The University Student Government (USG), in collaboration with several student sectors such as the Council of Student Organizations (CSO), Professional Organizations of Business and Economics (PROBE), College of Liberal Arts Professional Organizations 12 (CAP12), Student Media Office (SMO), and Culture and Arts Office (CAO), held the Convention of Leaders last February 10, 2017 at the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall Natividad Fajardo Auditorium.
The different student sectors highlighted the various achievements they gained from the previous term, announced ongoing projects and activities, and provided a preview of their upcoming initiatives. According to USG President Zedrick Laqui, the convention aims to unite the different student sectors and raise the Lasallians’ awareness on the various projects and activities.
College governments and student orgs
Some of the common themes in the projects of the college governments include helping solve enrollment issues, improving communication with the students, setting up databases for organizing documents, establishing tie-ups with internal and external organizations, and organizing activities that aim to improve the student life of their respective colleges.
For professional student organizations in CSO, PROBE, and CAP12, various projects and activities related to the skills and leadership development of students have been initiated. Some upcoming activities include the Lasallian Excellence Awards, women empowerment week, and Lasallian environment week, among others.
Meanwhile, student media organizations from SMO have continued to utilize their respective platforms to create newspapers, online series, folios, yearbooks, and radio shows. Lastly, student organizations from CAO have cited how several of their recent and upcoming events are based on national, cultural, and moral issues.
On the USG EB
Among the notable activities of the USG Office of the Executive Treasurer (OTREAS) in the previous term were the fundraising activities, which were able to generate around P800,000. The funds gained were used to cover expenses for OTREAS’ Achiever Scholar Program, Student Government Loan Program, and Student Government Allowance Program, among others.
The Office of the Executive Secretary (OSEC), in its efforts to “align communication between the different sectors,” has established a sectoral communication committee and organized trainings on social media branding, creatives and multimedia, and operations and logistics for the different USG units. The OSEC has also put up a Google Drive to store various USG documents.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President for External Affairs has continued to pursue external projects such as human rights initiatives, external opportunities assistance fund, Lasallian study tour, and weekend missions, to name a few.
For the Office of the Vice President for Internal Affairs (OVPIA), various ongoing projects have been announced such as the student services central hub, solar-powered charging stations, off-site parking spaces, and curriculum review initiatives. The OVPIA has emphasized its objective to “redefining student life”.
Lastly, the Office of the President highlighted its efforts on improving “internal student representation” through initiatives including but not limited to the Lasallian Federation, student research agenda, USG monitoring council, and grievance booth initiatives.
As the different student sectors continue to organize activities and projects, the student body can find more opportunities to grow and develop in their respective talents, hobbies, disciplines, or advocacies.
