LA discusses agenda on Master List, other proposals

In a session last February 12, the University Student Government (USG) Legislative Assembly (LA) discussed the position paper on Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, the proposal for a master list of courses, financial assistance for aspiring student organizations, a manifesto for electives for College of Liberal Arts (CLA) ID 113 students, and approval of the new Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC Hall elevator scheme.

The first agenda focused on the position paper on the new PCOS machines, in continuation of the LA session held last week. Taking into consideration advantages and disadvantages of the vote count machines (VCM), the LA primarily compared its efficiency and accuracy to the possibility of malfunctions. They also assessed that the Verification Audit Paper Trail (VVPAT) feature of the machines, which provides a verification receipt to voters, may be used as an additional way of validating votes. The resolution was approved by the assembly.

The second agenda centered on a master list of courses, a proposal in which the USG plans to release a comprehensive list of courses offered across colleges in the University prior to enrollment period. Currently, college presidents release the course offerings of their respective colleges, but there is yet to be a list simultaneously containing all courses offered from all colleges. The plan will involve academic assistants submitting course offerings to college presidents as usual. College presidents will then submit the respective course offerings per college to the Office of the Executive Secretary (OSEC) for consolidation into the master list.

The master list aims to address cross-enrollment concerns, overlapping subjects between courses, and degree programs with many elective courses. It also seeks to give students a headstart in planning their schedule for the next term ahead of the release of courses by the Information and Technology Services Office.

The LA raised several issues regarding the master list, including discussion of whether to use Google Sheets or Google Drive. The LA also raised the issue of burden and risk of making errors behind editing and updating the master list, and the possibility of sanctions for college presidents who do not submit their respective course offerings to OSEC. The content of the list was also discussed, with some suggesting it should only contain floating subjects. The possibility of consulting ITS to submit course offerings earlier instead of creating a masterlist was also considered. With 17 voting for, 0 against, and 3 abstentions, the resolution was laid on the table.

The LA also discussed the provision of financial assistance to aspiring student organizations. The proposal involves allowing start-up student organizations to loan money from the appropriation fund of the USG to assist them during probation so that they could be more easily accredited.

Loaning requires the submission of an approved pre-application form, a request form, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), and a resolution. The MOA is an agreement between the organization and the Office of the Treasurer (OTREAS) stating that loans must be repaid to OTREAS within a year; otherwise, clearance would be withheld.

The LA also discussed the issue of how funds would be prioritized among lending to different organizations and the different projects of the USG, given limited funds. Currently, the exact balance of the appropriation fund is still pending in the Accounting Office. The resolution was approved with a unanimous vote from all 21 members present.

The next agenda discussed was for the release of a manifesto regarding electives for ID 113 CLA students. This was proposed to address the shortages of slots and options for electives in CLA degree programs by having departments survey and analyze their respective student populations, so as to determine which electives to prioritize before the release of course offerings. There were also discussions of its benefits for future batches, and the possibility of applying the same proposal to other colleges. The resolution was also approved with a unanimous vote from the floor.

The last agenda discussed was for the approval of the Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC Hall elevator scheme. The LA plans on reverting to the original elevator scheme, with a few changes including elevators stopping at the 16th instead of 17th floor, as well as the updating of signages. One concern raised was the possibility of placing security guards in the elevator but was dismissed on the grounds that it would amount to additional costs by the administration. The LA also considered finding ways to encourage students to use the stairs, especially when descending to lower floors. With 21 voting for, 0 against, and 0 abstentions, the resolution was also laid on the table.