26/02/2022
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
During the 52nd Board of Regents (BOR) regular meeting held last February 26, 2021, the official amendment for the 2019 student handbook was approved and signed by its members. A notable revision which caused student organizations to oppose the amendment was the change made to the grade requirement for students who are running for Latin honors. Formerly requiring to have no grades lower than 2.50 on all subjects for Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude, it was increased to 1.50, 1.75 and 2.00 respectively. (๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ: https://www.facebook.com/thewardenplmun/posts/3847127755346576)
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐.
This specific change was adapted as soon as the 1st semester of A.Y. 2021-2022 began. But it becomes unjust to all students who already have their grades finalized to meet the former set of qualifications and now forced to adapt a new set of standards. It wonโt be their fault if they get disqualified because of a sudden change to the Latin awardeesโ maintaining grades.
Moreover, not only do these changes crush a studentโs expectations and passion to achieve excellence, it also has an impact on their mental health due to escalated pressure and stress placed upon them, especially during this time of pandemic. Students would also argue that there are cases of receiving unjustifiably low grades which adds to the burden of running for Latin Honors.
It is important to note that the BOR still approved it despite having their members call for multiple consultations with the student leaders who represented every department and many of them disagreed with the revision. (๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ: https://www.facebook.com/TheOutlookPublication/posts/2200210333446041).
๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
We, as students, also have the right to demand for a justification grounded by proper and comprehensive research on why it is the most appropriate to implement. According to the reasons stated within the BOR resolution containing this subject, the grade requirements for Latin Awardees were increased because the โUniversity shall uphold exceptional academic standardsโฆโ which is not sufficient to back up a major and abrupt change because there are many facets to academic excellence and it is not confined to just a higher ceiling grades.
The welfare and the situation of the students should undoubtedly be a factor on every decision the university makes, this is what makes a pro-student institution.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ
One year after the signing of this revision, The Warden Publication still opposes the amendment approved by the BOR regarding the Latin Honorsโ grade requirements in the latest edition of the Student Handbook. It shouldnโt be retroactive and the batches of students who were under the old qualifications should still be assessed and evaluated using the 2.5 maintaining grade because it is the standard they have been suited to.
The editorial board and staff of our publication encourage all our fellow students and student leaders to take a stand for the sake of those who are affected by this amendment.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
During the 52nd Board of Regents (BOR) regular meeting held last February 26, 2021, the official amendment for the 2019 student handbook was approved and signed by its members. A notable revision which caused student organizations to oppose the amendment was the change made to the grade requirement for students who are running for Latin honors. Formerly requiring to have no grades lower than 2.50 on all subjects for Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude, it was increased to 1.50, 1.75 and 2.00 respectively. (๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ: https://www.facebook.com/thewardenplmun/posts/3847127755346576)
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐.
This specific change was adapted as soon as the 1st semester of A.Y. 2021-2022 began. But it becomes unjust to all students who already have their grades finalized to meet the former set of qualifications and now forced to adapt a new set of standards. It wonโt be their fault if they get disqualified because of a sudden change to the Latin awardeesโ maintaining grades.
Moreover, not only do these changes crush a studentโs expectations and passion to achieve excellence, it also has an impact on their mental health due to escalated pressure and stress placed upon them, especially during this time of pandemic. Students would also argue that there are cases of receiving unjustifiably low grades which adds to the burden of running for Latin Honors.
It is important to note that the BOR still approved it despite having their members call for multiple consultations with the student leaders who represented every department and many of them disagreed with the revision. (๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ: https://www.facebook.com/TheOutlookPublication/posts/2200210333446041).
๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
We, as students, also have the right to demand for a justification grounded by proper and comprehensive research on why it is the most appropriate to implement. According to the reasons stated within the BOR resolution containing this subject, the grade requirements for Latin Awardees were increased because the โUniversity shall uphold exceptional academic standardsโฆโ which is not sufficient to back up a major and abrupt change because there are many facets to academic excellence and it is not confined to just a higher ceiling grades.
The welfare and the situation of the students should undoubtedly be a factor on every decision the university makes, this is what makes a pro-student institution.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ
One year after the signing of this revision, The Warden Publication still opposes the amendment approved by the BOR regarding the Latin Honorsโ grade requirements in the latest edition of the Student Handbook. It shouldnโt be retroactive and the batches of students who were under the old qualifications should still be assessed and evaluated using the 2.5 maintaining grade because it is the standard they have been suited to.
The editorial board and staff of our publication encourage all our fellow students and student leaders to take a stand for the sake of those who are affected by this amendment.
We invite all 3rd and 4th year PLMun students to answer this survey form on โ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต'๐ด ๐๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ 2021 ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ดโ [https://forms.gle/pG7cqwxN9hDJvGUn9] courtesy of Jarence Garrate, Ted Harold Guanzon, Jemelee Arcilla Ramonolos and Ma. Angela Ondesso from the Political Science Student Action Group (PSSAG) research committee.
