and accomplishments to the student body, the Executive Board, the Central Board, or the Faculty Dean and/or the Faculty Council.
    6. To issue memoranda and circulars to the members of the Students' Forum.
    7. To sign or countersign, by way of endorsement all resolutions, communications and correspondence.
    8. To convoke the General Assembly of the Studentry upon the consultation and recommendation of the Central Board, and, after due notice, to the Faculty Dean.
    9. To regularly monitor the projects of the committees and to follow-up their progress.
    10. To exercise all those powers inherent to his position, and perform such other duties as may be necessary or incidental to the performance of his functions, or as the Central Board may provide.

 

Sec. 2:

The Vice-President shall have the following rights and duties:

    1. to assume office, ipso facto, of the President, in the absence, incapacity or resignation of the latter.
    2. to be the over-all coordinator of the different committees with supervisory powers over them.
    3. To perform any other functions that may be assigned to him by the President, the Executive Board or the Central Board.

 

Sec. 3:

The Secretary shall have the following rights and duties:

    1. to keep all records of the Students' Forum and all the minutes of the meeting.
    2. To take charge of the official correspondence of the organization.
    3. To furnish the administration and studentry with the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board and the Central Board.
    4. To perform such other functions required of the office or as the President, the Executive Board of the Central Board may designate.

 

Sec. 4:

The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the properties of the organization. He shall have the following rights and duties:

    1. to hold the responsibility to and credentials of the treasury of the Students' Forum.
    2. to receive and issue receipts for funds due to the organization, collect membership subsidies, solicit and disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Board or the Central Board.
    3. To keep the records of disbursements, transactions and properties of the Students' Forum.
    4. To be ready to give an accounting when directed by the proper authorities of the organization.
    5. To perform such other functions required of the office or as the President, the Executive Board or the Central Board may designate.
    6. To prepare the budget of the Students' Forum.

 

Sec. 5:

The Press Relation Officer shall have the following rights and duties.

    1. to be the over-all coordinator of the different class and congregation representatives with the supervisory powers over them.
    2. To be responsible in sending or posting of notices, circulars and memoranda of the Students' Forum.
    3. To perform such other functions required of the office, or as the President, the Executive Board and the Central Board may designate.

 

 

Article 9: THE CENTRAL BOARD

 

Sec. 1:

The Central Board shall be the implementing arm of the Students' Forum. Through its various channels, it shall serve as the planning and coordinating body responsible for all the manifold activities of the organization.

Sec. 2:

The Central Board shall approve all activities for the school year presented to it by the Executive Board, by a majority vote of all its members.

Sec. 3:

The Central Board shall be responsible for formulating policies and regulations directly affecting the welfare and interest of the studentry in pursuance to the principle and objectives set forth in this Constitution and by-laws.

Sec. 4:

The Central Board shall serve as the channel of communication among different classes, committees and congregations.

Sec. 5:

The Central Board shall coordinate with and make recommendations to the Faculty Administration on matters affecting the studentry.

Sec. 6:

The Central Board shall make a calendar of activities and conduct an evaluation every semester.

Sec. 7:

The Central Board shall adopt its own internal rules of government on the provision that it shall not be inconsistent with this Constitution and by-laws.

Sec. 8:

A meeting of the Central Board can be convened only when a quorum of at least half of all the members are present. In important decisions, however, at least four-fifths of all the members must be present.

 

Article 10: FORUM COMMITTEES

 

Sec. 1:

The Students' Forum shall have five (5) standard committees, viz.,

    1. the Committee on Academic Affairs
    2. the Committee on Literary Affairs
    3. the Committee on Cultural Arts
    4. the Committee on Liturgy and Music
    5. the Committee on Sports

 

  1. COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

    2. Sec. 2:

    The Committee on Academic Affairs shall be responsible mainly with the lecture-for a, symposia and philosophical discussions. It shall, therefore, assume the task of inviting speakers and setting a theme or topic to be discussed.

    Sec. 3:

    The Committee on Academic Affairs shall be responsible for the organization of academic contests and the training of contestants who will represent the faculty for the various contests of the same field.

  2. COMMITTEE ON LITERARY AFFAIRS

    3. Sec. 4:

    The Committee on Literary Affairs shall be responsible for the publication of the Thomasian Philosopher and the official newsletter of the Students' Forum. The Chairman shall be the outright Editor-In-Chief of such publications.

    Sec. 5:

    The Committee on Literary Affairs shall be responsible for the organization of literary contests and the training of the contestants who will represent the faculty for the various contests of the same field.

  3. COMMITTEE ON CULTURAL ARTS

    4. Sec. 6:

    The Committee on Cultural Affairs shall be responsible for organizing and managing cultural presentations, programs and festivals. It shall take care of the decorations and physical set-up of the programs and designs for invitations and the like.

  4. COMMITTEE ON LITURGY AND MUSIC

    5. Sec. 7:

    The Committee on Liturgy and Music shall be responsible in directing the songs for liturgical celebrations and programs, and in handling everything connected with the religious activities.

  5. COMMITTEE ON SPORTS

 

Sec. 8:

The Committee on Sports shall be responsible for organizing and managing the sports activities to be held during the Philosophy Week, or any other athletic activity approved by the Central Board.

Sec. 9:

In order to achieve harmonious relationship and to avoid overlapping of functions, the Committee chairmen, under the Vice-President, shall have close collaboration and close coordination towards better cooperation and efficiency.

Sec. 10:

Each Committee shall be composed of a chairman and five members.

Sec. 11:

The creation of an Ad Hoc Committee(s) shall be the prerogative of the Executive Board as provided for in Article 6, Sec. 4.

Sec. 12:

The appointments of the Committee chairmen and members shall be the prerogative of the Executive Board as provided for in Article 6, Sec. 3. The Chairman shall have the right to recommend the members of his committee to the Executive Board for their approval and confirmation.

 

Article 11: ELECTIONS

 

Sec. 1:

The right of suffrage is on of the greatest expression of our freedom. Therefore, all our elections should be taken seriously and conducted properly.

Sec. 2:

The election of the Executive Board shall be held the date specified by the UST Central Student Council.

Sec. 3:

This will be the process of the election of the Executive Board:

One week prior to the scheduled election of the Executive Board, two (2) primary elections will be held so as to popularly ascertain as to who will be the candidates for the respective positions in the Executive Board. The Conduct of the primary elections will be as follows:

    1. Five (5) days before the election of the officers of the Executive Board, the first primary elections will be held by each class. The procedure will be as follows:

 

    1. each of the four classes automatically nominates, by viva voce, two (2) candidates for each position in the Executive Board.
    2. after the respective classes have made the nominations, the names of the nominees shall be immediately forwarded by the respective class presidents or by any class representative to the FPSF Comelec.
    3. the Comelec will then post names of the nominees immediately not later than one day after the first primary elections. The said nominees will automatically be the candidates for the second primary elections, unless there is any impediments based on the Election Code.
    4. any nominee may decline from his nomination only before the holding of the second primary election. Thus, once the second primary election commences no nominee could decline anymore.
    5. in case that only two (2) nominees would emerge to any of the positions in the Executive Board, the said nominees will not be subjected anymore to the second primary election, rather they would be automatically proclaimed as the candidates to the said respective positions.

 

    1. Three (3) days before the election of the officers of the Executive Board, the second primary election will be held. This shall not be conducted by the respective classes anymore but rather by the whole student body of the Faculty of Philosophy. The procedure will be as follows:

 

    1. from among the list of nominees each voter will choose only two nominees for each position in the Executive Board.
    2. from among the nominees for the respective Executive Board positions, the two (2) who get the highest number of votes will be proclaimed the official nominees for the said respective positions.
    3. this election will be done by secret balloting.
    4. In case of a tie, the FPSF Comelec will have the ultimate and absolute authority to determine how any tie should be settled.

 

Sec. 4:

The election of class officers for the next school year shall be held immediately three (3) days after the election of the Executive Board. The Incoming freshmen will hold the election of their class officers on the date specified by the FPSF Comelec.

Sec. 5:

The appointment of the non-elected officers of the Central Board shall be made by the newly elected officers of the Executive Board not later than one (1) week after their election. However, the old set of Executive Board and Central Board officers will still continue to exercise their powers and functions until the end of the school year.

Sec. 6:

The Commissioner and four (4) members of the COMELEC shall not come from any of the newly elected class presidents and vice-presidents, or non-Centralite representatives.

Sec. 7:

Voting in absentia or by proxy shall not be allowed.

 

Article 12: TENURE

 

Sec. 1:

The Executive Board and the Central Board shall serve for a term of one year which shall begin after they have already been elected and qualified.

Sec. 2:

No officer and member of the Executive Board and Central Board shall hold two positions during his incumbency, except the President, who is the chief executive and chairman of the Central Board.

Sec. 3:

Any officer and any member of the Executive Board and the Central Board shall have the privilege of being reelected for a second term. He cannot be elected for a third term to the same office that he has occupied for two terms. He can be elected to a different office other than that he previously held.

 

Article 13: MEETINGS

Sec. 1:

The General Assembly of the Students' Forum shall meet at least twice every semester.

Sec. 2:

The Central Board shall meet at least once every two months.

Sec. 3:

On emergencies, special or extraordinary meetings may be called as provided for in Art. 6, Sec. 5.

 

 

 

Article 14: AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS

Sec. 1:

Amendments and revisions to this Constitution and by-laws shall be presented to the President by any member of the Central Board, who in turn, shall submit it to the Dean and the Central Board for consultation and deliberation. Once approved by both, a three-fourths vote of the Central Board shall be needed to present the proposed amendment or revision for ratification by all members of the Students' Forum.

Sec. 2:

Any member to, or revision of this Constitution and by-laws shall take effect when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite not later than one month after the approval of the Faculty Dean and the Central Board.

 

Article 15: EFFECTIVITY

 

This Constitution and by-laws of the Faculty of Philosophy Students' Forum of the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas shall take effect immediately upon its ratification by majority (one half plus one) of the votes cast by the studentry in a plebiscite called for, and upon the approval of the Faculty Dean.