COMMUNICATION ARTS STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Faculty of Arts and Letters

University of Santo Tomas
España, Manila

THE CONSITUTION
PREAMBLE

We, the Communication Arts students of the University of Santo Tomas, cognizant of and
obedient to the rules and regulations of the University of Santo Tomas and the laws of the
Republic of the Philippines and imploring the aid of the Almighty God in order to establish an
organization that shall embody our principles and objectives, promote our general welfare, protect
our interests, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

ARTICLE I
NAME AND SEAL

Section 1: This organization shall be officially known as the UST Communication Arts Students’
Association and may also be referred to as CASA

Section 2: The Organization shall have its own official seal.

ARTICLE II
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

Section 1: The Organization is autonomous, democratic, and representative. Sovereignty resides

in its members.

Section 2: The Organization shall recognize and uphold the rights of every member.

Section 3: The decision of the majority as to the general welfare and the preservation of the
integrity of the Organization shall always prevail.

Section 4: The Organization shall have the right to present its official position on matters directly
affecting the general interest and concerning the welfare of its members.

ARTICLE III
DECLARATION OF OBJECTIVES

Section 1: The Organization shall be the sole representative of its members in relation with the
Administration, Student Councils, and other recognized organizations inside and outside the
university.

Section 2: The Organization shall organize its members in activities, which will promote academic
excellence, academic freedom, socio-cultural formation, civic and moral awareness, and active
participation in issues essential and important to the academic community.
 ARTICLE IV
BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 1: Every member shall have the right to participate in the activities of the Organization.

Section 2: Every member shall have the right to vote, if qualified, to run for any elective position in
the Organization.

Section 3: Every member shall have the right to public information on matters directly concerning
his or her welfare.

Section 4: Every member shall have the right to be heard through the Organization on matters
directly concerning his or her welfare.

Section 5: Every member shall have the right to form and organize for purposes, not contrary to
the provisions of the Constitution.

Section 6: Every member shall have the right to a prompt, proper and impartial disposition of his
or her case.

Section 7: Every member, if accused, shall have the right to be heard for his 0r her defense.

ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Every bona fide student of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, enrolled in Communication
Arts, automatically becomes members of the Organization and shall enjoy all the rights and
privileges thereto and shall correspondingly discharge of his or her duties enumerated therein.

Section 2: A membership fee in the amount agreed upon by the executive board officers shall be
collected from every member.

ARTICLE VI
DUTIES OF MEMBERS

Section 1: Every member shall uphold the Constitution.

Section 2: Every member shall accord loyalty to the Organization and contribute to its
development and welfare.

Section 3: Every member shall abide by the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Organization.

Section 4: Every member shall protect the integrity and interests of the Organization.

ARTICLE VII
THE BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1: The Board of Representatives shall be composed of elected Class Representatives,
one from each class, enrolled in Communication Arts.

Section 2: The Board of Representatives shall elect from among themselves, a Speaker, who
shall call and preside over all its meetings and prepare the agenda for the same.

Section 3: The Board of Representatives shall serve as the Grievance Committee. Any case
regarding violations committed by a member may be appealed to and shall be settled by the
Board of Representatives, wherein a two-thirds vote shall be final.

Section 4: The Board of Representatives shall serve as the Impeachment Tribunal. All issues
pertaining to the status of any member of the Executive Board may be appealed to and shall be
settled by the Board of Representatives. However, no member of the Board of Representatives
can initiate any impeachment proceeding.

Section 5: The Board of Representatives shall preside impeachment proceedings, formulate

impeachment procedures, and decide on it with two-thirds vote, wherein the decision shall be
final.

ARTICLE VIII
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1: The Executive Board shall be the administrative, implementing and coordinating body
of the Organization.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall be composed of a President, an Internal Vice-President, an

External Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Auditor, and a Public Relations Officer.

Section 3: The President of the Organization shall:

a. Be the Executive Head of the Organization.
b. Call and preside over all meetings of the Executive Board
c. Coordinate all the activities of the Society
d. Have the power to create and dissolve standing ad hoc committees
e. Have the power to appoint committee heads
f. Authorize proposed budget allocations
g. Be directly responsible to the Dean and the Regent of the Faculty of Arts and Letters
and to the Father Rector of the University of Santo Tomas

Section 4: The Vice-President Internal shall:

a. Be the next in command to the president
b. Perform the duties and functions of the President in case of the latter’s official
absence, resignation, impeachment or physical incapacity
c. Supervise and coordinate the projects and activities regarding internal affairs of the
Organization
d. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

Section 5: The Vice-President External shall:

a. Represent the Organization in meetings with the University Administration and
Faculty Sectors, as well as with other duly organized entities.
b. Supervise and coordinate the projects and activities regarding external affairs of the
Organization
c. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

Section 6: The Secretary shall:

a. Record the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board
 b. Properly inform all the officers of the dates of and the agenda for all its meetings
c. Prepare all the correspondence and submit them to the President for his or her
approval and signature
d. Keep all records and documents of the organization
e. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

Section 7: The Treasurer shall:

a. Have custody, and be responsible for, all the funds and properties of the
Organization
b. Keep full and accurate account of all income and expenses of the Organization
c. Collect and receive all dues required by the Organization and all receivables from
other sources and issue official receipts as acknowledgement thereof
d. Submit a statement of the Organization’s financial standing within the first week of
every month of the academic year and upon request of the president
e. Furnish the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the Organization’s Adviser a
financial report at the end of every semester and post a copy thereof on the
Organization’s bulletin board.
f. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

Section 8: The Auditor shall:

a. Receive and audit all financial reports after every organization activity
b. Publicize the financial standing of the Organization, with the approval of the
President, together with the financial reports of the treasurer
c. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

Section 9: The Public relations Officer shall:

a. Properly disseminate information regarding the activities and achievements of the
organization
b. Spearhead all promotions of the organization’s activities
c. Perform other duties as may be officially directed by the President

ARTICLE IX
MEETINGS

Section 1: The quorum for any meeting shall consist of the simple majority of all the members
concerned

Section 2: The decision of any meeting shall be valid only upon the approval by the simple
majority vote of all members of the body concerned and present, unless otherwise provided by
the Constitution

Section 3: The Executive Board shall meet regularly every month within the first week of every
month of the academic year

Section 4: A special meeting may be called by the presiding officer upon the request of at least
one-third of all the members concerned. However, no such meeting may be held without due
notice

Section 5: Any officer who as incurred three consecutive or four non-consecutive absences in
regular meetings shall be subject to disciplinary action by the body concerned after due notice
and hearing

Section 6: Any officer may be ejected from the meeting by the Presiding Officer through a
majority vote of all its members present, for contempt or disorderly conduct
 ARTICLE X
THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

Section 1: The CASA Commission on Elections shall be the sole Constitutional Commission of
the Communication Arts Students Association and is independent from the Executive Board and
Board of Representatives

Section 2: The CASA Commission on Elections shall be composed of elected representatives,

one from each class, enrolled in Communication Arts

Section 3: The CASA Commission on Elections shall elect, from among themselves, a
Commissioner, who shall be the head of the commission and call and preside over all its
meetings, and two Deputy Commissioners, who shall hold and keep all ballots until they are to be
released for tallying.

Section 4: No member of the CASA Commission on Elections shall be allowed to run for an
elective position in the Organization and in the Faculty of Arts and Letters during his or her term
of office.

Section 5: Members of the CASA Commission on Elections shall only be allowed to run in any
elective position after submitting a resignation letter to the Executive Board and Board of
Representatives and the Executive Board Adviser three months prior to any scheduled elections.

Section 6: Any member of the CASA Commission on Elections may be recalled by a two-thirds
vote of the commission, and shall be replaced within five schooldays of his or her removal from
office. However, no member may be recalled within days immediately following the organization
elections and within forty schooldays immediately preceding the organization elections.

ARTICLE XI
QUALIFICATIONS AND TERM OF OFFICE

Section 1: The Executive Board and Board of Representatives:

a. Must be a bona fide Communication Arts student of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
b. Must have a minimum weighted average of 2.5 during the two semesters immediately
preceding the elections.
c. Must maintain such average during his or her stay in office.
d. Must not have incurred any failing grade for the two semesters immediately
preceding the elections.
e. Must not incur any failing grade during his or her term of office.
f. Must have good moral character, as certified by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty
of Arts and Letters.
g. Must have a minimum load of 15 academic units.
h. Must not be the President or Vice President of any other recognized school
organization upon the filling of his or her candidacy.
i. Must not hold any major elective position in any other recognized school
organization, within his or her term
j. Only incoming senior Communication Arts Students can run for the Presidential
position.
k. Only incoming junior Communication Arts Students can run for the position of the
Vice President Internal.
l. Only incoming sophomore Communication Arts Students can run for the position of
the Vice President External.
Section 2: The members of the CASA Commission on Elections:

a. Must be a bona fide Communication Arts student of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
b. Must have a minimum weighted average of 2.5 during the semester immediately
preceding his or her incumbency.
c. Must maintain such average during his or her stay in office.
d. Must not have incurred any failing grade for the semester immediately preceding his
or her incumbency.
e. Must have good moral character, as certified by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty
of Arts and Letters.
f. Must be a non-partisan, prior to and during his or her incumbency.

Section 3: The term of office of the Executive Board and Board of Representatives is one
academic year and shall commence immediately on the start of the first semester and shall
terminate on the end of the second semester.

Section 5: The term of office of all the members of the CASA Commission on Elections is one
academic year and shall commence at the date they have been duly sworn into office and
terminate after a new set of members have taken their oath of office.

Section 6: No Executive Board officer and member of the Board of Representatives shall hold
more than one elective position in the organization at any time during the academic year.

Section 7: Any elected officer may not be re-elected for the same office.

Section 8: All permanent vacancies in the Executive Board, except for the presidential position,
shall be filled by a special election, within fifteen schooldays after the vacancy occurred.

Section 9: Resignation from office may be done by submitting a letter to the Executive Board and
Board of Representatives, copy furnished to the CASA Commission on Elections, Organization
Adviser, and the Dean’s office.

ARTICLE XII
ELECTIONS

Section 1: All elections must be completed within thirty schooldays prior to the end of the
academic year.

Section 2: Campaigns may be conducted only within days set by the CASA Commission on
Elections.

Section 3: All members of the Executive Board shall be elected by the Communication Arts
students at large.

Section 4: All elections shall be by secret balloting.

Section 5: Neither voting in absentia nor proxy-voting shall be allowed.

Section 6: In case only one candidate runs for any elective position, a simple majority vote shall
be required for his or her election into the position.

Section 7: Special Elections shall only occur from after forty schooldays immediately following the
start of the first semester to forty schooldays immediately preceding the end of the second
semester.
 ARTICLE XIII
ACCOUNTABILITY OF SOCIETY OFFICERS

Section 1: Any member of the organization may file complaints and initiate an impeachment in the
Executive Board, and shall be handled by the Board of Representatives.

Section 2: Any officer of the Executive Board may be impeached on the following grounds:

a. Willful violation/s of any provision of this Constitution.

b. Gross negligence of duties
c. Abusive use of power
d. Malversation of funds or properties of the organization
e. Unbecoming conduct and behavior
f. Failure in any academic subject during his or her term

Section 3: Any officer shall be given prior notice, of at least a week, of the charge/s against him or
her and shall be given opportunity to defend himself.

Section 4: Anyone against whom a motion for impeachment has been submitted shall be
suspended from office and shall not be allowed to resign for the duration of the impeachment
procedures.

ARTICLE XIV
AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS

Section 1: No part of this Constitution shall be repealed, amended or revised within the next four
academic years, unless the need for such repeal, amendment, or revision is favored for by three-
fourths of the Executive Board and the Board of Representatives.

Section 2: Any member can initiate an amendment to or revision of this Constitution by filing a
petition to the Board of Representatives. No amendment or revision under this section shall be
authorized within four academic years, following the ratification of this constitution.

Section 3: Any amendments to or revisions of this Constitution shall be done through a

Constitutional Convention, which shall be composed of an Executive Board officer, a
representative from each class, and shall be presided by the Speaker of the Board of
Representatives.

Section 4: Any amendments to or revision of this Constitution shall be valid when ratified by
three-fifths affirmative vote cast in a plebiscite called for the purpose.

ARTICLE XV
TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

Section 1: This Constitution must be ratified by a majority vote of all members of the UST
Communication Arts Students’ Association in a plebiscite to be held on February 2008.

Section 2: This Constitution, if ratified, shall take effect upon the start of the Academic Year
2008– 2009.