WITH THE INSTITUTIONAL theme of “A Synodal Culture through Prayer and Integral Education,” the Student Organization Circle (SOC) adopted a HyFlex format for this year’s General Assembly (GA), combining both on-site attendance at Pamanang Bedista and virtual participation via Zoom last July 28.
The GA comprised of talks from the different administration offices of San Beda University (SBU), intended to aid the officers in conducting the programs of their respective organizations.
According to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Prefect of Student Activities (OPSA), Prof. Marvin Reyes, Ph.D., the purpose of the GA is to “train and develop the SOC” in the context of Bedan leadership because “before you conduct and proceed with your activities in this academic year, you should have your foundation, and the foundation is the real essence of Bedan leadership.”
The Student Council’s (SC) Acting President and Concurrent Vice President for Internal Affairs, Julia San Jose, mentioned that the GA would “allow the officers to become accustomed to different policies imposed by the admin as most of the officers are first-time leaders.”
During the GA, the SC encouraged students to ask questions to the speakers, San Jose added. In the course of which, Dr. Reyes, commented that expectations and objectives were met.
Further, the SC did not allot any budget for the event as their goal is to “address the students’ concerns and let them feel their tuition’s worth.” During their planning, San Jose and the SOC had regular meetings before and after events regarding the concerns of the respective departments.
“The Vice President for External Affairs plans to meet all the EVPs [Vice President for External Affairs] for mentoring. The SC admin officers (secretary general, treasurer, and auditor) held an in-person mentoring for all SOC SecGens [Secretary Generals], Treasurers, and Auditors about paper processing. And, of course, SC batch representatives continuously serve their respective batches,” San Jose bared.
As for the positive points from the GA, Dr. Reyes mentioned that the SOC had “familiarizations and engagements with each other” during the event, adding that the SOC “already grasped what a natural leader is about in the context of being a Bedan.”
The strategy employed in conducting a general assembly was to listen, know, and understand the SOC. “But at the end of the day, we still have to follow the guidelines and the rules for the good of not only the organization but San Beda in general,” Dr. Reyes emphasized.
(With Ayane Alibarbar)
Photo courtesy of San Beda Red Lens
