SA Constitution

8/14/2019 SA Constitution

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PREAMBLE

We, the Students of the Adventist University of the Philippines, in orderto acknowledge the sovereignty of our God, honoringthose whoestablished this institution, proudof our ethnic, cultural, racial and

inter-national diversity and determined to promote unity and harmony;Committedto nurturing and protecting the well-being of the individual,the student body and the University Community, respectfulof the rulesand regulations of this University, recognizing the Philippine Laws, andprovisions for student government. Adopt, enact and promulgate thisconstitution.

ARTICLE I

NAME

This Association shall be known as; The Adventist University of thePhilippines, Student Association.

ARTICLE II THE ASSOCIATION

Section 1The Declaration of the Student Association

a) The Association is an establishment of the Student Body of the

Adventist University of the Philippines in cognizance of and inconformity to the principles that in the order of things underlieits existence as a Student Body and in accordance with StudentGovernment provisions of the Philippines and the AdventistUniversity of the Philippines.

b) The Association is founded of and for the students.c) The Association operates by principles of good governance

through multi party democracy, participatory governance,honesty, transparency and accountability, separation anddevolution of powers, respect for student rights, fundamentalfreedoms and the rule of law.

d) The Adventist University of the Philippines Student Body,collectively, has no existence that is distinct or separate fromthat of The Adventist University of the Philippines, in its Being asan incorporated Religious Educational Institution. The StudentBody is an inseparable and integral part of the personality of theUniversity.

e) In organizing for collective undertaking, the Adventist Universityof the Philippines student body, collectively, is the original and

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sole repository of all and whatever; authority, powers granted,rights and privileges conferred, and all obligations imposed bylaw, by Government regulations and by the University; tostudents, as a body. The Exercise or fulfillment of which, by theirvery nature, may be delegated to an organ for collective action,

through this Constitution.

Section 2Devolution

a) The executive power delegated by the Student Body is exercisedat all levels of the Association.

b) The Commissions, Parliamentary and Adhoc Committeesexercise powers delegated by the President, General Assemblyand the Student Body, through this constitution.

Section 3Head officeThe head office of the Student Association shall be at the UniversityStudent Center.

Section 4Language

a) The official language of communication in the Association isEnglish.

b) All official transactions and meetings shall be done in English.

c) All official documents shall be made available in English.

Section 5Association symbolsThe Association shall adopt official seals for:

a) The Student Associationb) The Executivec) The General Assemblyd) The Constitutional Commissions (one for each).

ARTICLE III PRINCIPLES, POLICIES, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

Section 1The Principles, Policies, Objectives, and Goals contained in thisarticle of the constitution shall apply to all Students, Associationofficers, Advisers, Association organs and Private or Professionalstudent clubs; whenever any of them:

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a) Applies or interprets this Constitution.b) Applies, makes or implements policy decisions for the

Student Association.

Section 2

The Students Association Shall:a) Promote Unity and harmony among the Student Body.b) Foster School Spirit.c) Promote accountability and transparency in leadership.d) Acknowledge and exercise democracy.e) Recognize the diversity of its members and promote and

protect their cultures.f) Ensure clear student access to the issues and programs

of the University.g) Protect and promote student rights and fundamental

freedoms and enhance the dignity of individuals and

groups.h) Manage Association resources and funds fairly and

efficiently for the welfare of the Student body.i) Provide a link between the Student body and the

University Administration, by ensuring that the voice ofthe student body is heard by the Administration.

j) Conduct such other programs and activities and launchprojects as it may deem necessary and advisable.

ARTICLE IV

THE STUDENT BODY AND THE CONSTITUTION

Section 1The Student Body

a) All Powers and authority of the Association shall ultimately bevested on the Student Body and shall be exercised only inaccordance with this constitution.

b) The Student Body shall exercise its power directly or through thedemocratically elected representatives.

c) Authority is delegated to the following Association brancheswhich shall perform their functions in accordance to thisconstitution:

i) The General Assembly and its supplementarycommittees.

ii) The Executive and its supplementary committees.iii) The Constitutional Commissions.

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Section 2The Constitution

a) This constitution is the law of the Student Association and bindsall Association organs at all levels and all the undergraduatestudents Of the Adventist University of the Philippines; unless it

is substantially found to be in violation of the Student Handbook,University Policies, Regulations and By-Laws and the PhilippineLaw.

b) The validity and legality of this constitution is not subject tochallenge by anyone before any Branch, commission oradministrative committee of the Association except the GeneralAssembly; unless any part, or section, or article of thisconstitution is in direct substantiated violation of; the UniversityStudent Handbook, the University Policies and Practices,Philippine Regional and National Acts and Laws that apply tostudent governments.

c) A law or policy or practice in formulated at any level of theStudent Association that is not an official constitutionalamendment, however useful, that is inconsistent with thisconstitution, is void to the extent of its inconsistency and anyaction or omission in contravention of this constitution is invalid.

d) A person or a group of persons may bring an action to theGeneral Assembly and/or the SAO and/or the ADCOM, for adeclaration that any law is inconsistent with, or is incontravention of this constitution.

e) If the General Assembly/SAO/ADCOM makes a declaration underclause(c) of this section, it may also make any order necessary to

give effect to the declaration.

Section 3Defense of the Constitution

a) Every student shall be obligated to respect and defend thisconstitution.

b) Any attempt to establish a system of government other than thatexpressed in this constitution is unlawful and void.

Section 4The Law of the Association

The Law of the Student Association shall comprise this constitution andeach of the following:

a) The Amendments of the General Assembly immediately after theeffective date.

b) Provisions of the Philippine Magna Carta of Students.c) The Regulations of the Student Handbook.d) The Philippine Law, directly concerning students.e) The Philippine Education Act.

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f) Other legal documents of the Philippine Government thatconcern students and student government.

ARTICLE V

MEMBERSHIPSection 1a) All students, enrolled during the current regular semester and

summer in the undergraduate level of the academic programs ofthe college are members of the Students Association.

b) The Rights of members shall be as provided and granted in thePhilippine National Student Magna Carta, which shall be asupplementary (accompanying) document of this Constitution.

c) All students shall pay a subscription fee set by the GeneralAssembly, every semester and summer. The adjustments of thefigure of this fee shall be made by the General Assembly from

time to time as need shall arise, in response to a PresidentialProposal.

Section 2Loss of MembershipA person will cease to be a member of the Association by, Ceasing tobe a registered student of the Adventist University of the Philippinesthrough:

a) Deathb) Expulsionc) Upon transfer to another college

d) Permanent physical or Mental Handicap

ARTICLE VITHE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section 1.1There shall be a General Assembly of the Student Association of theAdventist University of the Philippines.Section 1.2All legislative powers and responsibilities herein shall be vested upon

the General Assembly.

Section 1.3The General Assembly shall:

a) Promote unity and harmony among the student body.b) Amend this constitution in accordance with the amendment

provisions of this constitution.

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c) Debate, discuss and vote on a bill. Then forward it forPresidential assent.

d) Create extra constitutional officials where and when suchbecomes necessary and provide for the election of such.

e) Approve Presidential nominees.

f) Approve cabinet budgets and expenditures.g) Approve Presidential nominations of special commissions whereand when the services of such a commission becomes necessary.

h) Appoint an Electoral Commission at the approach of the end of aterm of office.

i) Extend the term of office of any elected official, the cabinet as awhole, an existing government, and appointed commissionswhere and when such becomes necessary.

j) Appropriate funds and approve Cabinet activities, plans, projectsand all other undertakings of the Student Association.

k) Monitor the running of the Executive.

l) Appointments of the Electoral Commission Chairperson,Secretary, Treasurer and Commissioners.m)In the case whereby the number of senatorial candidates is lower

than eight (8) in any election, the General Assembly shall electsenators to fill the vacancies.

n) Formulate and carry out impeachment trials for a sittingGovernment or the President and any other official. Receive andapprove the resignation of an existing senator, and The Presidentalong with or without his/her cabinet.

o) Have such powers and perform such other duties as theUniversity authorities may from time to time delegate or grant to

it.

Section 1.4The first sitting of the General Assembly shall be presided over by anAdviser of the Student Association. During this meeting, the Speaker,Deputy-Speaker, Sergeant-at-arms and Clerk of the General Assemblyshall be elected by majority ballot vote.

Section 2The General Assembly of the Student Association shall be acomposition of the following members:

a) The Speaker.b) Sixteen Senators elected at large.c) Representatives, determined as follows:

i) Representative(s) from each college; one (1)representative for every two hundred (200) students of the

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college and one more representative for any excessnumber of students. This representation shall be bycolleges strictly.

ii) Presidents of student supplementary associations:Campus Youth Ministries, Working Students

Association, International Students Association.iii) One Representative from the Mens Residence and one

from theWomens Residence.

Section 3.1The General Assembly officials and their responsibilities.SpeakerThe Speaker must be elected by a majority secret ballot vote of theGeneral Assembly. A student, at the Silang Cavite Campus for at least

two consecutive semesters; not including summer, prior to election.Must have, attained a GPA of 3.0, in all enrolled subjects cumulativelypreceding graduation. Have up to 30 units of academic requirementremaining to qualify for graduation, With a unit load of between 15 and24 per semester during his/her term of office. Shall be eligible forelection for only two terms of office.The Speaker shall:

a) Preside over the General Assembly.b) Receive and introduce Bills for debate.c) Forward passed Bills to the President for approval.d) Shall not be a voting member unless in the case of a tie.

e) Official signatory and spokesperson of the General Assembly.Section 3.2Deputy SpeakerThe Deputy Speaker must be elected by a majority secret ballot vote ofthe General Assembly. An elected senator or representative, A studentat the Silang Cavite Campus for at least two consecutive semesters;not including summer, prior to election, Must have attained a GPA of3.0 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively preceding graduation. . Haveup to 30 units of academic requirement remaining to qualify forgraduation, with a unit load of between 15 and 24 per semester duringhis/her term of office, Shall be eligible for election for only two terms of

office.The Deputy Speaker shall:

a) Perform all the duties of the Speaker in the case of his/herabsence and/or when the Speaker assumes the office of thePresident.

b) Assist the Speaker in maintaining order in the House.c) Assume the office of The Speaker as stipulated in Article V(3.1)

in the event of :

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i) Resignation of the Speakerii) Incapacitation of the Speakeriii) Death of the Speaker

Section 3.3Clerk

The Clerk is an ex-officio member of the General Assembly, Elected bymajority secret ballot vote in the house, Must have a GPA of 2.75 in allenrolled subjects cumulatively preceding graduation, Should haveprofessional expertise in records keeping and secretarial work, With aunit load of between 15 and 24 per semester during his/her term ofoffice, Shall be eligible for election for any number of terms of office.The Clerk shall:

a) Make and keep records of all meeting proceedings at the GeneralAssembly.

b) Can offer professional advice on the structure of matters ofdiscussion at a meeting.

c) Shall not vote.Section 3.4SenatorVoting member of the General Assembly, elected at large, Must haveattained a GPA of 2.75 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively precedinggraduation, With a unit load of between 15 and 24 per semester duringhis/her term of office, Shall be eligible for election for any number ofterms of office, Eligible for appointment as Chairperson of aparliamentary committee, both permanent and Adhoc.Section 3.5Representative (Assemblyman/woman)

Voting member of the General Assembly, Representatives nominatedby their respective colleges and associations, Must have a GPA of 2.75in all enrolled subjects cumulatively preceding graduation, With a unitload of between 15 and 24 per semester during his/her term of office,Shall be eligible for election for any number of terms of office.Section 3.6Sergeant-at-armsThere shall be a Sergeant-at-arms of the General Assembly as isprovided for in the code of procedure of the General Assembly, Musthave a GPA of 2.5 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively precedinggraduation, With a unit load of between 15 and 24 per semester during

his/her term of office. Shall not participate in house proceedings, Shallnot vote.Section 3.7In the case whereby an elected Senator or Representative wishes torun for election as Speaker. An application of resignation from thecurrent position shall be applied and submitted to the Presidentsoffice; this shall be confirmed subject to the election of the individual

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involved. However the individual is not elected, the said applicationshall be considered null and void.

Section 4

The General Assembly shall summon to its chambers any member ofthe Executive to attend its proceedings. This official shall be obligatedto answer all questions and submit documents that bear relevance ofany nature to the Students Association, if so determined by at least50% of the Members of the General Assembly.

Section 5The General Assembly shall convene standing and adhoc housecommittees as need arises and when necessary. 50% plus one (1) ofthe members of the House shall form a quorum for convening housecommittees.

Section 6There shall be a code of regulations/procedure of the GeneralAssembly.

Section 7There shall be a swearing-in ceremony of the Speaker, Deputy-Speaker, Clerk, Sergeant-at-arms, Department Secretaries, andPublications Editors-in-chief and other Association officers.

Section 8

A member of the General Assembly wishing to resign shall submit aletter to that effect to the Speaker and the issue shall be made amotion in the house, where confirmation shall be voted on andsubsequently signed by the Speaker.

Note: Adhoc impromptu, makeshift or temporary and not provided forin the constitution. They are dissolved when they accomplish the dutyfor which they were convened.

ARTICLE VIITHE EXECUTIVE

Section 1.1There shall be an Executive branch of the Adventist University of thePhilippines, Student Association.Section 1.2The Executive shall:

a) Uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme lawof the Students Association.

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b) Govern the official affairs of the Students Association inaccordance with the constitution and under the appropriation,guidance, regulation and scrutiny of the General Assembly.

c) Make a calendar of events, plan activities, propose projects,make budgets and carry them out upon approval by the General

Assembly.d) Oversee the running of Student Association activities anddepartments.

e) Make proposals to the General Assembly on improvements forthe effective running of the Student Association Affairs.

f) Promote unity and harmony among the student body.

Section 2The Executive shall be a composition of:

a) The Presidentb) Vice-President

c) The Cabinet1. Secretary of Records/ Cabinet2. Secretary of Finance3. Secretary of Constitutional affairs/Internal Affairs/SA

Spokesperson4. Secretary of Religious Affairs5. Secretary of Social Affairs6. Secretary of Foreign Students Affairs(should be a foreigner)7. Secretary of Publications/Press8. Presidents of the Divisions.

Section 3.1The President of the Student Association shall be: Elected at large by amajority ballot vote of the student body, The Presidential candidate ofa registered party or as an Independent candidate, a student at theSilang Cavite Campus for at least two consecutive semesters; notincluding summer, prior to election. At least 18 years of age. Musthave attained a GPA of 3.0 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively,preceding graduation. Have up to 30 units of academic requirementremaining to qualify for graduation. Maintain a unit load of between 15

and 24 per semester during his /her term of office, Shall be eligible forelection for only one term of office.

Section 3.2The President shall:

a) Be the Chief Executive Officer of the Student Association.b) Be head of the Executive and Chairperson of the Cabinet.c) An ex-officio member of the General Assembly.

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d) Preside at cabinet meetings.e) An ex-officio member of all Student Association committees and

department committees.f) Decide all questions of order, provided that his/her decisions are

appeal able to the cabinet and General Assembly and are subject

to scrutiny of the latter body.g) Nominate Cabinet secretaries, Editorial advisors and financialadvisors for the Student Association publication departments.These officials shall be confirmed by the General Assembly asstipulated in Article VI of this constitution.

h) Co-ordinate activities of the Students Association including thoseof the Publications excluding those of the electoral commission.

i) Represent the Student Association in all occasions and eventswhere the Association needs representation.

j) Supervise supplementary student associations and groups.k) Perform in general, such duties and functions as may be

necessary to the discharge and performance of this office and asshall be required by the General Assembly or a Generalreferendum of the Student Body.

Section 4.1The Vice-President of the Students Association shall be elected at largeby a majority ballot vote; hence the Vice-Presidential candidate ofhis/her party or as an independent candidate, A student at the SilangCavite Campus for at least two consecutive semesters; not includingsummer, prior to election. At least 18 years of age. Must have attaineda GPA of 3.0 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively, preceding

graduation. Have up to 30 units of academic requirement remaining toqualify for graduation. Maintain a unit load of between 15 and 24 persemester during his /her term of office, Shall be eligible to serve foronly one term of office.Section 4.2The Vice-President shall:

a) Presidents Associate and general assistant.b) Represent the President or the Students Association in meetings

upon being asked to do so by the President.c) Assume the office of President as stipulated in Article V(3.2) in

the event of :

i) Resignation of the Presidentii) Impeachment of the Presidentiii) Incapacitation of the Presidentiv) Death of the President.

Section 4.3In the case of both the Offices of the President and Vice Presidentfalling vacant at the same time, The Speaker of the General Assembly

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shall assume the office of the President for the rest of the term. A newspeaker should be elected within 14 days after the inauguration.

Section 5.1Departments of the Student Association

There shall be departments of the Student Association:

1. Department of Records-Secretary of: Shalla) Make, maintain and keeps the records, and handle all secretarial

work for the Executive and the cabinet.b) Produce a communiqu of all official actions of the cabinet.c) Prepare and submit monthly/per semester/annual records of the

actions of the Cabinet to the General Assembly.d) Act as liaisons officer between the General Assembly and the

Executive.e) Be the Executive Secretary of the Association.

2. Department of Finance-Secretary of: Shalla) Make, maintain and keep financial records of the Association.b) Make and submit the Associations Budget by every second week

of every semester, for discussion in the cabinet and approval bythe General Assembly.

c) Be the custodian of the student association funds and beresponsible for all keeping and disbursement of the funds.

d) Be the Financial adviser of the President.e) Handle all financial commitments and issues of the association.f) Be a Student Association account signatory.

3. Department of Constitutional affairs/ Internal affairs/ Public

Relations-Secretary of: Shalla) Co-ordinate constitutional awareness and handle the

Associations legal matters.b) Be the Student Association Spokesperson; handle all public

affairs on behalf of the Administration.c) Be the Presidents Legal adviser.d) Be the Custodian of the Students Association Constitution.e) Be the Head of the internal affairs department.f) Be an ex-officio member of the Goodwill commission.

4. Department of Religious Affairs-Secretary of: Shalla) Plan and Co-ordinate religious meetings and outreaches of the

student body.b) Be the Student Association Pastor and Chaplain.c) Be the Spiritual Counselor of the Association.

5. Department of Social Affairs-Secretary of: Shall

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a) Plan and co-ordinates all social events on behalf of the studentassociation.

b) Provide social recreational activities.c) Promote healthy social relations among students.

6. Department of Foreign Students Affairs-Secretary of: Shalla) Plan and Co-ordinate foreign student activities and representforeign students issues in the SA administration.

b) Promote international relations and world issues awareness.c) Promote diversified cultures and languages of the students.d) Act as liaison between the Department of International Affairs of

the University and the Students.

7. Department of Publications/Press-Secretary of: Shalla) Be responsible for the publication of official information,

executive orders, and announcements from the General

Assembly and the President via the Publications, anddissemination of promotional materials for all activities of theassociation.

b) Ensure the production of student publications; the UniversityVoice and the Silang Memoirs.

c) Promote student participation in the administration of andcontributions to the Publications.

d) Act as Liaison between the University Publications Committeeand the Student Association.

e) Represent the Publications in the Cabinet.f) Promote freedom of the Publications.

g) Be a member of the University publications committee.

Section 5.2A Secretary of a Department of the Student Association shall be aPresidential Nominee and Approved and Confirmed by the GeneralAssembly in accordance with the provisions of this constitution, astudent at the Silang Cavite Campus for at least two consecutivesemesters; not including summer, prior to appointment. At least 17years of age. Must have attained a GPA of 2.75 in all enrolled subjectscumulatively, preceding graduation. Have up to 30 units of academicrequirement remaining to qualify for graduation. Maintain a unit load of

between 15 and 24 per semester during his /her term of office.Section 5.3A Departmental Secretary shall:

a) Be the Administrative head of the Department.b) Be a member of the cabinet.c) Be the Presidential adviser and assistant on the affairs of his/her

specific department.

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ARTICLE VIII

THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION DIVISIONS

Section 1.1

There shall be Student Association Divisions.Section 1.2The organizational Divisions of the Student Association shall be bycolleges of the Adventist University of the Philippines, namely: TheCOLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Division (CAST), The COLLEGE OFBUSINESS Division (COB), The COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY Division (COD),The COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Division (COE), The COLLEGE OF HEALTHDivision (COH), The COLLEGE OF NURSING Division (CON) and TheCOLLEGE OF THEOLOGY Division (COT).Section 1.3The Divisions shall be extensions of the Student Association

administration in the respective colleges; hence they shall be part ofthe Executive Branch of the Student Association.Section 1.4The Student Association Treasurer shall make provisions for theallocation of funds for the Divisions in the over-all budget of theAssociation.

Section 2.1

A Student Association Division shall be administered by an ExecutiveCouncil of Officers elected at large by secret ballot in a duly announcedmeeting of the Students registered under the particular college of theAdventist University of the Philippines.Section 2.2The Elections shall be conducted and supervised by representatives ofthe Student Association Commission of Elections, a week after thebeginning of the summer session of each year. Election policies of thisconstitution as reflected in article X and the code of electionsdeveloped by the Commission in consultation with the administrationof each college shall be the guiding rule. In a case whereby, the criteria

for qualification of a college and the Commission of election conflicts,the college criteria shall take precedence provided, it is applieduniformly for all aspiring candidates.Section 2.3The Officials of the Division shall be:

a) Presidentb) Vice-Presidentc) Secretary

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d) TreasurerSection 2.4The President of a Division shall be a member of the Cabinet of theStudent Association Executive Branch.

Section 3The General Assembly Representatives for every 200 students in aDivision shall not be members of the Executive Council. They shall benominated as provided in article X, Sec 5 of this constitution.

Section 4Membership shall be determined by College registration. All studentsregistered under a college shall automatically be members of thecorresponding Division. In the Case of a double-major, the primarycourse shall be considered.

Section 5As a Division of the Executive Administration of the StudentAssociation, the Executive Council of the Division shall be vested withthe responsibilities of the Executive stated in article VII, Sec 1.2,limited to the borders of the particular Division.

Section 6.1The Executive Council shall hold regular meetings at least twice amonth throughout the Year of official duty.Section 6.2Special meetings may be held to decide on business of urgent nature.

Section 7.1The President of a Student Association Division shall be elected atlarge by a majority ballot vote of the student body of the Division, Astudent at the Silang Cavite Campus for at least two consecutivesemesters; not including summer, prior to election. At least 18 yearsof age. Must have attained a GPA of 2.75 in all enrolled subjectscumulatively, preceding graduation. Have up to 30 units of academicrequirement remaining to qualify for graduation. Maintain a unit load ofbetween 15 and 24 per semester during his /her term of office, Shall beeligible for election for only two terms of office.

Section 7.2The President shall have the responsibilities of the Student AssociationPresident reflected in article VII, Sec 3.2 of this constitution, limited tothe borders of the particular Division.

Section 8.1The Vice President shall have the same qualification requirements ofthe President as in section 7.1 of this article.

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Section 8.2The Vice-President shall have the responsibilities of the StudentAssociation Vice-President in article VII, Sec 4.2 of this constitution,limited to the borders of the particular Division.

Section 9.1The Secretary shall be at least 17 years of age. Must have attained aGPA of 2.75 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively, preceding graduation.Have up to 30 units of academic requirement remaining to qualify forgraduation. Maintain a unit load of between 15 and 24 per semesterduring his /her term of office.Section 9.2The Secretary shall have responsibilities as of the Records Secretary inArticle VII, sec 5.1.1 of this constitution, limited to the borders of theparticular Division.

Section 10.1The Treasurer shall be at least 17 years of age. Must have attained aGPA of 2.75 in all enrolled subjects cumulatively, preceding graduation.Have up to 30 units of academic requirement remaining to qualify forgraduation. Maintain a unit load of between 15 and 24 per semesterduring his /her term of office.Section 10.2The Treasurer shall have responsibilities as of the Finance Secretary inArticle VII, sec 5.1.2 of this constitution, limited to the borders of theparticular Division.

Section 11Vacancies shall be filled according to the provisions in article VII forofficials and other Articles of this Constitution.

ATICLE IX

CONSTITUTIONAL COMISSIONS/COMMITTEES

Section 1Commission of Elections

a) There shall be a permanent Commission of Elections, withcommissioners that are convened by the General Assembly.

b) The General Assembly Shall appoint a Chairperson, secretary,treasurer and four commissioners. The commissioners shall only

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be replaced when a vacancy occurs for any reason or when aviable need for replacement arises.

c) The Functions of the Commission shall be to:i) Enforce and administer all rules and regulations and

formulate guidelines and a code of procedure

relative to the conduct of the particular election for theholding of which it is has been constituted.ii) Recieve the application for election of candidates who

qualify for election for particular positions asprovided in this constitution and who shall have beencertified by the Registrars office and the SAO.

iii) Register political parties which shall presentcollectively, a platform orProgram of government.

iv) Recommend to the General Assembly, effectivemeasures to minimize

Election spending, including publication of propagandaand campaign materials, and to prevent and penalize allinfractions of rules and regulations provided by thisconstitution and the General Assembly for the conduct ofthe election.

v) Submit to the General Assembly a comprehensive reporton the conduct of the elections.

vi) Organise and supervise the elections processes ofcasting of votes, transffering and securing of ballotboxes and counting of the votes cast by the electorate.

vii) Announce the results of the election.

Section 2Commission of Goodwill

a) There shall be a permanent Commission on Goodwill.b) The President shall nominate a Chairperson, Secretary and fivecommissioners and submit them to the General Assembly forapproval and confirmation. The commissioners shall only bereplaced when a vacany occurs for any reason or when a viableneed for replacement arises.c) The Commission shall function under the office of the President.

d) The Functions of the Commission shall be to:i) Promote and handle all matters relating to the

enhancement and protectionof student rights.

ii) Provide assistance to those students who may bedeprived of their rights.

iii) Monitoring the quality of student life here in theUniversity.

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iv) Maintenance of campus student harmony.v) Establish adequate mechanisms for consultation with and

participation of the student body in the affairs of theStudents Association.

Section 3Commission of Constitutional Reviewa) There shall be a temporary Commission of Constitutional Review

upon a majority vote of the General Assembly when need arises.b) The President shall nominate a Chairperson, Secretary and five

Commissioners and then submit them to the General Assemblyfor approval and confirmation.

c) The Commission shall function under the office of the President.d) The Commission shall be dissolved by the General Assembly

immediately after the New constitution shall have been ratified.e) The Functions of the Commission shall be to:

i) Conduct a research among the Student body concerningconstitutional needs and preferred constitutional systemsof administration.

ii) Review and revise the Constitution.iii) Promote and lobby for the ratification of the new

constitution among the Students.iv) Supervise and Assist in the ratification process.v) Submit final ratified constitution to the General Assembly

as the report of their findings, alongside financialexpenditure.

Section 4General Assembly Standing CommitteesStanding and Adhoc (temporary) committees shall be formed by theGeneral Assembly when need arises to perform functions that shall bedefined by the General Assembly.

ARTICLE X

ELECTIONS

Section 1Elections shall be held twice every school year:

a) There shall be a General Election whereby a President, VicePresident and eight senators shall be elected at large. TheNomination of Representatives also be done during the sameelection period.

b) There shall be a By-Election whereby succeeding eight senatorsshall be elected.

Section 2

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Election days shall be held as follows:a) General Election Day shall be held on the second Thursday of

February.b) The By-Election Day shall be held on any day of the month of

August.

Section 3One month before the Election Day, the Commission of Elections shallmake a public proclamation of the major events and their dates andhence declare the Election period officially open. The Commission ofElections shall officially prepare and supervise the elections at alltimes.

Section 4Unless otherwise fixed by the Commission of Election, the electionperiod shall commence three weeks before the day of the election and

shall end three days after.

Section 5Nomination of Representatives

a) The Nomination of Representatives shall be done by therespective colleges, supplementary associations andmale/female divisions under the supervision of the Commissionof Elections.

b) This shall be held not earlier than one (1) week before and notlater than one day before the General Election.

c) There shall be one representative for every two hundred (200)

students of every college and an additional one (1) for theremainder number of students.

d) The Commission of Elections shall send a Memo, on the firstMonday of February calling for Representative nominationconventions of the concerned colleges, male/female divisionsand associations.

Section 6Professional/Religious clubs RepresentationThe following clubs shall nominate one (1) representative each underthe supervision of the Commission of Elections:

a) Working Students Associationb) International Student Associationc) Campus Youth Ministry

Section 7There shall be nominated, one representative each from the maleresidence and female residence respectively.

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Section 8The Nominated Representatives shall be approved and confirmed bythe Commission of Elections in strict adherence only to provisions forqualification for nomination as a Representative of the General

Assembly by this Constitution.

Section 9A free and open party system shall be allowed to evolve to the freechoice of the members of the Students Association.

Section 10All candidates for Presidential, Vice-presidential, and Senatorial ticketsmust satisfy the requirements for qualification to run for the respectiveoffice as provided by this constitution.

Section 11The Application period shall be as follows:

a) The Application for candidacy shall be submitted during theperiod that shall be set by the Commission of Elections.

b) In the case whereby an aspirant submits the application beforeor after the given period, the Commission of Election shall notaccept the application except if the Commission of Election madea prior provisions for late/early applications which shall havebeen approved by the General Assembly.

Section 12

All approved and certified candidates with their respective parties willcampaign throughout the campaign period allocated by theCommission of Elections, before the Election Day.

Section 13On Election Day

a) A specific time for the opening and closing of the election shallbe strictly observed. Petitions regarding the time allocated thevoting period shall only be entertained prior to the election.

b) Headquarters, Precincts and Canvassing area shall be asdesignated as announced beforehand.

c) Distribution and collection of ballots are only to be managed bythe Commission of election and appointed deputies.

d) Voting shall be done by secret ballot, one student per ballot.e) All ballot boxes shall be transported to the Canvassing area

immediately after the polling period.f) There shall be a validation of votes.g) The Commission of Election and deputies shall wear an official

I.D during the Election Day.

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Section 14Election returns shall be canvassed by the Commission of Election at aset date and time. The ballot boxes shall be stored securely whennecessary to avoid irregularities of any kind.

Section 15The number of watchers for each party shall be included in theprovisions of the Election code.

Section 16Election Results:

a) The results shall be made public officially not earlier than thethird day and not later than the tenth day after the election. Anunofficial announcement of the result shall be made availablesoon after the canvassing is completed according to the

discretion of the Commission of Elections.b) The Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates having thehighest number of votes shall be proclaimed elected, but in thecase whereby two or more shall have an equal and highestnumber of votes, one of them shall forthwith be chosen by thevote of a majority of all the members of the existing GeneralAssembly.

c) In the case of the Senators at-large, the top eight shall beproclaimed elected but incase two or more shall have an equalnumber of votes for the eighth slot, one of them shall forthwithbe chosen by the vote of all the members of the existing General

Assembly.

Section 17There shall always be an appropriation from the Student Associationfund for the Election Process. This amount shall be released to theCommission of Election, prior to the election period. After the election,the Commission shall submit a financial and procedural report to theGeneral Assembly. A balance, if any shall be reverted to the generalfund of the Students Association.

ARTICLE XI THE PUBLICATIONS

Section 1The Student Association Publications shall publish the followingperiodicals:

a) The University Voice, under it: the monthly newsletter, the bi-monthly journal, and the annual literary folio.

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b) The Silang Memoirs, the student yearbook.

Section 2The University Voice shall be published during regular semesters. Extraissues may be published according to necessity. The Silang Memoirs

must be published every March of the year.

Section 3a) There shall be an Editor-in-Chief of the University Voice and an

Editor-in-Chief of the Silang Memoirs.b) The term of the University Voice Editor-in-Chief and the Editor-in-

Chief of the Silang Memoirs shall be for one academic schoolyear.

Section 4a) Not later than two weeks before the close of each academic

school year, the Publications Committee of the University shallhold a qualifying examination and interview for aspirants for theEditorship of the publications.

b) The holding of the examinations shall be announced at least twoweeks prior to examination day. All aspirants shall submit theirnames to the Publications Committee of the University.

c) The Editorship shall be open to all the members of the studentbody.

d) An aspirant must have been a member of the publications forone year.

e) An aspirant must be presently enrolled, and must have been a

student of the university for at least two academic school years.An aspirant shall take examinations for the Editorship of bothpublications whenever there exists any vacancy in bothpositions, provided that no student shall hold two Editorships atany given time.

f) The results of the examinations shall be released not later thanthree days after it was given.

Section 5The aspirants who shall have qualified according to the results of theexaminations shall be certified and recommended to the General

Assembly by the Publications Committee. The General Assembly shallappoint one of the certified applicants to the office of Editor-in-Chief.

Section 6No Student Association President or Vice-President, Senator orRepresentative, Speaker or any other elected or appointed official shallqualify or assume office of the Editor-in-Chief in the University Voiceand the Silang Memoirs.

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Section 7In case where there are no aspirants for Editorship of the Publications,the Publications Committee of the University, shall certify andrecommend an Editor-in-Chief to the General Assembly which shall

make the appointment. Upon appointment, he/she shall exercise allthe powers and rights vested upon the Editor-in-Chief by thisConstitution.

Section 8The Editors-in-Chief shall have the authority and power to appoint themembers of their respective staff, subject to approval of thePublications Committee of the University, who shall serve according tothe policies and guidelines of the respective publication.

Section 9

The members of the Editorial Board and staff of the University Voiceshall be the:a) Editor-in-Chiefb) Managing Editorsc) Executive Editord) Photojournaliste) Editorial Secretaryf) Layout Artist/Graphic Designerg) Literary Editorh) News Editori) Feature Editor

j) Editorial Assistantsk) News Writersl) Assistant Photojournalistm) Artists.The Editor-in-Chief shall have the authority and power to appendand/or reduce the number of positions according to the need of thepublication.

Section 10The members of the Editorial Board and staff of the Silang Memoirs:a) Editor-in-Chief

b) Managing Editorc) Executive Editord) Business Managere) Literary Editorf) Feature Editor Photographerg) Editorial Secretaryh) Literary Assistanti) Graphic Designer/Layout Artist

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The Editor-in-Chief shall have the authority and power to appendand/or reduce the number of positions according to the need of thepublication.

Section 11

There shall be three faculty advisers, namely:a) The Editorial Adviserb) The Financial Adviserc) Technical Adviser,for each publication who will be chosen by the Editor-in-Chief. Theyshall supervise the work of the Editorial Staff.

Section 12a) An editor-in-chief shall serve for only a one year term, and does

not qualify for re-appointment except in the case of absence ofor lack of editorial aspirants.

b) Staff members of the University Voice cannot occupy anyposition in the Staff of the Silang Memoirs, and vice-versa.

Section 13The Editors-in-Chief and their respective Editorial Board shall solelyhave the right and power to decide on the content of the paper.Provided, that it coincides with the philosophies and principles of theAdventist faith, the Philippine Constitution, the Adventist University ofthe Philippines Mission, Vision, and Philosophy; and the StudentAssociation Constitution.

Section 14The Editors-in-Chief shall not hold any other office in the StudentAssociation, or any of its organs while they are in office.

Section 15a) The Editors-in-Chief shall publish their financial statements by

the end of each semester, a copy of which shall be provided tothe General Assembly, the Publications Committee, and theUniversity Treasurer.

b) The books of accounts of publications must be kept intact andaudited by an Auditor appointed by the General Assembly.

c) The funds and property of the publications shall be audited everysemester, or at any when need shall arise provided a prior noticeof seven (7) working days is given to the concerned parties.

Section 16In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Editor-in-Chief, it shall befilled as provided in this Article. However, if the vacancy occurs withinthe last one-third (1/3) of their term, the Publications Committee of the

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University shall only recommend the Editor-in-Chief without giving thequalifying examinations. He/She shall serve the unexpired term and iseligible for appointment for another full term. He/She shall exercise allthe powers and rights vested upon the Editor-in chief by thisConstitution.

Section 17The Editors-in-Chief shall be removed from office on the followinggrounds:

a) Abuse of fundsb) Negligence of duty as evidenced by failure to publish on timec) Willful violation of Acts, Resolutions, or Orders of the Student

Association according to the provisions of this constitution.

Section 18

The Editor-in-Chief shall be held responsible and liable for whateverquestion that may arise in any publication of the Student Associationperiodicals.

Section 19TheBudget of the publications shall be submitted to the ConstituentAssembly for approval and the same shall be included in the GeneralAppropriations of the Student Association.

Section 20Policies evolving from practice in the course of publishing the

University Voice and the Silang Memoirs shall, before they can beimplemented, be approved by the General Assembly.

ARTICLE XII

FINANCES

Sections 1FundsThe Student Association will obtain funds from:

a) Subscription from the students.b) Donations from well wishers and donors.c) Grantsd) Any other legitimate way to raise funds subject to the approval

of the General Assembly, the SAO and University Administration.

Section 2Adjustment of Fee figure

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The General Assembly shall hold sole authority to increase or decreasethe amount of the subscription fee and the SM and UV fees, with theendorsement of the University Finance committee. In a case wherebythe increase exceeds 20% of the current amount, a GeneralReferendum of the Student body shall decide to implement such an

increase.

Sections 3Use of Funds

a) Financing student projects and activities which are in keepingwith the objectives of the Association as provided for in thisConstitution and upon due approval of the General Assembly.

b) Acquisition of valuable and economically viable and necessaryassets for promoting the official functions of the Association, dulyapproved by the General Assembly.

c) Producing the Student Association Publications and maintaining

the Department of Student Publications.d) Maintaining the Executive and its functions.e) Maintaining the Students Center.f) Any other purpose that shall be approved by the General

Assembly for the realization of the objectives of the Association.

Sections 4Administration of Funds

a) Student Association shall open and operate an account in anystable bank or with the University Finance department. Itsresources shall be deposited under the name; Adventist

University of the Philippines Student Association. The President,Finance Secretary and an Advisor shall be collective signatoriesto the account.

b) The Silang Memoirs and University Voice shall operate subaccounts individually within the Students Association account.

c) Only an act of the General Assembly can authorize the release offunds to the Executive, Silang Memoirs and University Voice forany purpose at all times.

d) Funds shall be released to the President and Executive, SilangMemoirs and University Voice according to the currentSemesters budget upon approval by the General Assembly.

e) The President, Finance Secretary and an Advisor shall besignatories to the account and are hence directly answerable tothe General Assembly on the usage of funds.

f) The Secretary of Finance shall prepare a Balance Sheet everySemester, which shall be presented to the General Assembly.Members are entitled to seek clarification or substantiation onthe balance sheet. The Secretary is under obligation to answerall questions to the satisfaction of the members of the Assembly.

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g) The Secretary of Finance, the Treasurers of the SM and UV shallcomprise the Financial Committee of the SA. The President andAdvisors shall be ex-officio members of the committee.

h) Auditing of accounts can be carried out by the AuditingCommittee of the General Assembly or an Auditor invited by the

committee at any time of the semester, upon an official notice ofseven(7) working days to the Department of Finance.i) Any Audit Report should be submitted to the General Assembly

upon completion, by the Chairperson of the Auditing Committee.j) The Secretary of Finance for petty cash disbursements shall keep

a sum of money agreed upon by the Cabinet and approved bythe General Assembly. Members may review the amount as needarises. The Secretary should maintain proper records of pettycash use at all times. The secretary should submit a properaccount of the petty cash (including receipts where applicable) tothe General Assembly before the petty cash use report is

approved.k) Records of the use of funds by any Organ of the Associationshould be kept at all times.

ARTICLE XIIICODES OF PROCEDURE AND REGULATIONS

Section 1There shall be codes of for the following Students Associationorgans/process:

a) The General Assembly

b) The Cabinet & Department Committeesc) The Elections

The concerned organs shall at an appointed time before deliberatingany official business, make a code of procedure and regulations togovern the running of official business during meetings.

Section 2The Codes shall comprise the subjects where applicable andnecessary:

a) Membersb) Duties of the Presider/Chairperson

c) Duties of the Clerkd) Duties/jurisdictions/limitations/creation of associated

committees.e) Place and time of meetingsf) Rules/Regulations/laws for the organg) Sanctions/Disciplinary measures/Penalties.h) Sessionsi) Roll call and quorum

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j) Order of businessk) Calendarl) Appearance of personsm)Measures/Resolutions/Messages/Memorials/Petitionsn) Decorum and debate

o) Votingp) Motions and their precedenceq) Papers

Other subjects shall be added where applicable and necessary.

Section 3The Codes shall be approved, ratified and adopted by a threefourths(3/4) majority vote of its members. Further amendments shallbe made when need arises and shall be ratified by a two thirds(2/3)majority vote of its members.

ARTICLE XIV MEETINGS/QUORUMSSection 1General Assembly Meetings

a) Ordinary Sessions shall be held every Thursday, commencing at18.00hrs.

b) Special sessions shall be held be held at times other than theOrdinary Sessions as need shall arise.

Section 2

Cabinet Meetingsa) Ordinary meetings shall be held every Tuesday, commencing at

18.00hrs.b) Special meetings shall be held at times other than the Ordinary

meetings as need shall arise.

Section 3Resolution of Meetings

a) Resolutions of the meeting(s) of the General Assembly, theCabinet and organs in all levels of the association shall be carriedby a simple majority where voting shall be a show of hands,

provided that the chairperson/presider shall retain the right ofcasting a vote in the event of a tie or a parity vote.

b) In the event of the Speaker and/or the President, neglecting orrefusing to call a meeting of the General Assembly and/or theCabinet respectively, if need arises, and a special meeting is filedon a written request of at least one quarter of the members ofthe organ of the Students Association, then the requesting

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members of the organ shall convene such a meeting chaired byan ad hoc (temporary) committee.

Section 4Quorums at meetings

a) Fifty percent(50%) plus one(1) of the members of the GeneralAssembly, Cabinet, Constitutional Commissions, StandingCommittees, Adhoc(temporary) committees and all othersupplementary organs of the students Association shall form aquorum for their respective meetings.

b) A majority of the Student Body (electorate) shall form a quorumfor General Student Association meetings.

c) Provided that if a General Student Association meeting has beenrescheduled for want of quorum, the next scheduled meetingshall proceed irrespective of the number of members inattendance, and resolutions passed therein by a majority of

members in attendance, shall bind all members and be good andvalid for all purposes. In case of a meeting where major decisionsand changes have to be effected, a notice for the meeting shallbe at least twenty one (21) days before the intended meeting.

ARTICLE XV

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1The Students Association shall adopt an official emblem which is truly

reflective of the ideals and aspirations of its members. The GeneralAssembly shall provide a law which defines the adoption of theemblem. Such a law shall take effect only upon its ratification by themembers in a General referendum.

Section 2All the officers of the Students Association and its supplementaryorgans shall take a pledge to support and defend its constitution anduphold the standards of the University.

I do solemnly pledge that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my

duties as the.. (office) of the Students Association (or itssupplementary organs) of the Adventist University of the Philippines,preserve and defend its constitution, execute its laws, do justice toevery person, and consecrate myself to the service of the StudentsAssociation. So help me God

Section 3

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The President or his duly authorized representative shall sit in ameeting of University committee, whenever the interests of theStudent Association are concerned.

Section 4

All the acts, resolutions, orders and petitions of the StudentsAssociation shall bear the signatures of the President, the ExecutiveSecretary and an Advisor before they can be executed.

Section 5The Vice-President for Student services shall in all manner be informedof the activities of the Students Association. Any act, resolution, ororder of the Students Association, before it becomes binding, must firstbe presented to the Student Affairs Committee. If they approve thesame, the chairperson shall sign it; otherwise he shall veto it andexplain such veto in a General Assembly session within five days after

such a veto has been declared. The Student Affairs office shall act onevery measure passed to it by the General Assembly within seven daysafter the date of the receipt thereof; otherwise, it shall become bindingas if they had signed it.

Section 6Any Student Association official, speaker, senator, representative,member of any committee, editor-in-chief, member of the editorialstaff of the publications and any organ that has become one under themandate given in this constitution, who is under school censure forviolation of school rules and regulations or disregard of the principles,

under the type B and C infractions as described in Rule V, section 5 ofthe Student Handbook of the Adventist University of the Philippines, orwho shall be in violation of Rules and Regulation of the StudentAssociation and having been substantially proven guilty of theaforesaid violations, shall be removed automatically from the office.

Section 7Any elected, nominated or appointed official or editor-in-chief may beremoved from office by impeachment on the grounds of:

a) Providing false information to qualify for election.b) Embezzlement and misuse of funds.

c) Willful violation of acts, resolutions, or orders of this constitutionand the Students Association.

d) Gross negligence of duty, and betrayal of public trust.The General Assembly has the sole authority to initiate, try and decideall the cases of impeachment. Further, it shall formulate the rules tocarry out this provision.

Section 8

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Upon termination of each term, the outgoing officers of the StudentsAssociation or any of its organs shall turn over the records, equipment,funds and other property of the Association to their respectivesuccessors formally.

Section 9The Association Advisors shall be ex-officio members of the GeneralAssembly, Cabinet, Department Committees, Commissions and allsupplementary organs in all meetings as they shall deem necessary.

Section 10Incase of disagreement between the General Assembly and any of theSecretaries or the Commissions and other Association officials,regarding their respective powers and duties, the question shall bereferred to the Student Association Advisors for determination,provided, that an appeal may be made to the SAO and consequently,

the ADCOM, a ruling of which shall be final.

ARTICLE XVI

AMENDMENTS/ REVIEW

Section 1All amendments to this Constitution, shall be proposed, discussed,

approved and ratified by the General Assembly upon a vote of three-fourths(3/4) of its members.

Section 2The General Assembly shall by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all itsmembers, call and form a Constitutional Review Commission. Or by amajority of all its members, submit to the student body the question ofcalling and forming such a commission.

Section 3The creation of the Constitutional Review Commission shall be done by

the General Assembly which shall elect the commissioners, then calland form such a commission.

Section 4The revision of this constitution shall only become valid and binding,when ratified by a majority vote of the Student body cast in aplebiscite which shall be held not earlier than twenty(20) days nor laterthirty(30) days after the approval of such amendments.

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ARTICLE XVII TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

a) The first General election of the President and Vice-President ofthe Students Association and the sixteen (16) senators of theGeneral Assembly, under this constitution shall be held on thesecond Thursday of February, 2006. There shall be a swearing-inceremony organized by the SAO and Commission of Elections,before March 1st. The President, Vice-president, Senators andRepresentatives shall be sworn in before the students. And theofficers shall assume office from March 1st, 2006.

b) The top eight senators-elect with the highest number of votes,shall serve for a term of one year from the time of election.

c) The last eight senators-elect, shall serve for a term of six months

from the time of election.d) A By-election shall be held on the second Thursday of August2006, to replace the last eight senators. Only the top eightcandidates-elect shall be declared senators. The senators shallbe sworn-in before the students. They shall assume office on theSeptember 1, 2006.

e) At the next General election, only the original first eight senatorswho having served for a year shall be replaced by eight otherselected during the election process. The other eight, havingserved for a period of six months only, shall be replaced duringthe next by-election of senators.

f) Hence there shall be two elections for senators in any one yearat six month intervals.

g) All senators except the original last eight, in the first electionheld under this constitution shall serve for a term of one year.

h) In the case whereby the number of senatorial candidates is lowerthan eight (8), the General Assembly shall elect senators to fillthe vacancies.

i) The General Assembly shall cause to publish a special issue ofthe University Voice which shall feature the new constitution ofthe Students Association. The expenditure shall be borne fromthe summer and first semester revenues. A total of five thousand

copies shall be printed.j) This constitution shall take effect immediately upon its

ratification by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite held forthe purpose and shall supersede all previous constitutions.

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This Constitution of the Adventist University of the Philippines-Student Association was

drafted and proposed by the Constitutional Review Commission of the Student

Association 2005/6. It was officially approved by the Constituent Assembly of theStudent Association 2005/6 and Ratified by a majority vote of the Student body cast in a

plebiscite held on the 19th

Day of January, 2006. It is accordingly signed by the members

of the Constitutional Review Commission, this 23

rd

Day of February, 2006 at the StudentCenter-AUP, whose signatures are hereunder affixed.

Signed:

Hon. Benjamin Okindo. O Hon. Jacob Maalac

Chairperson Vice-Chairperson

Hon. Czarina F. Rodulfo Hon. Antony StanyerSecretary Commissioner

Hon. Ibea Perdon Hon. Alvin Bing

Commissioner Commissioner

Hon. Dhen Migrio Hon. Aimee Taperceria

Commissioner Commissioner

Hon. Glen Tan

Commissioner

Attested by:

Mr. Samuel Naraja

Sponsor

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Documents

SA Constitution