By: Aishah Jimenez
LSC relaunches its student forum series “Tindig 2.0: Amplifying Student Voices,” disclosing updates on particular issues and collating other complaints and concerns from respective program and organization representatives on Monday, September 16.
The Letran Student Council (LSC) introduced several committees, divided into Senate and General categories. Senate committees include Student Rights and Welfare (STRAW), Officer Disciplinary and Relations (ODR), and Socio-Political Affairs and Advocacy (SPAA), while General committees cover Creatives, Finance, Secretariat, and Publicity Documentation.
The STRAW committee focuses on student welfare by addressing concerns and promoting initiatives such as Kaagapay Mailbox and Safer Underpass.
LSC maintains transparency with students through General Monthly Meeting posts and advisory emails. They are also engaged in dialogues with the administration, discussing tuition increases and other concerns, but meetings with the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) are pending.
Dialogues with the Father Rector and the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) address policy issues, such as hair and uniform regulations.
The council discussed improvements to student spaces, including the Knights Hub and the Research Innovation and Creatives Hub. They raised concerns about Wi-Fi connectivity, parking spaces, elevator usage, and the need for better classroom facilities.
Health services are limited due to staff shortages, while ongoing concerns about dental services remain unresolved.
Additionally, issues around professor shortages, poor class scheduling, and teaching quality were highlighted. Organizational activities are restricted to Fridays and Saturdays, though LSC plans to seek further clarification from the Father Rector.
LSC’s Perception, Challenges, and Other Means of Collecting Student Concerns
Co-Project Head Rinoa Leigh Ann Lamadrid conveyed that this forum will be beneficial for students to voice their concerns. By doing so, the administrators will realize that some concerns, especially ones that are collectively being experienced by individuals, necessitate their immediate attention, as these bear an impact on their overall school experience.
Project Head Jed Federico Acosta added that if the council wishes to be an effective representative of the studentry, they need to create an initiative that can cater to their concerns as they cannot make negotiations with the heads if they are not knowledgeable about the issues the latter is enduring.
He also shared that while this advocacy has been part of his campaign in the 2024 LSC Election, the applications needed to be accomplished only proceeded in August. Additionally, since there have been long suspensions due to the typhoon, they were forced to reschedule this event from September 13 to September 16.
On the other hand, students may reach out to the council to express their concerns via Letran email, LSC’s Facebook Page, or through the soon-to-be launched Kaagapay Mailbox placed in the Aranzazu building.