Proposed Revision to the Student Constitution

7/30/2019 Proposed Revision to the Student Constitution

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Th e St u d e n t

C o n s t i t u t i o n

PreambleCognizant of our role as the vanguard of student rights and

we lfare, conscious of our common achievements and our

responsibility towards the University, desiring a governmentthat will bequeath a service of diligence and efficiency beyond

the interest of ones self, bound in convergence with our

fellow students whose aspirations we singularly share, and

animated by our passion to make a difference in the academic

community we, the students of the Bulacan State

University do hereby establish this Student Constitution.

Article I

Principles and PoliciesSection 1. The Student Government,

composed of all Central Student Councils and Local Student

Councils, exists to promote the concerns, interests, needs and

we lfare of al l undergraduate college students at tending the

Bulacan State University campus. The Student Government

shall represent student interests; secure an active role for

students in deciding official policies and priorities; safeguard

academic freedom and student rights, and affirm the student

citizens dignity and worth; promote and fund programs,

project and activities that will improve student welfare andpromote student development; and serve as a campus-wide

forum for the expression and exchange of student ideas and

opinions.

Section 2. The Student Governmentshall promote a modern, functional and decentralized federal

system of government that will enable students to enhance

D R A F T


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their political awareness, participation and efficacy in making

government decisions; empower students to be more involved

in government decisions, towards higher demand for superior

performance and public accountability of leaders; and

capacitate local leaders to assume greater responsibility for

leadership and delivery of services, and reduce theirdependence on a central government.

Section 3. (1) The Student Governmentupholds the primacy of the students and their role in

governance and its operationalization.

(2) The Student Government shall work to empower

and devolve decision-making to the students. The students

shall have full control of their government and all its

resources and shall be in full charge of policy and

management. The decision of the students, collectively, shall

reign supreme over all decisions and acts of the StudentGovernment.

(3) The Student Government values the students and

wi ll take a student-center ed approach in its planning and

service delivery functions.

(4) The Student Government values the internal

relations among the different stakeholders in the University.

The knowledge and perspectives of these groups are

respected. Opportunities for developing convergence and

cooperation will be sought.

(5) The Student Government values the contributionmade by individuals and groups to the development of the

University. Active, meaningful participation of students in

policy development, service planning and advocacy will be

encouraged.

(6) The Student Government recognizes and values the

diversity within the University. This includes cultural, ethnic,

demographic, religious, and other forms of diversity.

Opportunities for celebrating, expressing and supporting the

diversity in the University and among the student body will

be sought.(7) The Student Government acknowledges that

differences exist within the student body; yet, it shall seek to

find commonalities among the student body and work

towards shared goals.


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Article II

The Central Student Council

Section 4. There shall be a CentralStudent Council in every campus of the Bulacan State

University System which shall consist of a President, a VicePresident, and such number of Senators appurtenant to the

number of colleges in the campus.

Section 5.(1) The President, Vice President and Senators shall

be elected on the second Monday of February each year.

(2) Before the President, Vice President and Senator

shall enter into the execution of their office, they shall,

individually, take the oath of office before the Chancellor of

the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal in the following form: I,

N.N., elected by the students upon whom the supreme powerof government resides, do solemnly swear in the name of God

and affirm by my honor and by my conscience that I will

truly and faithfully, and to the best of my ability, execute the

powers and trust reposed in me as (position).

Section 6.The President and Vice

President shall be elected at large. The vote of the President

shall be the vote of the Vice President of the same ticket;

hence, on the ballot, only the position of President shall

appear. The ticket who shall receive the highest number ofvotes shall be proclaimed elected. The President and Vice

President shall hold office during the term of one (1) year

beginning on the second Monday of March immediately after

the election.

Section 7.One (1) Senator shall be elected from each college

of the Malolos Campus, and two (2) Senators from each

college of the Bustos, Meneses, Hagonoy and Sarmiento

Campuses and such other campuses as may be created. The

candidate who shall receive the highest number of votes shallbe proclaimed elected. A Senator shall hold office during the

term of one (1) year beginning on the second Monday of

March immediately after the election.

Section 8. (1) In case of removal of the President

from office or of his/her death or resignation, the Vice


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President shall become President. When the President is

absent from the chair, the chair shall likewise devolve to the

Vice President, but he/she shall only act as presiding officer

and shall not exercise any other power or duty of the office. If

a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the Vice

President, the Senators shall elect from among themselveswho shal l become Vice President. In case both offi ces of the

President and Vice President become permanently vacant, the

Senators shall elect from among themselves who shall become

President and Vice President to serve the unexpired term.

(2) Permanent vacancy in the office of a Senator shall

be filled by appointment of the highest official of the student

political party wherein such Senator was a member and the

replacement shall originate from the college where the

Senator who created such vacancy belonged.

Section 9. (1) The chief executive officer shall be the President, who

shall supervise the affairs of the Central Student Council.

The President shall delegate any responsibility whose exercise

is not otherwise assigned to him/her by this Constitution;

serve as the general representative and official spokesperson

of the Central Student Council; and certify all acts,

ordinances, resolutions, memorials and writs issued by, or

upon order of the Central Student Council.

(2) The President shall be the arbiter and presiding

officer of the Central Student Council, but shall have novote, unless the Senators shall be equally divided and may not

relinquish the chair to participate in the deliberation of the

body. He/she shall rule on all questions of order, and such

decisions can be appealed and overturned by a majority vote.

Any other official ac tion by the presiding offi cer may be

overturned by the entire Central Student Council by a

majority vote. When presiding, the presiding officer shall

preserve order and decorum during sessions, and apply the

Internal Rules of Procedure of the Central Student Council,

and such other rules as explicitly prescribed in the RobertsRules of Order.

(3) The Presidents of all campuses of the Bulacan

State University shall elect from among themselves the person

who shal l si t as Student Regent in the Board of Regents.

Section 10.(1) The Vice President shall act as deputy to the President.


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In case of removal of the President from office or of his/her

death or resignation, the Vice President shall become

President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President

shall preside over the session of the Central Student Council.

(2) The Vice President shall chair the Committee on

Rules and Privileges; preside over the session of the CentralStudent Council when, even if present, the President does not

preside; and during sessions, when not acting as presiding

officer, the Vice President shall be the floor leader.

Section 11. TheSenator is the legislator of the Central Student Council and

in this capacity he/she shall prepare, introduce and work for

the passage of legislative measures; attend plenary sessions

and meetings of committees of which he/she is a member or

where hi s/her proposed legislative measures are under

consideration; participate actively in deliberations onlegislative measures; articulate faithfully the demands and

interests of the students; secure, through every lawful means

possible, any and all data and information relevant and

necessary for the determination and formulation of

appropriate legislative actions and measures on student issues

and concerns; make information pertaining to the

performance of their legislative functions and duties available

to the public; and perform such other actions as may be

lawful and necessary to ensure the swift passage of legislative

measures needed to effectively address the needs of thestudents and promote student development, as well as the

efficient and timely conduct of legislative oversight.

Section 12. (1) Within twenty (20)working days af ter as sumption to office , the Central Student

Council shall, by the vote of the majority of the Senators,

appoint students who shall exercise the office of Secretary and

Treasurer and such other offices as it may deem necessary,

but they shall have no vote in the Central Student Council.

(2) The Secretary shall attend sessions of the Central

Student Council and keep a journal of its proceedings; callthe roll at the start of every session; keep the seal of the

Central Student Council and affix the same with his/her

signature to all ordinances, resolutions, and other official

acts; furnish, upon request of any interested party, certified

copies of records of public character in his/her custody;

record in a book kept for the purpose all ordinances and


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resolutions enacted or adopted by the Central Student

Council, with the dates of passage thereof; prepare and

distribute the Orders of Business; post all enacted ordinances

and adopted resolutions in public places within the campus;

and exercise such other powers and perform such other duties

and functions as may be prescribed by the rules of procedureof the Central Student Council.

(3) The Treasurer shall take charge of the funds,

receipts and disbursements of the Central Student Council.

He/she shall keep and have charge of the books of accounts,

and report on the financial status of the Central Student

Council.

Section 13.The Central Student Council, by the vote of the majority

of Senators present in a session, there being a quorum, shall

appoint the Adviser to the Central Student Council. TheAdviser shal l be consulted to on matter s of Universi ty

procedures and technicalities.

Section 14. On thefirst regular session following the election of the Central

Student Council and within thirty (30) working days

thereafter, the Central Student Council shall adopt or update

its rules of procedure. The rules of procedure shall provide

for the parliamentary procedures to be applied during

sessions and such other rules as the Central Student Council

may adopt.Section 15. (1) The Central

Student Council shall have standing committees, which shall

have legislative jurisdiction over proposed ordinances or

resolutions relating to needs, concerns, issues and interests

affecting the general welfare of the students and which

require continuing or comprehensive legislative study,

attention and action. Standing committees shall conduct

preliminary studies on proposed measures; conduct dialogues

and consultations with affected sectors and constituencies;

conduct researches and engage the services and assistance ofexperts and professionals from the public or private sectors as

may be needed in the performance of its functions; conduct

hearings and inquiries on issues and concerns within their

respective jurisdictions; and perform oversight responsibilities

to monitor offices, programs, and activities within their

juri sdictions.


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(2) Each standing committee shall be composed of a

chairperson, a vice chairperson and at least three (3)

members. Other than the Committee on Rules and Privileges

whose chair is the Vice President, the chairper sons of the

standing committees shall be elected from among the

Senators by the Central Student Council in the plenary, andthe chairperson shall choose Senators who shall serve as vice

chairperson and members of the standing committee. No

Senator shall be chairperson of more than one (1) standing

committee and vice chairperson of more than three (3)

standing committees.

(3) The standing committees of the Central Student

Council are:

1. Committee on Rules and Privileges All mattersdirectly and principally relating, but not limited to

the parliamentary procedures, revision andinterpretation of the rules of procedure, and

congruity of proposed measures with this Student

Constitution and the rules and regulations

promulgated by the University administration. The

Chairperson of this committee shall respond to

questions of the presiding officer or any Senator

regarding the Internal Rules of Procedure and

parliamentary procedures and to every points of

order as requested; review the Order of Business

prior to distribution; call the attention of thepresiding officer to rectify erroneous referrals; and

perform such other duties incidental to his/her

position as may be necessary from time to time

2. Committee on Appropriations All matters directlyand principally relating, but not limited to the

allocation of Central Student Council Funds, review

of the proposed annual and supplemental budgets,

and fiscal policies.

3. Committee on Student Rights and Welfare Allmatters directly and principally relating, but notlimited to the rights and welfare of students,

protection and promotion of the dignity of the

students, professional development of students,

enhancement programs, and student support services.

4. Committee on Student Organizations All mattersdirectly and principally relating, but not limited to


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the monitoring and supporting of all student

organizations, and review of constitution and bylaws

of all student organizations.

5. Committee on Local Government All matters directlyand principally relating, but not limited to issues,

concerns and capacity-building of Local StudentCouncils.

Section 16. (1) The Committee on

Student Rights and Welfare of the Central Student Council

of each campus shall assist students in grievance procedures.

(2) Students of the Bulacan State University are given

the right to air their grievance against any member of the

academic community. Grievances are best settled through

sincere dialogue and discussion between the parties to a

grievance. Formal grievance may be pursued only as a lastresort. For this purpose, a grievance shall refer to any

controversy between a student as the aggrieved party and a

member of the academic community as respondent that may

be the cause of a complaint. A grievance may be academic or

behavioral. An academic grievance is one that arises from any

controversy related to learning or to performance in academic

courses while a behavioral grievance is one that arises from

the manner a person conducts himself or herself.

(3) TheCommittee on Student Rights and Welfare of

the Central Student Council of each campus shall assiststudents in the preparation and filing of complaints with the

disciplining authority; designate student-counsels to assist

complainants; ensure that cases filed against respondents are

heard and resolved within the timeframe prescribed by the

law and such University rules and regulations; seek the

assistance of other offices, which may aid in expediting cases;

formulate plans and programs and implement the same with

the end-in-view of providing timely and accessible legal

advice and services to students; organize campaigns to

disseminate information among students regarding theservices of the Committee on Student Rights and Welfare;

and exercise all powers and accomplish all other duties in

fulfillment of its mandate.

(4) The Committee on Student Rights and Welfare of

the Central Student Council shall deputize, in its behalf and

under its supervision, the Committees on Student Rights and


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Welfare of al l Local Student Counci ls to as sist in its

functions.Section 17. (1) Special

committees may be organized by the Central Student Council

to address measures relating to special or urgent needs,

concerns, issues and interests of certain students orconstituencies requiring immediate legislative action, or to

such needs, concerns, issues and interests that may fall within

the scope of the jurisdiction of a standing committee, but

which the standing commit tee concerned is unable to ac t

upon with needed dispatch.

(2) Any Senator may propose for a crea tion of a specia l

committee. The chairperson, vice chairperson and members

of a special committee shall be chosen in the same manner as

that of a standing committee: Provided, That a special

committee shall be composed of at least three (3) members,including the chairperson and vice chairperson. Special

committees shall operate in the same manner as a standing

committee, but shall dissolve upon the conclusion of its task.

Article III

Legislation

Section 18. (1)The power of the students to legislate shall reign supreme

over the power of the Student Government to make laws.(2) The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall, through

an election code, provide for a system of initiative and

referendum, and the exceptions therefrom, whereby the

students in the concerned areas can directly propose and

enact ordinances or amendments to this Student

Constitution, or approve or reject any ordinance or part

thereof or any provision of this Student Constitution after

the registration of a petition thereof signed by at least ten per

cent (10%) of the total number of students in an area and

after passage thereof through a plebiscite to be administeredby the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal.

(3) Any ordinance or amendment to this StudentConstitution initiated or referred to by the students as herein

provided shall take effect and become law when approved by

a majority of the votes cast upon such ordinance or

amendment to this Student Constitution, and not otherwise,


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and shall not be required to receive a majority of the electors

voting at such plebiscite. Such ordinance or amendment to

this Student Constitution shall be operative on and after the

tenth (10th) calendar day after the plebiscite at which it is

approved: Provided, That

1. Amendments to this Student Constitution must bevoted upon by the students of all campuses of the

Bulacan State University System;

2. No ordinance or amendment to this StudentConstitution approved by a vote of the students

shall be amended or repealed by any Central

Student Council or Local Student Council;

3. If conflicting ordinances or amendments to thisStudent Constitution initiated or referred to by the

students shall be approved by a majority of the

votes severally cast for and against the same at thesame plebiscite, the one receiving the highest

number of affirmative votes shall become law; and

4. No limitation shall be placed upon the number ofordinances or amendments to this Student

Constitution which may be proposed and

submitted to the students by either initiative or

referendum.

(4) No ordinance shall be passed to prohibit

circulation of petitions for initiative or referendum, nor in

any manner interfering with the freedom of the students inprocuring petitions; but ordinances shall be enacted

prohibiting and penalizing perjury, forgery, and all other

felonies or other fraudulent practices, in the securing of

signatures or filing of petitions.

(5) No ordinance shall be enacted to restrict, hamper

or impair the exercise of the rights herein reserved to the

students.

Section 19. The legislative power of the

Central Student Council shall extend to the followingauthority: enacting ordinances or adopting resolutions that

wi ll promote the genera l welfare of students; formulat ing and

implementing programs, projects and activities; establishing

rules and regulations promoting student discipline and

conduct; establishing the operational mechanisms of the

Central Student Council to ensure efficient and effective


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delivery of services; enacting rules and regulations on the

basis of specific authorization contained in, and for the

purpose of implementing, the provisions of this Student

Constitution; chartering all student organizations under its

juri sdiction and revoking or suspending such charters or

requiring any student organization to change its constitution,bylaws or practice to conform to this Student Constitution

and Central Student Council legislation; recommending by

resolution to the proper University officials any action or

policy that the Central Student Council deems to be in the

best interests of the student body; conducting oversight

hearings and investigations on any matter affecting the

student body; establishing rules for the operation of its

internal business; reviewing and approving the Central

Student Council annual and supplemental budgets; levying

fees and charges applicable in the entire campus; establishingits own visual identity; and enacting legislation pursuant to

its power, unless prohibited by this Student Constitution.

Section 20.The legislative power of the Local

Student Council shall extend to the following and shall be

effective only in the college of its jurisdiction: developing and

implementing programs, projects and activities that promote

the welfare of the students under its jurisdiction; exercising

participatory governance thereby enabling students to take

part in the decision-making processes at the local level;establishing an organization that shall be responsible for the

efficient and effective implementation of its plans, program

objectives and priorities; creating its own sources of revenues;

levying fees and charges not exceeding the amount set by the

Central Student Council, and such charges and fees shall

accrue exclusively for the use and disposition of the Local

Student Council and which shall be retained by it;

negotiating and securing financial grants or donations in-

kind, in support of its objectives without necessity of

securing clearance or approval therefor from the CentralStudent Council; establishing its own visual identity; and

enacting policies and ordinances that will promote the

interests of the college and its students.

Section 21.Local Student Councils have the right to legislate insofar as

this Student Constitution does not confer legislative power


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on the Central Student Councils. In matters within the

exclusive legislative power of the Central Student Councils,

the Local Student Councils have power to legislate only

where and to the extent that they are given such explic it

authorization by this Student Constitution.

Section 22.Where there is inconsis tency

between an ordinance or any official act of the Central

Student Council and the Local Student Council, the question

shall be submitted to the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal for

decision.

Section 23. Legislative powersnot granted in this Student Constitution to either the Central

Student Councils or to the Local Student Councils are powers

reserved to the Local Student Councils.

Section 24. (1) Legislativemeasures of either the Central Student Council or the Local

Student Council shall be promulgated in resolutions and

ordinances. A resolution is a an expression of the collectiveopinion of the Central Student Council or the Local Student

Council, as the case may be, and an ordinance is a statute

enacted with the force of law, with general application and

has permanent effect unless repealed, superseded or modified

by another ordinance.

(2) Proposed ordinances and resolutions to be

introduced in the plenary of the Central Student Council orthe Local Student Council, as the case may be, for reference

to committees shall be in writing, shall bear the name and

signature of the author or co-authors, if any, shall have an

explanatory note, shall contain an assigned number, a title or

caption, an enacting or ordaining clause, and shall be filed

wi th the Secretary of the Centra l Student Council or the

Local Student Council, as the case may be, for inclusion in its

Order of Business. Any piece of legislation proposed to the

Central Student Council or the Local Student Council, as the

case may be, or to any of its committees shall be sponsored byat least one (1) Senator or at least one (1) Class Mayor, as the

case may be. No person or entity shall be considered a

sponsor of legislation who is not a Senator or a Class Mayor.

The sponsor or sponsors of a piece of legislation should be

only those parties intimately involved in the drafting,

creation, and innovation of the given legislation. Sponsorship


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may be withdrawn at any time until voting begins on the

legislation.

(3) Proposed ordinances shall be read at least three (3)

times on separate sessions, viz.:

1. The first reading of proposed ordinances shall bewhen the ti tles thereof are read in a session andreferred to the corresponding standing committee

for consideration and public hearing. A public

hearing for a proposed ordinance by a Local

Student Council must be attended by at least

twenty per cent (20%) of the total number of

students of the college, and a public hearing for a

proposed ordinance by a Central Student Council

must be attended by at least ten per cent (10%) of

the total number of students of every college in the

campus. During the public hearing, the proposedordinance shall be deliberated upon and put into a

vote. If a majority of the students and the members

of the committee present are in favor of the

proposed ordinance, it shall pass the first reading

and thereafter be subjected to a second reading;

otherwise, the proposed ordinance shall be

relegated to the archives and deliberations thereon

shall be postponed indefinitely.

2. The second reading shall be when the proposedordinance after review of the standing committeeand public hearing are sponsored by the

chairperson of the standing committee wherein the

proposed ordinance was referred to, and submitted

for debate, consideration of, and amendment by,

the plenary of the Central Student Council or the

Local Student Council, as the case may be. No

provision of the proposed ordinance which was

either amended or stricken out during the public

hearing shall be reinstated in its original form; and

3. The third reading shall be when after having beenapproved on second reading, the proposed

ordinance in final form is submitted for the final

vote of the plenary.

(4) An ordinance or re solution shal l pass the second

and third readings by the vote of the simple majority of the

Senators for the Central Student Council or of the Class


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Mayors for the Local Student Council present during a

session, there being a quorum. An ordinance authorizing or

directing the payment of money or creating liability shall

require the affirmative vote of the qualified majority of all

Senators or all Class Mayors, as the case may be.

Section 25. (1) Al lordinances of the Central Student Council shall be signed by

the President, the Vice President and the concurring

Senators, certified by the Secretary as to its authenticity and

attested by the Adviser to the Central Student Council so as

to declare that the ordinance is passed in a session.

Ordinances shall be forwarded to the University President or

campus administrator, whichever is applicable, for review and

approval. When the University President or campus

administrator, whichever is applicable, fails to declare an

ordinance approved or disapproved within fifteen (15)working days after receip t thereof, the ordinance shal l be

deemed valid and in effect.

(2) Al l ordinances of the Local Student Council shal lbe signed by the Governor, the Vice Governor, and the

concurring Mayors, certified by the Secretary as to its

authenticity and attested by the Adviser to the Local Student

Council for approval of the Dean of the College. When the

Dean of the College fails to declare an ordinance approved or

disapproved within fifteen (15) working days after receipt

thereof, the ordinance shall be deemed valid and in effect.Section 26.

The Central Student Council shall meet in regular session

at least once a month, the day and time of which shall be

designated by the Central Student Council. In case the

session falls under a non-working holiday, it shall be held on

the following working day. The President may postpone, after

consultation with the Vice President, the holding of the

session due to force majeure or the occurrence of an

emergency which may prevent the convening of the Central

Student Council. All sessions shall be held in a public venue.When student in terest so demands, special sessions may be

called by the President or Vice President or by any two (2)

Senators: Provided, That a written notice shall be served

personally. Unless otherwise concurred in by the majority of

Senators present, there being a quorum, no other matters may

be considered at a special session except those stated in the


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notice. No two (2) sessions, regular or special, may be held in

a single day.

Section 27.Al l sessions of the Local Student Counci l shal l be made in

public, to be held at least once a week, at the time, day and

place it shall designate. Official actions of the Local StudentCouncil shall be enacted by the majority of the Class Mayors

present in a session, there being a quorum. The journal of the

session shall be submitted to the Central Student Council.

When student in terest so demands, special sessions may be

called by the Governor or Vice Governor or by any five (5)

Class Mayors: Provided, That a written notice shall be served

personally. Unless otherwise concurred in by the majority of

Class Mayors present, there being a quorum, no other matters

may be considered at a special session except those stated in

the notice. No two (2) sessions, regular or special, may beheld in a single day.

Section 28. (1) A majori ty of al lSenators who have been elected and qualified shall constitute

a quorum to transact official business in the Central Student

Council, and a majority of all Class Mayors who have been

elected and qualified shall constitute a quorum to transact

official business in the Local Student Council.

(2) Where there is no quorum, no business shal l be

transacted. The presiding officer, upon proper motion duly

approved by those present, shall then declare the sessionadjourned for lack of quorum.

Section 29. (1) The Order ofBusiness in every session shall be a s follows:

1. Call to order2. Roll call3. Invocation4. National Anthem5. Reading and approval of the minutes of the

previous session

6. Reference of business and first readinga. Messages and correspondenceb. Communications and petitionsc. First reading and reference to committees of:

i. Proposed ordinancesii . Proposed resolutions

7. Committee reports


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8. Calendar of business for second readinga. Unfinished businessb. Business for the day

9. Proposed ordinances and resolutions for thirdreading

10.Other matters11.Adjournment(2) The Unfinished Business shall refer to a list of

items that have been left unacted upon, postponed or left

unfinished during the previous session; and the Business for

the Day shall refer to a list of items for discussion or

decision of the plenary in the present session.

(3) The Order of Business for every session shall beprepared by the Secretary and reviewed by the Chairperson of

the Committee on Rules and Privileges; and copies thereof

shall be distributed to the presiding officer, and the Senatorsor the Class Mayor, as the case may be, at least three (3)

calendar days prior to a session.

Article IV

Judicial and Electoral Tribunal

Section 30. (1) There shall be anindependent, autonomous and nonpartisan Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal in the entire Bulacan State University

System. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall becomposed of seven (7) Members who are currently enrolled in

the Bulacan State University, the appointment of which is as

follows: three (3) Members appointed by the Dean of the

College of Law who shall be full-time students of the College

of Law who have completed at least one (1) full year of law

curriculum; two (2) Members appointed by the University

President who shall be full-time students of the University;

and two (2) Members appointed by the Dean of the College

of Science and Philosophy who shall be full-time accounting

students who have completed at least one (1) full year ofaccountancy curriculum. The Dean of the College of Law

shall serve as Adviser to the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal.

(2) The Members of the Judicial and ElectoralTribunal shall elect a Chancellor and such other officers from

among themselves to serve a term of one (1) year with

reelection. The Chancellor shall exercise sole administrative


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power over the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal; make

appointments as deemed necessary; certify the disbursement

of funds; and preside over the sessions of the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal.

Section 31. Each Member of theJudicial and Elec toral Tribunal shal l serve office during goodbehavior, which shall terminate upon graduation from the

Bulacan State University, death, resignation, or removal from

office.

Section 32. TheJudicial and Elec toral Tr ibunal shal l exercise jurisdiction over

all cases of interpretation of the Student Constitution and

any legislation; any dispute between Central Student

Councils or Local Student Councils, or between any organ of

the Student Government and the students; any dispute in

which both part ies consent to the juri sdiction of the Judicialand Electoral Tribunal; all cases of impeachment against

officers of the Central Student Council or the Local Student

Councils; regular review of all book of accounts of the

Central Student Council and the Local Student Councils; and

investigations against any officer of the Central Student

Council or Local Student Councils. The Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal may, at its own initiative or upon

application by any person, conduct investigation against any

officer of the Student Government.

Section 33. TheJudicial and Electoral Tribunal shal l administer al l elections

and plebiscites in the Bulacan State University System;

promulgate rules and regulations on the conduct of such

election and plebiscite pursuant to this Constitution; decide

on all cases of eligibility of candidates and parties, electoral

complaints and the kind; and designate inferior electoral

tribunals in all campuses to conduct, in its behalf and under

its supervision, such election or plebiscite, as it may deem

necessary.

Section 34. (1) Members of theJudicial and Electora l Tribunal may not run for any elective

office in the Central Student Council and the Local Student

Council or as Class Officer during their term, nor may they

serve on the campaign of any candidate. If a Member wishes

to run for any position, he/she must resign from the Judicial

and Electoral Tribunal before the beginning of the


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campaigning period for that particular election or else will be

deemed ineligible for candidacy in that election.

(2) No person shall be appointed Member of the

Judicial and Elec toral Tribunal who is a member of any

student political party or who has served in any elective

position in the Central Student Council or the Local StudentCouncil within three (3) years prior to appointment.

(3) No person shall be appointed in the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal who has affiliation with any Fascist, Nazi

or Communist movement, party or organization, or any

organization that promotes the overthrow of the legally and

democratically installed government.

Section 35. Within sixty (60)working days af ter the commencement of every academic

year, the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall adopt, review

or amend its rules of procedure to govern its proceedings;copies of which shall be furnished all Central Student

Councils and Local Student Councils.

Article V

Local Student Councils

Section 36. There shall beconstituted in every college a Local Student Council to be

composed of a Governor, a Vice Governor, and all Class

Mayors as Members.Section 37.

(1) The Local Student Councils

are equal political subdivisions of the Student Government

and their self-governing nature shall be protected at all times.

The Local Student Councils shall be vested with the

autonomy and authority that will enable them to perform

their functions efficiently and effectively, to attain their full

potential as self-reliant units, and to collaborate with the

entire Student Government in achieving common goals for

their mutual benefit. Toward these ends, the Local StudentCouncils and the students shall exercise initiative,

resourcefulness and the will to assume the responsibilities of

self-governance and cooperation. A liberal statutory

construction shall be given to the powers and functions of

Local Student Councils.


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(2) Local Student Councils shall perform tasks and

exercise powers not reserved by this Student Constitution to

the Central Student Councils or other organs of government.

The Local Student Councils shall support their respective

Central Student Council in maintaining the integrity and

interdependence of the Student Government, and shallcomply with and enforce this Student Constitution.

Section 38.Governors and Vice Governors shall be elected on

the second Monday of February each year. Class Mayors and

such other Class Officers shall be elected within the first

month of the commencement of each semester, the date

thereof shall be assigned by the Judicial and Electoral

Tribunal.

(2) Governors and Vice Governors shall, before they

enter into the execution of their office, take an oath of officebefore the President of the Central Student Council. Class

Officers shall take the same oath before the Governor.

Section 39. (1) Each

college shall elect a Governor and Vice Governor. The vote of

the Governor shall be the vote of the Vice Governor of the

same ticket; hence, on the ballot, only the position of

Governor shall appear. The ticket who shall receive the

highest number of votes shall be proclaimed elected. The

Governor and Vice Governor shall hold office during theterm of one (1) year to commence on the second Monday of

March immediately after the election.

(2) The Class Officers shall be elected in each section;the candidate who shall receive the highest number of votes

shall be proclaimed elected. They shall assume office upon

election to serve a term of one (1) semester subject for

reelection.

Section 40. (1) In case a

permanent vacancy in the office of the Governor occurs, theVice Governor shall become Governor, and a Vice Governor

shall be elected by the Mayors from among themselves. In

case both offices of the Governor and Vice Governor become

permanently vacant, the Mayors shall elect from among

themselves a Governor and Vice Governor to serve the

unexpired term.


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(2) If a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of

Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall become Mayor, followed by the

Secretary and Treasurer. Permanent vacancy in the office of

Treasurer shall be filled by election of the students of the

class.

Section 41. (1) The Governor shallbe the chief executive and presiding officer of the Local

Student Council of the College.

(2) As chief executive , the Governor shal l exercise

general supervision and control over all programs, projects,

services, and activities of the Local Student Council; enforce

all ordinances enacted by the Central Student Council and

the Local Student Council; direct the formulation of the

annual Local Student Council Annual Plan of Action and

upon approval thereof by the Local Student Council,

implement the same; represent the Local Student Council inall its business transactions and sign in its behalf all bonds,

contracts, and obligations, and such other documents upon

authority of the Local Student Council by resolution; ensure

that all Members of the Local Student Council and all Class

Officers faithfully discharge their duties and functions, and

cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings

against any Member of the Local Student Council and Class

Officer who may have committed an offense in the

performance of his/her official duties; submit to the President

of the Central Student Council, the Dean of the College, andthe University President an annual report containing a

summary of all matters pertinent to the management,

administration and development of the Local Student

Council and all information and data relative to its

conditions; and sign all warrants drawn on the treasury for all

expenditures appropriated for the operation of the Local

Student Council.

(3) As pres iding officer, the Governor shal l pr eserve

order and decorum during sessions; decide all questions of

order, subject to appeal of any Member of the Local StudentCouncil in accordance with the internal rules of procedure;

attest and sign all acts, ordinances, resolutions, memorials,

writs is sued by, or upon order of the Local Student Council;

and vote to break a tie.

Section 42. (1) The ViceGovernor shall, during the absence of the Governor, perform


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(2) As Member of the Local Student Council, the

Class Mayor shall initiate and propose legislative measures to

the Local Student Council and as often as may be deemed

necessary; prepare, introduce and work for the passage of

legislative measures to effectively address student needs and

concerns; attend plenary sessions and meetings of committeesof which they are members or where their proposed legislative

measures are under consideration; participate actively in

deliberations on legislative measures; articulate faithfully the

demands and interests of their constituencies that are affected

by proposed legislative measures or by conditions, issues and

concerns requiring legislative action; and perform such other

actions as may be lawful and necessary to ensure the swift

passage of legislative measures needed to effectively address

student needs and promote development, as well as the

efficient and timely conduct of legislative oversight.Section 45. The Class Vice

Mayor shall assist together with other Class Officers the

Class Mayor in planning, organizing, and implementing class

programs, projects and activities. In the absence of the Class

Mayor, the Class Vice Mayor shall exercise the powers and

duties of the Class Mayor; and accomplish such other duties

that may stipulated by the internal rules of procedure of the

Local Student Council.

Section 46. The ClassSecretary shall maintain legible and accurate minutes of everymeeting of the Class Officers and of the class, and submit

copies of the same to the Local Student Council; prepare and

keep all correspondence and letters; have custody of all

records and files; and accomplish such other duties that may

stipulated by the internal rules of procedure of the Local

Student Council.

Section 47. The ClassTreasurer shall have custody of all funds of the class; report

on the financial status of the class; collect dues and other

fees; arrange for and manage all publicity and advertisements;prepare and conduct fundraising activities; devise ways and

means of financing any and all class program, projects

activities and events that require fund; and accomplish such

other duties that may stipulated by the internal rules of

procedure of the Local Student Council.


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Section 48.The Local Student Council shall, by the vote of the majority

of all its Members, elect a member of the faculty of the

college as Adviser to the Local Student Council.

Section 49. The classadviser shall automatically be the Adviser to the ClassOfficers.

Section 50. On thefirst regular session following the election of the Local

Student Council and within twenty (20) working days

thereafter, the Local Student Council shall adopt or update

its existing internal rules of procedure, which shall include:

1. The specific duties and functions of the Governor,Vice Governor and Class Officers in addition to

those stated in this Student Constitution, except

those explicitly prohibited thereby;2. The organization of the Local Student Council

including the appointment of a secretary, treasurer

and such other officers; the creation of standing

committees which shall include, but shall not be

limited to, the committees on rules and privileges,

appropriations, student rights and welfare, physical

and infrastructure development, student

development and empowerment, and student

conduct; the general jurisdiction of each

committee; the election of the chairperson andmembers of each committee; and the creation of

special committees; and

3. The order of business for each session, legislativeprocess and parliamentary procedures.

Article VI

Civic, Political and Electoral Participation

Section 51. Itshall be the duty and obligation of every student toparticipate actively in public and civic affairs of the Student

Government, and to contribute to good governance, honesty

and integrity in the public service and the vitality and

viability of democracy in the Student Government. Students

shall enhance their civic efficiency and political effectiveness

by their involvement in student organizations or student


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political parties, as well as in discussions on student issues

and concerns.Section 52.

The Student Government shall ensure

freedom for the creation and functioning of organizations of

students, student movements, and other student voluntaryassociations, and its autonomy shall be respected and

guaranteed at all times.

Section 53.(1) The Student

Government and student organizations shall be entities

separate from each other, and the relationship between the

Student Government and student organizations shall be based

on the principle of respect for their autonomy and the mutual

independence of each in its own sphere, as well as on the

principle of cooperation for the individual and the commongood.

(2) No person who is elected officer of any studentorganization shall at the same time serve office in the Central

Student Council, the Local Student Council or the Judicial

and Electoral Tribunal. Any officer of a student organization

who is elec ted in any of fice of the Central Student Counci l or

the Local Student Council or appointed in the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal shall be deemed resigned from the student

organization.

Section 54. Student organizations that foster violence or whose aim is the

overthrow of the democratically installed government or

provide for the secrecy of their own structure or membership

shall be forbidden.

Section 55. The application and approval procedures of student

organizations shall be established by the University Office of

Student Organizations: Provided, That as part of therequirements, student organizations shall be chartered by the

Central Student Council to ensure that the constitution andbylaws thereof conform with this Student Constitution, and

that the purposes of such student organization do not conflict

wi th this Student Constitution.

Section 56. Studentpolitical parties are organizations that enable their members

and the party to select candidates for public office, to


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mobilize support for their election, to shape and influence

public opinion and educate the students politically, and to

determine the principles, policies and program that will guide

their members as they and the student political party seek and

exercise governmental power.

Section 57. An open partysystem shall be adopted in all campuses of the Bulacan State

University and, as entities separate from student

organizations, the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall have

sole power to recognize official student political parties, as

follows:

1. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall accept allapplications for recognition of student political

parties, which shall be open in the entire academic

year.

2. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall review anapplication in a public hearing to be called for that

purpose, and recognize the official student political

parties in the campus having clear platforms of

governmet, constitutions and organizational

structures: Provided, That a student political party

in the Malolos Campus shall not have less than two

hundred (200) student-members, and that every

student political party in Bustos, Meneses and

Sarmiento Campuses and in such other campus

that may be established shall not have less thanfifty (50) student-members.

3. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall declarethe recognized and official student political parties,

which shal l have the sole right to fi eld candidates

for President, Vice President, Senator, Governor

and Vice Governor.

4. Recognition shall be valid for five (5) years subjectto renewal. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal

may revoke the recognition of such official student

political parties for culpable violation of thisStudent Constitution, insufficient number of

members, and failure to field candidates in two (2)

successive campus-wide elections.

5. No student political party shall be recognizedwhose programs are based upon totali tarian

methods and the modes of activity of Nazism,


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Fascism and Communism, as well as those whose

programs or activities sanction racial or national

hatred, or the application of violence for the

purpose of obtaining power or influencing state or

government policy.

Section 58. Any member ofan official student political party who changes party

affiliation after being nominated by the party shall be deemed

to have committed political turncoatism. Political

turncoatism shall be penalized by the Judicial and Electoral

Tribunal through the following: forfeiture of office if an

elected official changes his/her political party affiliation

during his/her incumbency; disqualification from running for

any elective position in the next election immediately

following the act of changing political party affiliation;

prohibition from being appointed or from holding anyposition in any office of the Central Student Council or Local

Student Council; and prohibition from assuming any

executive or administrative position in his/her new political

party. This provision shall apply after the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal have fulfilled the first recognition

proceedings of student political parties after the ratification

this Student Constitution.

Section 59.(1 ) No person

except a student of the Bulacan State University campuswherein he/she shal l be elected shall be el ig ible to the of fice of

President or Vice President, and, in case of the office of

Senator, Governor and Vice Governor, a student of the college

which he/she shall represent; ne ither shal l any person be el ig ible

to any of those offices who is not enrolled in the University or

who shal l graduate from the campus on the next academic year

prior to the commencement or completion of his/her term.(2 ) No person shall be elected to the office of the

President more than once, and no person who has held the

office of President, or acted as President, for more than five (5)months of a term to which some other person was elected

President shall thereafter be elected to the office of the

President. No person shall be elected to the office of Senator

more than twice.

(3) No person shall be elected Class Officer who is nota student of the section in which he/she shall be elected.


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(4) No person shall serve more than one (1) elective

office in the Central Student Council or in the Local Student

Council or as Class Officer at the same time.

(5) No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of

public money, bribery, forgery or other infamous violation of

University rules and regulation and the laws of the Republicof the Philippines shall be eligible to the Student

Government or capable of holding any office of trust in the

Student Government.

Section 60. Within sixty (60)working days upon ratification of this Student Constitution,

the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall promulgate an

election code that shall regulate and guide all official student

political parties, all election acts and electoral procedure

including a system of initiative and referendum.

Article VII

Accountability and Disciplinary Action

Section 61. (1)A President, Vice President, Senator, Governor, Vice

Governor and any Member of the Judicial and Electoral

Tribunal shall be removed from office upon conviction by the

Judicial and Elec toral Tribunal of culpable violation of this

Student Constitution, dishonesty, graft and corruption, and

gross negligence of duty.(2) For the same reasons, Class Officers shall be

removed from office by two-thirds (2/3) vote of all students

of the section.

Section 62. Written charges ofimpeachment shall be filed with the Judicial and Electoral

Tribunal and may be brought by any student. A public

impeachment hearing shall be conducted, and the vote of

two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership of the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal shall be neces sary for conviction.

Section 63. Conviction in cases ofimpeachment shall extend to removal from office, and

disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of the Central

Student Council, the Local Student Council and the Judicial

and Electoral Tribunal or any student organization. An

impeachment, whether successful or not, shall be no bar to an

indictment.


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Article VIII

Finance

Section 64. Funds of the Central StudentCouncil, the Local Student Councils and the Judicial andElectoral Tribunal shall accrue from Student Government

fees and other revenues generated from fundraising activities,

donations, and grants.

Section 65. To ensure fairand equitable sharing of revenues, the distribution of funds

shall be as follows:

1. The University Office of Administration andFinance shall allocate each Local Student Council

fifty per cent (50%) of the total Student

Government fees collected from its college.2. After deducting the al location for al l Loca l Student

Councils, twenty per cent (20%) of the total

remainder of the Student Government fees shall be

apportioned by the University Office of

Administra tion and Finance to the Judicial and

Electoral Tribunal, and the rest to the Central

Student Councils, as follows:

a. Population For every campus populationof ten thousand (10,000) students, a Central

Student Council shall receive ten per cent(10%); however, should there be a campus

wi th a population not exceeding ten

thousand (10,000) students, the Central

Student Council thereof shall nevertheless

be entitled to ten per cent (10%); and

b. Equal sharing The remainder shall bedistributed evenly to all Central Student

Councils of all campuses.

Section 66. Funds shall be availableexclusively for the specific purpose for which they have beenappropriated. All disbursements shall be supported by an

approved appropriations ordinance, and no money shall be

appropriated, used, or paid for entertainment or reception

purposes. No money shall be paid on account of any contract

under which no services have been rendered or goods

delivered. No ordinance shall be passed granting honoraria to


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the officers and members of the Central Student Council and

the Local Student Councils.

Section 67. No fees and chargesshall be levied without the consent of the governed and such

consent shall be determined by means of public hearings or

by plebiscite, whichever is applicable.Section 68. (1) Each Central

Student Council and Local Student Council shall, within the

first semester of each year but not later than the 31 st day of

August, enact an annual plan of action and annual

appropriations ordinance, which shall contain the programs,

projects and activities intended for the entire year and their

corresponding budgetary appropriations in line item:

Provided, That maintenance and other operating expenses

shall not exceed thirty per cent (30%) of the total

appropriations and the remaining seventy per cent (70%)shall be allocated for programs, projects, activities and capital

outlays.

(2) The appropriations shall be based on the statementof sources of funds available issued by the University Office

of Administration and Finance.

(3) The annual plan of action and annualappropriations ordinance shall be passed in the same manner

as that of any ordinance with the Committee on

Appropriations as proponent; however, such Ordinance shal l

require submission to the University Office of Administrationand Finance for certification, in this style: Certified funds

available. Thereafter, it shall be submitted to the University

President or the College Dean, as the case may be, for

approval.Section 69. A supplemental

budget may be enacted by ordinance in times of emergency

by way of budgetary realignment to set aside appropriations

for the purchase of supplies and materials or the payment of

services which are exceptionally urgent or absolutely

indispensable. Such ordinance shall clearly indicate thesources of funds available for appropriations, as certified by

the University Office of Administration and Finance, and the

various items of appropriations affected and the reasons for

the change.

Section 70. Unexpended balances ofappropriations authorized in the annual appropriations


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ordinance shall revert to the unappropriated surplus of the

general fund of the Central Student Council or Local Student

Council concerned at the end of the academic year and shall

not thereafter be available for the expenditure except by

subsequent legislation. However, appropriations for capital

outlays shall continue and remain valid until fully spent,reverted or the project is completed.

Section 71. All disbursements, checksand orders of payment shall be signed by the President for the

Central Student Council or by the Governor for the Local

Student Council, the Central Student Council or the Local

Student Council Treasurer, and the Central Student Council

or the Local Student Council chairperson of the Committee

on Appropriations.

Section 72. The Judicial and ElectoralTribunal shall require an audit of Central Student Counciland Local Student Council finances on the month of March

of every year, and the books, accounts, papers, and cash kept

by the Treasurer of the Central Student Council or the Local

Student Council shall at all times be open for inspection by

the Judicial and Electoral Tribunal or its duly authorized

representative.

Section 73. The Treasurer of the Central Student

Council or the Local Student Council shall, within ten (10)

days from the end of each semester, post in at least three (3)publicly accessible and conspicuous places in the campus or

the college a summary of all funds received and the

appropriations and disbursements of such funds during the

preceding semester.

Article IX

Amendments

Section 74. This Student Constitutionmay be amended by initiative or referendum of the studentsof all campuses of the Bulacan State University System as

provided for in Section 18, Article III of this Student

Constitution.

Section 75. No amendment shall beintroduced within five (5) years after the ratification of this

Constitution.


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ARTICLEX

Final Provisions

Section 76. The mode ofelection of the President, Vice President, Senators, Governorsand Vice Governors, as mandated in this Student

Constitution, shall be observed beginning on the election in

the year 2013.

Section 77. Budgetingprocesses prescribed in this Student Constitution shall be

implemented beginning on the first semester of the year

2013.

Section 78.Within sixty (60) working days

upon the effectivity of this Student Constitution, the CentralStudent Council shall review the constitution and bylaws of

all student organizations to ensure conformity with this

Student Constitution. Should any conflict arise, the Central

Student Council may revoke the charter of the student

organization or recommend amendments thereto. The Office

of Student Organization shall, upon recommendation of the

Central Student Council, revoke the accreditation of any

student organization whose purposes or programs shall be

found prohibited by this Student Constitution.

Section 79. The Judicial and Electoral Tribunal shall conduct the first

recognition procedure of student political parties on the

month of January 2013 next following the ratification of this

Student Constitution.

Section 80.The Laboratory High School is a separate and

autonomous entity, and it shall establish its own constitution;

its own student government; its own budgeting practices and

procedures; and its own judicial, administrative and electoral

systems. The Central Student Council and all otherinstitutions established in this Constitution shall have no

power and authority over the student government of the

Laboratory High School and all offices that it may create. No

ordinance or amendment to this Student Constitution shall

be passed infringing or abridging the powers and autonomy


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of the student government of the Laboratory High School,

and its independence shall at all times be guaranteed.

Section 81. Al l previousconstitutions, issuances, ordinances, codes, rules and

regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent or in

conflict with the provisions of this Student Constitution arehereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 82. This Student Constitutionshall take effect beginning on its ratification.

Proposed Revision to the Student Constitution

Documents

Transcript of Proposed Revision to the Student Constitution