THE UNIVERSITY has released a revised student handbook that now expressly covers online conduct, details disciplinary processes and appeals, and complies with new laws on sexual harassment and “safe spaces.”
Last revised in 2018, the handbook details academic and administrative processes, students’ rights and responsibilities, and rules on conduct and discipline.
The bottom line for students is mixed, according to an analysis by the Varsitarian based on a comparison of the old and new handbooks.
Students stand to benefit from improved disciplinary procedures, which give them more opportunities to mount a defense, but stringent regulation of student life, including membership in student organizations, remain.
The 2026 Student Handbook expanded the procedures governing disciplinary actions through Policy, Procedure, and Standard (PPS) No. 1032, titled “Procedures on Disciplinary Actions.”
It outlines the process for filing a complaint, issuing a notice to explain, giving students an opportunity to be heard, evaluating evidence, issuing a notice of decision, and securing the approval and finality of decisions.
There are separate sections on appeals, continuation of proceedings, academic status while a case is pending, and the issuance of certificates of good moral character, which were not specified in the 2018 handbook.
Under the provision on continuation of proceedings, disciplinary proceedings may continue even if a complaint is withdrawn, and penalties apply even if decisions are under appeal.
Moreover, students may be disqualified from holding posts in organizations because of unresolved disciplinary cases.
‘CODI,’ online offenses
The 2026 handbook also introduced a policy on gender-based sexual harassment pursuant to Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act.
It provides for the establishment of a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) required by law, and specifies procedures and penalties for handling related cases.
On fundraising, the 2026 handbook removed the restriction limiting recognized student organizations to one major fundraising event.
It also extended the deadline for submitting a financial report after an activity to 30 days from 10 days.
The list of offenses subject to disciplinary action is broader, and includes the following:
- online harassment;
- distributing indecent images;
- serious digital disrespect;
- unauthorized electronic materials;
- falsified electronic credentials;
- online publications; and
- misconduct occurring through other digital means.
Academic policies
The revised handbook introduced stricter requirements for credit transfers, capping credits from other institutions at 25% of the total curriculum and requiring a minimum grade of 84%.
Transferees must also submit a detailed portfolio containing course syllabi and completed assessments.
Students shifting programs within the same academic unit must now submit endorsements from their academic adviser and guidance counselor.
The handbook also specifies that the disqualifying limit of nine units of “unremoved” failing grades applies to General Education courses, including Physical Activities Toward Health and Fitness (PATHFIT) courses.
No student is exempt from completing PATHFIT courses, although coursework may be adapted for students with additional needs.
Filipino students with dual citizenship are required to take the National Service Training Program (NSTP), while international students and those who had completed vocational, associate or baccalaureate degrees are exempt.
Theology credits may be transferred only if completed in a member-school of the Dominican Province of the Philippines.
To qualify for honors, a student must have completed 75% of their academic units or hours in UST, adjusted downward from 76%.
The new handbook also introduces the “Pope St. John Paul II Awards,” namely the Outstanding Achievement Award in Sports and the Arts and the Tradition of Excellence in Sports Award.
While the 2018 handbook stated that the UST Graduate School followed a “different system” for academic honors, the 2026 edition incorporates the Graduate School’s grading scales for academic, research and professional tracks.
Name changes
Deans of faculties and colleges are now referred to as “academic unit heads,” while examinations are referred to as “assessment of learning.”
Campus offices and services were reorganized into eight categories:
- Student Affairs, Formation, and Engagement;
- Academic Learning and Information Resources;
- Health, Counseling and Wellness Services;
- Admissions and Academic Records;
- Information and Communications;
- Information and Communications Technology;
- Facilities, Safety and Campus Services; and
- Spiritual Formation and Pastoral Services.
The names of offices were updated. Safety and Security Services is now the Campus Safety and Security Office; the Legal Aid Clinic is now the Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion Legal Aid Clinic; UST Archives is now referred to as Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas; and ID Printing is now ID Room and Identification Card Services.
The former Counseling and Career Center was split into two offices: the Career Services and Placement Office and the Guidance and Counseling Center.
The handbook also added offices and services including the UST Hospital, Thomasian Mental Health Responders and Nutrition Clinic, as well as campus offices for the UST Manila Annex in Santa Rosa, Laguna, and UST General Santos. J.L. Ampongan, P.E.D.C. Blanco, T.S.R. Maranan
