Constitution Of The Gshs Student Council

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES Intramuros, Manila

CONSTITUTION OF THE GSHS STUDENT COUNCIL

PREAMBLE We, students of the PLM Graduate School of Health Sciences, bonded by the commitment of serving the interests of the studentry and the Filipino people, determined to promote and protect the people’s rights and welfare especially the right to health and education, unite ourselves with the studentry and the Filipino people in the pursuit of a truly just, free and democratic society, do hereby ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Article 1. Name and Nature of the Organization Section 1. The organization shall be known as Graduate School of Health Sciences Student Council Section 2. The organization shall based in the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – Graduate School of Health Sciences. Section 3. The organization shall serve as the supreme governing body of the studentry of the PLMGSHS. Article 2. Contextual Definitions Section 1. The following terminologies shall be defined in this constitution as follows: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9

“University” pertains to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila “Graduate School” and / or “College” pertains to the PLM Graduate School of Health Sciences “Organization” and / or “Council” refers to GSHS Student Council “Studentry” and / or “Students” pertain to the students of the GSHS “General Assembly” or “GA” refers to the highest governing body of the GSHS Student Council which includes all of the members “Executive Committee” or “Execom” pertains to the elected officials of the Student Council “Quorum” pertains to 50% + 1 of all members of the General Assembly or the Committees, as the case may be “Majority vote” pertains to a vote of 50% + 1 of the members present in a meeting “Plurality vote” pertains to vote of 75% + 1 of the members present in a meeting

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Article 3. Declaration of Principles Section 1. GSHS Student Council believes in the biopsychosocial and spiritual nature of man. As such, the Council shall forevermore strive to be responsive to the dynamic and multifaceted needs of its members. Section 2. GSHS Student Council believes that Nursing education is a continuous, lifelong process that ultimately leads to self-actualization and must benefit humanity. Section 3. GSHS Student Council believes that camaraderie and good will among the studentry must be present for the Graduate School to flourish. Section 4. GSHS Student Council believes in upholding PLM’s tradition of academic excellence and academic freedom Section 5. GSHS Student Council believes that being students of one of the country’s leading universities whose funds are derived from the coffers of the Filipino people, it is a must to uphold their right and welfare at all times. Moreover, GSHS Student Council believes that service should be rendered to the Filipino people in whatever way possible. . Article 4. Objectives Section 1. GSHS Student Council shall promote and protect the rights and welfare of the studentry, especially the right to quality post-Graduate education. Section 2. GSHS Student Council shall tap and maximize all means to help in the holistic development of students. Section 3. GSHS Student Council shall aid its members in their academic, social and spiritual endeavors. Section 4. GSHS Student Council shall periodically engage in outreach activities and shall integrate itself with communities, especially in areas inhabited by the urban poor of Manila who are in need of healthcare. Section 5. GSHS Student Council shall form linkages and shall foster solidarity and cooperation with all individuals and groups who share GSHS Student Council’s principles and objectives. Article 5. Membership Section 1. All bona fide students of the PLM Graduate School of Health Sciences are members of the General Assembly of the Council. Section 2. Members shall have the following rights and privileges: 2.1 2.2

the right to be represented in the General Assembly the right to be allowed to participate in all decision-making processes in the General Assembly

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2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9

the right to present suggestions and comments to the General Assembly which will be beneficial to the organization the right to be elected in any position within the organization the right to be accorded one (1) vote in all electoral processes and decisions to be made by the General Assembly the right to be informed of matters of common concern the right to access records, documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions and decisions of the organization The right to solicit any form of aid that the organization may provide the right to avail of privileges / subsidies which maybe made available to the GSHS Student Council

Section 3. Members shall perform the following duties: 3.1 3.2 3.3

abide by the Constitution and By-laws of the organization attend General Assembly and Committee meetings and actively participate in the formulation of decisions and policies. help in implementation of the General Plan of Action, as solicited by the Executive Committee Article 6. The General Assembly

Section 1. The General Assembly shall be the highest governing and policy-making body of the organization. Section 2. It shall be composed of all full-pledged members and shall be convened by the Executive Committee. Section 3. The General Assembly shall be convened as the need arises, in situations wherein the entire studentry needs to be consulted. Such situations include, but are not limited to: 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

election of a new set of officers revision of the Constitution situations where the GSHS studentry needs to come up with a stand and / or official statement with regard to a particular issue of local or national concern formulation / enactment of policies that will affect the entire studentry (e.g., revision of student council fees), per recommendation of the Dean and/or the College Secretary Article 7. The Executive Committee

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Finance Officer, Auditor and the Press Relations Officer. Section 2. The Executive Committee shall perform the following functions: 2.1 plan and formulate the organization’s activities 2.2 form linkages with other organizations as approved by a majority vote 2.3 create or dissolve ad hoc committees as the situation calls 2.4 implement, coordinate and monitor the program of action set by the General Assembly Constitution of the PLM-GSHS Student Council

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2.5 2.6

formulate policies, adopt resolutions and decisions in between GAs. Call for regular and emergency meetings and prepare the agenda

Article 8. The Duties and Functions of Officers Section 1. The President 1.1 shall preside all meetings of the organization 1.2 shall oversee and monitor the implementation of plans and programs 1.3 shall sign all correspondences, resolutions and official statements of the organization 1.4 shall represent the organization in his/her official capacity as President in whatever occasion and event (e.g. College Assembly, University Assembly, etc) 1.5 shall have veto power 1.6 shall perform duties necessitated by his position Section 2. The Vice President 2.1 shall take-over the functions of the President under extraordinary circumstances as described in Article 12 2.2 shall assist the President whenever required or requested 2.3 shall head the Disciplinary Tribunal as needed Section 3. The Secretary 3.1 shall be responsible for the documentation and filing of all matters concerning the organization 3.2 shall be in charge of the official minutes of meetings of the GA 3.3 shall maintain, update and arrange the files of the organization 3.4 shall prepare all correspondences and paperworks for the organization 3.5 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President Section 4. The Finance Officer 4.1 shall act as the custodian of the organization’s funds and properties 4.2 shall prepare the budget of the organization and present it to the GA 4.3 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President Section 5. The Auditor 5.1 shall audit financial statements produced by the Finance Officer 5.2 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President Section 6. The Press Relations Officer 6.1 shall facilitate the dissemination of the organization’s principles, programs and stand on issues which are of interest to the people and studentry through all possible venues 6.2 shall ensure the effective publicity and documentation of the activities of the organization 6.3 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President Article 9. Elections Section 1. There shall be an annual election of officers of the organization. This shall be held during the Christmas Party every year. Constitution of the PLM-GSHS Student Council

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Section 2. Elections maybe done by viva voce or by balloting as approved by the General Assembly. Section 3. Elections will be supervised by the outgoing Executive Committee and one the Council Adviser. Section 4. Protests regarding elections shall be addressed to the Council Adviser, who shall decide over the matter. Article 10. Tenure of Office Section 1. The elected officers shall take office on the first official day of the first semester of the academic year following their election and shall hold office for one Academic Year or until successors have been elected and qualified. Section 2. Elections occur in December and the official start of the Tenure of Office is in June. This lead time is for apprenticeship of the incoming set of officers, to facilitate a smooth transition and endorsement of responsibilities Section 3. All members of the Executive Committee shall not serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms on the same position. Section 4. Officers may not hold major positions in any other organization within the College and University to prevent conflict of interest.

Article 11. Suspension and Impeachment of Officers Section 1. The suspension or impeachment of any officer of the organization maybe filed to the General Assembly on any of the following grounds: 1.1 culpable violation of the Constitution and By-laws 1.2 any form of misconduct which undermines the integrity and/or reputation of the organization 1.3 gross imprudence 1.4 gross neglect of duty 1.5 disloyalty to the organization 1.6 malversation of funds 1.7 gross non-participation in Council activities for at least one (1) semester Section 2. Any member of the organization can file a motion for the suspension or impeachment of an officer Section 3. The President shall create an ad hoc Grievance Committee which will decide for the review of the said motion. The Grievance Committee shall be composed of the President, the Faculty adviser, one ex-officio member and two members selected from the General Assembly. In cases wherein the President is the one being sought for impeachment, the Vice President shall be the one to create and head the Grievance Committee. Section 4. After proving the veracity and legitimacy of the impeachment complaint, the Grievance Committee shall call for a special General Assembly meeting in which the members shall decide the matter. Constitution of the PLM-GSHS Student Council

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Section 5. An officer shall be considered impeached or suspended upon a plurality vote of the General Assembly. Section 6. The duration of suspension of an officer shall be decided by the GA provided that it should be no less than two weeks and no more than two months. Section 7. Suspended officers shall not be allowed to exercise his powers and duties as officer and shall not be allowed to participate in deliberations and decision-making processes. However, he/she may still attend meetings provided that a majority of the officers present are in agreement. Article 12. Extraordinary Circumstances Section 1. Extraordinary circumstances include: 1.1 absence of the President 1.2 absence of the Committee heads 1.3 absence of a quorum in a General Assembly meeting wherein important decisions are left pending 1.4 vacancy of positions inside the organization Section 2. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall take over his/her functions and duties. In the absence of both, the Secretary shall take over. Section 3. In the absence of a Committee head, the Committee members shall select among themselves who will act as officer-in-charge Section 4. Vacancy of positions inside the organization may be temporary or permanent and shall be dealt with as follows: 4.1

Temporary vacancy pertains to conditions wherein the officer cannot assume his/her functions for reasons such as temporary physical or mental incapacity, detention and any other reason which necessitates him/her to leave his post for awhile but will resume office before expiration of his/her term. In cases like this, the Executive Committee shall select who will assume the position.

4.2

Permanent vacancy pertains to conditions such as death, resignation, impeachment, expulsion or permanent debilitation of an officer which hinders him from performing the functions of his/her office.

4.3

A permanent vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the Vice President. Positions other than that of the President shall be decided by the General Assembly.

Section 5. In cases wherein there is no quorum in a General Assembly meeting and important decisions are left pending, the Executive Committee may decide for the whole GA provided that: 5.1

the members were well-informed that there is a meeting and important decisions are to be deliberated on

5.2

there is a quorum among the Executive Committee, and

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5.3

the Adviser and/or College Secretary confers with the decision made by the Executive Committee on behalf of the GA

5.4

the abovementioned rules do not apply in cases of decisions pertaining to elections and Constitutional amendments Article 13. Ad Hoc Committees

Section 1. The Executive Committee has the power to create and dissolve ad hoc committees as the case calls for, especially if the Executive Committee needs extra hands to manage the affairs of the Council. Section 2. The Ad hoc Committees that maybe formed include, but are not limited to: the Finance Committee, Publicity and Documentation Committee, Education and Research Committee and Special Projects Committee Section 3. The Finance Committee 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

shall be convened by the Finance Officer shall be responsible for the acquisition, safekeeping and disbursement of the organization’s funds shall be in charge of income-generating activities for the organization as approved by the GA shall be responsible in the implementation of dues and fees shall help the Finance Officer in making financial statements for the organization at least once every Academic Year

Section 4. The Publicity and Documentation Committee 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5

Shall be convened by the Press Relations Officer shall disseminate information regarding the organization’s principles, activities and position in issues. shall be responsible for the dissemination of information to the constituents of the organization shall print and/or publish materials of use to the Council shall document all activities of the organization

Section 5. The Education and Research Committee 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

shall be convened by the Secretary shall have the responsibility of providing guidance and education regarding issues to members of the organization shall collect and collate educational materials which will be needed by the organization in the discussion of issues shall implement training programs geared towards intellectual, social and political development f the members shall undertake researches needed by the organization

Section 6. Special Projects Committee 6.1

shall be created on a project basis, per recommendation of the Executive Committee or the GA

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6.2

the functions of the committee shall be outlined by a resolution signed by the Executive Committee

Section 7. The Executive Committee has the prerogative to appoint members to a given ad hoc committee, and such appointments shall be made in writing. Article 14. Meetings Section 1. Meetings of the organization shall be held as needed, provided that, the Executive Committee shall meet no less than once every semester. Section 2. Meetings shall be announced to the members concerned at least three days before the day of the meeting itself. Notice of meetings should be signed by the officer calling for the meeting, and should have with it an agenda Section 3. Parliamentary procedures shall be utilized in conducting meetings. Article 15. Quorum A simple majority of voting members (50% + 1) shall constitute a quorum. Decisions arrived by at least the majority of the members present in a meeting where there lies a quorum shall be valid as an act of the entire body. Article 16. Finances Section 1. Sources of funds for the organization shall include student council fees, donations and proceedings from sales and/or other income-generating activities Section 2. The funds shall be deposited in a financial institution readily accessible to the officers under the name PLM-GSHS Student Council Section 3. Any financial transaction (e.g., deposits, withdrawals, check preparations) shall be signed by the Finance Officer and the President, upon consent of the Adviser. No other member is authorized to transact with the Council’s depository bank. Section 4. All funds are to be considered trust funds, thus, no part of it maybe used for purposes other those which is needed and approved by the General Assembly. Disbursement of funds shall be made in accordance with a duly approved General Plan of Action Section 5. The Finance Officer shall submit an official financial statement to the General Assembly at least once every Academic Year. The Auditor shall be the one to audit the financial statement prior to its submission to the GA. Section 6. The balance of the organization’s fund shall be returned as funds for the succeeding term. Endorsements between the outgoing and incoming Finance officers shall be done.

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Article 17. Linkages Section 1. The General Assembly has the authority to create linkages with individuals and organizations whose ideals and principles are congruous with that of GSHS Student Council. Section 2. Venturing in permanent tie-ups is perpetually prohibited; This is to ensure that the organization shall not be subjected to external pressure and compromise with other organizations. Section 3. The organization acknowledges its accountability to the Administration of the Graduate School of Health Sciences and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Article 18. Advisership Section 1. There shall be one Faculty Adviser from the Graduate School to be chosen by the Executive Committee and approved by the General Assembly every academic year. Section 2. In the absence of a duly appointed Adviser, the College Secretary of GSHS shall take the aforementioned post Section 3. The adviser has the following duties: 3.1 serve as liaison between the organization, and the College and University. 3.2 provide visible support for organizational activities 3.3 note and endorse all official correspondences of the organization 3.4 settle conflicts within the organization when requested by the Executive Committee Article 19. Amendments Section 1. This constitution shall not be amended more than once every three Academic years. Section 2. Amendments shall strictly follow the standard parliamentary procedure of three readings at the Executive Committee level, followed by ratification at the General Assembly level. Article 20. Effectivity This Constitution shall take effect upon the ratification of a plurality vote of the General Assembly.

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On behalf of the General Assembly:

(Orig. sgd.) NICANOR ALFARO JR., R.N. Press Relations Officer

(Orig. sgd.) OMAR POSADAS, R.N. Auditor

(Orig. sgd.) TIMOTHY VAL DELA ROSA, R.N. Finance Officer

(Orig. sgd.) JEFFREY DE GUZMAN, R.N. Secretary

(Orig. sgd.) NEIL IVAN YERRO, R.N. Vice President

(Orig. sgd.) RANDELLE IAN SASA, R.N. President

Signed in the Presence of:

PROF. MA. TERESA S. ABILA College Secretary

Constitution of the PLM-GSHS Student Council

DR. ALBERTO G. ROMUALDEZ, JR. Dean

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