The stretch from Agno to Enrique Razon Sports Complex, which includes the whole of Fidel Street, is now a non-smoking area. The revision of the no-smoking policy stemmed from complaints of concessionaires from Agno, as well as parents, all the way to the Student Discipline Formation Office (SDFO). The previous version of the policy indicated a no-smoking area within five meters from the campus.
Nevertheless, there are still private establishments that still allow students to smoke, and the SDFO admits that they no longer have jurisdiction there. If these private establishments allow the students to smoke, the SDFO is in no position to intervene. However, once they step outside those private establishments, then they are liable to the University policy.
The whole stretch of Fidel Reyes becoming a no-smoking area is stipulated in the student handbook, and had been revised by the members of the student handbook committee where the previous SDFO Director, Atty. Hilario Caraan, was a consultant.
“We would like to reiterate that our unit was not the one that made the policy,” newly appointed SDFO Director Christy Santiago emphasizes. “Our unit implements the policies stated in the handbook. The policies are University polices, not SDFO or DO (Discipline Office) policies.”
Information Dissemination
The effort to disseminate the information about the no-smoking policy and other revised University policies started on the SDFO Lectures during the LPEP of freshmen students and during the course of Theology (TREDTWO) classes. There are also the weekly policy refreshers that are sent via DLSU mail. In the SDFO lectures, the SDFO explains three things with regards to University policies: the policy content, which what is stated in the handbook; the policy context, where the policy stemmed from, and the policy core, or the values learned if students comply.
But there is still difficulty in circulating the information to each and every student of DLSU. This concern extends to students who may not be aware, not having taken TREDTWO yet, or those who seldom check their mail.
This is a difficulty that the SDFO faces. Santiago admits that they have had lapses when it comes to information dissemination of policies, particularly for the no-smoking policy.
“We appeal to the students to help us in our information dissemination campaign,” she states. “We cannot truly cover all the levels and inform them.”
For the no-smoking policy in Agno, the SDFO plans to put up a tarpaulin in the area and even posters. They estimate that by September 12, with the approval from the Physical Facilities Office (PFO), these policy refreshers will already be put up. Other options they are considering would be the using other means of information dissemintation besides sending messages to the La Salle email, such as utilizing the Green Screen and joint projects with the University Student Government.
Revisions of policies
The policies that the SDFO implement are University policies that are revised due to feedback coming from the different stakeholders. Proposals for revisions of policies are requested by the Dean of Student Affairs, who is the chairperson of the student handbook revisions committee. The SDFO are asked for such proposals but are rarely given.
Instead, the SDFO asks the different student volunteer groups they have to submit because, as Santiago puts it, it would be more valid coming from the students because they are the ones affected or will be affected by the revisions of policies.
Implementation
Director Santiago shares that there have been inconsistencies when it comes to the implementation of University policies, especially with the no-smoking policy. Discipline Officers are assigned specific areas of responsibility, particularly, assignment to buildings within the University. The implementation of the no-smoking policy in Agno is thus only checked when the Discipline Officers pass by on the way to the buildings they are assigned to.
There are 12 discipline officers assigned for the whole University, and the most violated rule is the Dress Code policy.
“The Officers can’t really stay there for the amount of time students spend in school,” Director Santiago admits.
Another difficulty in the implementation with regards to Agno is that the area is not exclusively for DLSU students. There are also students from different Universities who live nearby; concurrently, the jurisprudence of the SDFO applies only to DLSU students, and not to outsiders who may happen to be smoking in the area.
On the students’ side
“I hope the students will see that the University policies are evidence of love and concern,” Director Santiago says. “At the same time, I wish that the students take the initiative to know what the policies are and comply.” She says that the common mindset for the students is that if there is no Discipline Officer present, they would rather not follow the policy.
Santiago mentions that students can ask the office about the policies, or even their discipline track record, and that there is no harm in asking. “It is better than being ignorant,” she says.
