Vowing to continue the fight against the recently implemented tuition and other fee increases (TFI), University Student Council Chair (USC) Shahana Abdulwahid will serve as UP Diliman’s (UPD) lone nominee to this year’s systemwide Student Regent (SR) selection.

Nominated by the College of Education Student Council, Abdulwahid is the sole candidate in the unit-level search to participate in the systemwide selection. The SR is the lone student representative to the Board of Regents, UP’s highest policy-making body.

During the University Convocation at the School of Economics on December 11, the UPD Search Committee, composed of the USC and college student councils, nominated Abduwahid with a vote of 14 student councils and USC members. Two councils voted against her nomination, while six abstained.

The General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC), an alliance of 54 student councils across the UP system, will convene on December 21 and 22 at UP Baguio to select the successor of current SR Terry Ridon through consensus or votation.

Democratize BOR
On the proposed UP charter change, Abdulwahid called for the creation of a Consultative Assembly, aimed at democratizing university governance, to replace the present Malacañang-dominated BOR structure. She also stressed that the UP charter must recognize the independence of both student councils and publications to protect them from administration intervention.

Abdulwahid vehemently denounced the commercialization of UP’s idle assets to raise funds, like the establishment of call centers by Ayala Land Corp. in UP’s North Science and Technology Park.

She instead urged the administration to efficiently manage its fiscal priorities by realigning “excessive” projects into student-oriented services, such as establishment and maintenance of dormitories.

Intensify fight vs TFI
In her general plan of action, Abdulwahid promised that if elected, she will intensify the campaign for the junking of the TFI, and demand greater state subsidy for UP and the education sector.

Echoing sentiments over the “Diliman-centric” governance, Abdulwahid also said that the next SR must provide a political leadership that will ensure equal representation of all UP units in the BOR. She said that the SR must lead not only in advancing the interest of the students but also in upholding a nationalist and mass-oriented UP education.

Abdulwahid further plans to conduct consultations every month in all UP units and strengthen communication between the Office of the Student Regent and the student councils.

She will also spearhead leadership seminars for student councils and seek the establishment of “student centers” to prevent the relentless evictions of student organizations.

Meanwhile, Jose Ignacio Tenorio of UP Manila, Deo Oda of Baguio and Rula Gongora of Los Baños are also official nominees in the systemwide selection. # Philippine Collegian

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