TO ENSURE the protection of student rights, the Central Student Council (CSC) launched the Student General program last month.
Student General Committee chair Ma. Fatima de Chavez, a third-year Civil Law student, said the primary goal of the Student General is to act as the lawyer of students.
“The student general will represent students in cases and defend their rights,” she said.
The student general would function as the mediator between the administration and the student in cases. The student-general will help students act on cases and file complaints before the proper body.
However, the student generals function is limited to filing and writing the case for student-complainants and student-respondents. As to the student generals appearance as the student-complainant; or student-respondents “lawyer” during arbitration, the student handbook states that the CSCs participation in the case is optional.
De Chavez said CSC president John Voltaire Almeda is lobbying for amendments in the student handbook to allow the full participation of CSC in disciplinary cases.
De Chavez added that the student general would not overlap functions with the local student councils grievance committee. Students could still file their complaints with their local student councils, which would take the necessary action.
“The student general provides another avenue for the students grievances,” she said.
De Chavez also dismissed the notion that the CSC is under the control of the Office for Student Affairs. She added that the CSC could do anything within the bounds of the Student Handbook. Miko L. Morelos
