Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

(University of the City of Manila)

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Intramuros, Manila

CONSTITUTION OF THE GSHS STUDENT COUNCIL

PREAMBLE
We, students of the PLM Graduate School of Health Sciences, bonded by
the commitment of serving the interests of the studentry and the Filipino people,
determined to promote and protect the people’s rights and welfare especially the
right to health and education, unite ourselves with the studentry and the
Filipino people in the pursuit of a truly just, free and democratic society, do
hereby ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Article 1.
Name and Nature of the Organization

Section 1. The organization shall be known as Graduate School of Health Sciences Student Council

Section 2. The organization shall based in the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – Graduate
School of Health Sciences.

Section 3. The organization shall serve as the supreme governing body of the studentry of the PLM-
GSHS.

Article 2.
Contextual Definitions

Section 1. The following terminologies shall be defined in this constitution as follows:

1.1 “University” pertains to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

1.2 “Graduate School” and / or “College” pertains to the PLM Graduate School of Health
Sciences
1.3 “Organization” and / or “Council” refers to GSHS Student Council
1.4 “Studentry” and / or “Students” pertain to the students of the GSHS
1.5 “General Assembly” or “GA” refers to the highest governing body of the GSHS
Student Council which includes all of the members
1.6 “Executive Committee” or “Execom” pertains to the elected officials of the Student
Council
1.7 “Quorum” pertains to 50% + 1 of all members of the General Assembly or the
Committees, as the case may be
1.8 “Majority vote” pertains to a vote of 50% + 1 of the members present in a meeting
1.9 “Plurality vote” pertains to vote of 75% + 1 of the members present in a meeting

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 Article 3.
Declaration of Principles

Section 1. GSHS Student Council believes in the biopsychosocial and spiritual nature of man. As
such, the Council shall forevermore strive to be responsive to the dynamic and multi-
faceted needs of its members.

Section 2. GSHS Student Council believes that Nursing education is a continuous, lifelong process
that ultimately leads to self-actualization and must benefit humanity.

Section 3. GSHS Student Council believes that camaraderie and good will among the studentry must
be present for the Graduate School to flourish.

Section 4. GSHS Student Council believes in upholding PLM’s tradition of academic excellence and
academic freedom

Section 5. GSHS Student Council believes that being students of one of the country’s leading
universities whose funds are derived from the coffers of the Filipino people, it is a must to
uphold their right and welfare at all times. Moreover, GSHS Student Council believes that
service should be rendered to the Filipino people in whatever way possible.
.

Article 4.
Objectives

Section 1. GSHS Student Council shall promote and protect the rights and welfare of the studentry,
especially the right to quality post-Graduate education.

Section 2. GSHS Student Council shall tap and maximize all means to help in the holistic
development of students.

Section 3. GSHS Student Council shall aid its members in their academic, social and spiritual
endeavors.

Section 4. GSHS Student Council shall periodically engage in outreach activities and shall integrate
itself with communities, especially in areas inhabited by the urban poor of Manila who are
in need of healthcare.

Section 5. GSHS Student Council shall form linkages and shall foster solidarity and cooperation with
all individuals and groups who share GSHS Student Council’s principles and objectives.

Article 5.
Membership

Section 1. All bona fide students of the PLM Graduate School of Health Sciences are members of the
General Assembly of the Council.

Section 2. Members shall have the following rights and privileges:

2.1 the right to be represented in the General Assembly

2.2 the right to be allowed to participate in all decision-making processes in the
General Assembly

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 2.3 the right to present suggestions and comments to the General Assembly which will
be beneficial to the organization
2.4 the right to be elected in any position within the organization
2.5 the right to be accorded one (1) vote in all electoral processes and decisions to be
made by the General Assembly
2.6 the right to be informed of matters of common concern
2.7 the right to access records, documents and papers pertaining to official acts,
transactions and decisions of the organization
2.8 The right to solicit any form of aid that the organization may provide
2.9 the right to avail of privileges / subsidies which maybe made available to the GSHS
Student Council

Section 3. Members shall perform the following duties:

3.1 abide by the Constitution and By-laws of the organization

3.2 attend General Assembly and Committee meetings and actively participate in the
formulation of decisions and policies.
3.3 help in implementation of the General Plan of Action, as solicited by the Executive
Committee

Article 6.
The General Assembly

Section 1. The General Assembly shall be the highest governing and policy-making body of the
organization.

Section 2. It shall be composed of all full-pledged members and shall be convened by the Executive
Committee.

Section 3. The General Assembly shall be convened as the need arises, in situations wherein the
entire studentry needs to be consulted. Such situations include, but are not limited to:

3.1 election of a new set of officers

3.2 revision of the Constitution
3.3 situations where the GSHS studentry needs to come up with a stand and / or
official statement with regard to a particular issue of local or national concern
3.4 formulation / enactment of policies that will affect the entire studentry (e.g., revision
of student council fees), per recommendation of the Dean and/or the College
Secretary

Article 7.
The Executive Committee

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary,
Finance Officer, Auditor and the Press Relations Officer.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall perform the following functions:

2.1 plan and formulate the organization’s activities
2.2 form linkages with other organizations as approved by a majority vote
2.3 create or dissolve ad hoc committees as the situation calls
2.4 implement, coordinate and monitor the program of action set by the General
Assembly

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 2.5 formulate policies, adopt resolutions and decisions in between GAs.
2.6 Call for regular and emergency meetings and prepare the agenda

Article 8.
The Duties and Functions of Officers

Section 1. The President

1.1 shall preside all meetings of the organization
1.2 shall oversee and monitor the implementation of plans and programs
1.3 shall sign all correspondences, resolutions and official statements of the organization
1.4 shall represent the organization in his/her official capacity as President in whatever
occasion and event (e.g. College Assembly, University Assembly, etc)
1.5 shall have veto power
1.6 shall perform duties necessitated by his position

Section 2. The Vice President

2.1 shall take-over the functions of the President under extraordinary circumstances as
described in Article 12
2.2 shall assist the President whenever required or requested
2.3 shall head the Disciplinary Tribunal as needed
Section 3. The Secretary
3.1 shall be responsible for the documentation and filing of all matters concerning the
organization
3.2 shall be in charge of the official minutes of meetings of the GA
3.3 shall maintain, update and arrange the files of the organization
3.4 shall prepare all correspondences and paperworks for the organization
3.5 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President

Section 4. The Finance Officer

4.1 shall act as the custodian of the organization’s funds and properties
4.2 shall prepare the budget of the organization and present it to the GA
4.3 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President

Section 5. The Auditor

5.1 shall audit financial statements produced by the Finance Officer
5.2 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President

Section 6. The Press Relations Officer

6.1 shall facilitate the dissemination of the organization’s principles, programs and stand
on issues which are of interest to the people and studentry through all possible
venues
6.2 shall ensure the effective publicity and documentation of the activities of the
organization
6.3 shall perform other duties assigned by the GA or the President

Article 9.
Elections

Section 1. There shall be an annual election of officers of the organization. This shall be held during
the Christmas Party every year.

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Section 2. Elections maybe done by viva voce or by balloting as approved by the General Assembly.

Section 3. Elections will be supervised by the outgoing Executive Committee and one the Council
Adviser.

Section 4. Protests regarding elections shall be addressed to the Council Adviser, who shall decide
over the matter.

Article 10.
Tenure of Office

Section 1. The elected officers shall take office on the first official day of the first semester of the
academic year following their election and shall hold office for one Academic Year or until
successors have been elected and qualified.

Section 2. Elections occur in December and the official start of the Tenure of Office is in June. This
lead time is for apprenticeship of the incoming set of officers, to facilitate a smooth
transition and endorsement of responsibilities

Section 3. All members of the Executive Committee shall not serve for more than two (2) consecutive
terms on the same position.

Section 4. Officers may not hold major positions in any other organization within the College and
University to prevent conflict of interest.

Article 11.
Suspension and Impeachment of Officers

Section 1. The suspension or impeachment of any officer of the organization maybe filed to the
General Assembly on any of the following grounds:
1.1 culpable violation of the Constitution and By-laws
1.2 any form of misconduct which undermines the integrity and/or reputation of the
organization
1.3 gross imprudence
1.4 gross neglect of duty
1.5 disloyalty to the organization
1.6 malversation of funds
1.7 gross non-participation in Council activities for at least one (1) semester

Section 2. Any member of the organization can file a motion for the suspension or impeachment of
an officer

Section 3. The President shall create an ad hoc Grievance Committee which will decide for the
review of the said motion. The Grievance Committee shall be composed of the President,
the Faculty adviser, one ex-officio member and two members selected from the General
Assembly. In cases wherein the President is the one being sought for impeachment, the
Vice President shall be the one to create and head the Grievance Committee.

Section 4. After proving the veracity and legitimacy of the impeachment complaint, the Grievance
Committee shall call for a special General Assembly meeting in which the members shall
decide the matter.

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Section 5. An officer shall be considered impeached or suspended upon a plurality vote of the
General Assembly.

Section 6. The duration of suspension of an officer shall be decided by the GA provided that it should
be no less than two weeks and no more than two months.

Section 7. Suspended officers shall not be allowed to exercise his powers and duties as officer and
shall not be allowed to participate in deliberations and decision-making processes.
However, he/she may still attend meetings provided that a majority of the officers present
are in agreement.

Article 12.
Extraordinary Circumstances

Section 1. Extraordinary circumstances include:

1.1 absence of the President
1.2 absence of the Committee heads
1.3 absence of a quorum in a General Assembly meeting wherein important decisions
are left pending
1.4 vacancy of positions inside the organization

Section 2. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall take over his/her functions and
duties. In the absence of both, the Secretary shall take over.

Section 3. In the absence of a Committee head, the Committee members shall select among
themselves who will act as officer-in-charge

Section 4. Vacancy of positions inside the organization may be temporary or permanent and shall be
dealt with as follows:

4.1 Temporary vacancy pertains to conditions wherein the officer cannot assume his/her
functions for reasons such as temporary physical or mental incapacity, detention and
any other reason which necessitates him/her to leave his post for awhile but will
resume office before expiration of his/her term. In cases like this, the Executive
Committee shall select who will assume the position.

4.2 Permanent vacancy pertains to conditions such as death, resignation, impeachment,

expulsion or permanent debilitation of an officer which hinders him from performing
the functions of his/her office.

4.3 A permanent vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the Vice
President. Positions other than that of the President shall be decided by the General
Assembly.

Section 5. In cases wherein there is no quorum in a General Assembly meeting and important
decisions are left pending, the Executive Committee may decide for the whole GA
provided that:

5.1 the members were well-informed that there is a meeting and important decisions are
to be deliberated on

5.2 there is a quorum among the Executive Committee, and

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 5.3 the Adviser and/or College Secretary confers with the decision made by the
Executive Committee on behalf of the GA

5.4 the abovementioned rules do not apply in cases of decisions pertaining to elections
and Constitutional amendments

Article 13.
Ad Hoc Committees

Section 1. The Executive Committee has the power to create and dissolve ad hoc committees as the
case calls for, especially if the Executive Committee needs extra hands to manage the
affairs of the Council.

Section 2. The Ad hoc Committees that maybe formed include, but are not limited to: the Finance
Committee, Publicity and Documentation Committee, Education and Research Committee
and Special Projects Committee

Section 3. The Finance Committee

3.1 shall be convened by the Finance Officer

3.2 shall be responsible for the acquisition, safekeeping and disbursement of the
organization’s funds
3.3 shall be in charge of income-generating activities for the organization as approved
by the GA
3.4 shall be responsible in the implementation of dues and fees
3.5 shall help the Finance Officer in making financial statements for the organization at
least once every Academic Year

Section 4. The Publicity and Documentation Committee

4.1 Shall be convened by the Press Relations Officer

4.2 shall disseminate information regarding the organization’s principles, activities and
position in issues.
4.3 shall be responsible for the dissemination of information to the constituents of the
organization
4.4 shall print and/or publish materials of use to the Council
4.5 shall document all activities of the organization

Section 5. The Education and Research Committee

5.1 shall be convened by the Secretary

5.2 shall have the responsibility of providing guidance and education regarding issues
to members of the organization
5.3 shall collect and collate educational materials which will be needed by the
organization in the discussion of issues
5.4 shall implement training programs geared towards intellectual, social and political
development f the members
5.5 shall undertake researches needed by the organization

Section 6. Special Projects Committee

6.1 shall be created on a project basis, per recommendation of the Executive

Committee or the GA

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 6.2 the functions of the committee shall be outlined by a resolution signed by the
Executive Committee

Section 7. The Executive Committee has the prerogative to appoint members to a given ad hoc
committee, and such appointments shall be made in writing.

Article 14.
Meetings

Section 1. Meetings of the organization shall be held as needed, provided that, the Executive
Committee shall meet no less than once every semester.

Section 2. Meetings shall be announced to the members concerned at least three days before the
day of the meeting itself. Notice of meetings should be signed by the officer calling for the
meeting, and should have with it an agenda

Section 3. Parliamentary procedures shall be utilized in conducting meetings.

Article 15.
Quorum

A simple majority of voting members (50% + 1) shall constitute a quorum. Decisions arrived by at least
the majority of the members present in a meeting where there lies a quorum shall be valid as an act of
the entire body.

Article 16.
Finances

Section 1. Sources of funds for the organization shall include student council fees, donations and
proceedings from sales and/or other income-generating activities

Section 2. The funds shall be deposited in a financial institution readily accessible to the officers
under the name PLM-GSHS Student Council

Section 3. Any financial transaction (e.g., deposits, withdrawals, check preparations) shall be signed
by the Finance Officer and the President, upon consent of the Adviser. No other member
is authorized to transact with the Council’s depository bank.

Section 4. All funds are to be considered trust funds, thus, no part of it maybe used for purposes
other those which is needed and approved by the General Assembly. Disbursement of
funds shall be made in accordance with a duly approved General Plan of Action

Section 5. The Finance Officer shall submit an official financial statement to the General Assembly at
least once every Academic Year. The Auditor shall be the one to audit the financial
statement prior to its submission to the GA.

Section 6. The balance of the organization’s fund shall be returned as funds for the succeeding term.
Endorsements between the outgoing and incoming Finance officers shall be done.

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 Article 17.
Linkages

Section 1. The General Assembly has the authority to create linkages with individuals and
organizations whose ideals and principles are congruous with that of GSHS Student
Council.

Section 2. Venturing in permanent tie-ups is perpetually prohibited; This is to ensure that the
organization shall not be subjected to external pressure and compromise with other
organizations.

Section 3. The organization acknowledges its accountability to the Administration of the Graduate
School of Health Sciences and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Article 18.
Advisership

Section 1. There shall be one Faculty Adviser from the Graduate School to be chosen by the
Executive Committee and approved by the General Assembly every academic year.

Section 2. In the absence of a duly appointed Adviser, the College Secretary of GSHS shall take the
aforementioned post

Section 3. The adviser has the following duties:

3.1 serve as liaison between the organization, and the College and University.
3.2 provide visible support for organizational activities
3.3 note and endorse all official correspondences of the organization
3.4 settle conflicts within the organization when requested by the Executive Committee

Article 19.
Amendments

Section 1. This constitution shall not be amended more than once every three Academic years.

Section 2. Amendments shall strictly follow the standard parliamentary procedure of three readings at
the Executive Committee level, followed by ratification at the General Assembly level.

Article 20.
Effectivity

This Constitution shall take effect upon the ratification of a plurality vote of the General Assembly.

X===================================================x

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On behalf of the General Assembly:

(Orig. sgd.) NICANOR ALFARO JR., R.N. (Orig. sgd.) OMAR POSADAS, R.N.
Press Relations Officer Auditor

(Orig. sgd.) TIMOTHY VAL DELA ROSA, R.N. (Orig. sgd.) JEFFREY DE GUZMAN, R.N.
Finance Officer Secretary

(Orig. sgd.) NEIL IVAN YERRO, R.N. (Orig. sgd.) RANDELLE IAN SASA, R.N.
Vice President President

Signed in the Presence of:

PROF. MA. TERESA S. ABILA DR. ALBERTO G. ROMUALDEZ, JR.

College Secretary Dean

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