IF COLLEGE-BASED organizations have the Student Activity Fund to support them, then what do university-wide organizations have?
“None, most of our money come from sponsors and alumni donations,” Teatro Tomasino artistic director Niña Belle Gavan said.
The theater group celebrates its 30th year in September and it plans to produce plays that center on Filipino values and traditions, a departure from its usual social- and gender- themed productions.
Gavan said since the company does not receive subsidy from the administration, it usually taps sponsors and donors.
Teatro Tomasino collects a membership fee of P100 per year and this can only cover the internal expenses of the organization such as the membership card, reservation fee for venues, props, costumes and other theater materials.
The same story goes for the Central Pax Romana.
“We get contributions from the funds of our local units,” Central Pax Romana president Lloyd Cascabel said. The local units get funds to the local school’s Student Activity Fund.
Aside from serving Masses, the Central Pax also organizes outreach programs and medical missions.
But Center for Campus Ministry (CCM) director Fr. Ramon Salibay, O.P. said Pax Romana activities receive financial backing from the CCM.
“We support the student religious organizations of the University,” Salibay said. “But primarily, Central Pax depends on the funds of its local units.”
Despite reaping numerous recognitions and awards, the Thomasian Debaters Council (TDC) is still hard-pressed to finance its participation in debate jousts.
TDC collects an annual membership fee of P250. It had requested for subsidy for the Office of Student Affairs.
“The proposed subsidy is very important to us since not all debate teams could afford to pay tournament fees,” TDC internal vice president Joan Kristi Zaldivar said.
But OSA did not grant TDC accreditation this year because of failing to send a representative to the OSA-led leadership seminar-workshop, which is a prerequisite for re-accreditation.
“We will be having a hard time working out our activities until OSA recognizes us as a student organization once more,” Zaldivar told the Varsitarian. “We cannot compete outside the campus carrying the name of the University until we are re-accredited.”
Accreditation lane
Student organizations may apply for accreditation or re-accreditation every year by OSA and the Student Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC).
College-based organizations applying for the first time must submit their application forms to OSA with a written consent from the Student Welfare and Development Board (SWDB) coordinator of the faculty, college or institute. University-wide organizations may submit their applications directly to OSA.
The organization applying for accreditation should have at least 50 members. Annually the OSA sets a deadline for the submission of applications and requirements. Applicants are required to attend the summer leadership seminars of the OSA, SOCC adviser Anita Garcia said.
They are also required to submit a copy of their constitution which must be ratified by the members, duly signed by the president and noted by the adviser. For college-based organization the constitution should be endorsed by the SWDB coordinator and approved by the dean or director, and the regent.
In applying for re-accreditation, an organization must present a financial report, its membership profile, list of activities, and performance evaluation.
The performance evaluation consists of its compliance with the rules and regulations of the University, as well as the community development programs it has organized, and its achievements in and out of the University. Jonathan Eli A. Libut and Carla Rose R. Malupeng
