5.

7 SOCC : Articles of Association 2013 (Ratified on May 6, 2013)

– items in red ink updated by the SOCC Adviser, AY 2017-2018

ARTICLE I – NAME, DOMICILE, LOGO, VISION and MISSION

Section 1. This body shall be known as the University of Santo Tomas - Student Organizations
Coordinating Council and may be referred to as UST- SOCC or SOCC .

Section 2. The principal office of the University of Santo Tomas - Student Organizations
Coordinating Council is located at Room 205, 2 nd Floor, Tan Yan Kee Student Center,
University of Santo Tomas, España Ave., Sampaloc, Manila.

Section 3. The logo of the Student Organizations Coordinating Council, represented by a red ball
with a face would be referred to as “Bouncy”. This logo symbolizes the passion, love,
and desire of SOCC to serve the Thomasian students, to increase their enthusiasm,
stimulate their energy, and encourage action and confidence to partake in their socio-
cultural needs.

Section 4. The SOCC envisions itself to be a potent instrument for the continuous development
and innovation of students in view of the consistent demands of an ever changing
academic environment and society.

Section 5. The SOCC’s mission is to promote genuine student involvement, create a healthy as well
as supportive relationship among organizations in the University, and encourage
substantial participation from students through different programs and activities that
would ensure their growth and development as Thomasians.

ARTICLE II – DECLARATION OF PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES

Section 1. The SOCC is the central body of all recognized University-Wide (USO) and College-Based
Organizations (CBO). SOCC is socio-cultural and non-partisan in nature. It operates
according to its own precepts and processes in conjunction with University of Santo
Tomas Student Handbook. It focuses on activities and events that promote and enhance
the Thomasian Identity and student welfare.

Section 2. The SOCC acts upon these objectives:

 To promote harmony and collaboration among recognized student
organizations;
 To unfold students’ potentials and develop their capabilities;
 To strengthen the students’ moral character and personal discipline; and
 To mold student leaders.

Section 3. The SOCC has the following functions:

 coordinate all SOCC activities with all its member organizations;
 extend its support for the recognized student organizations;
 coordinate all recognized student organizations in the execution of activities by
the University;
  disseminate information provided by the University administration addressed to
the organizations; and
 empower student initiated activities.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP IN SOCC

Section 1. The SOCC shall be composed of all recognized USO and CBO in the University.

Section 2. Membership in SOCC shall commence upon issuance of the certificate of recognition
from the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) and shall end upon denial of the petition for
renewal of recognition.

Section 3. The Chief Executive Officer or President of each recognized student organization shall be
its representative to the SOCC General Assembly and shall qualify to become member of
the SOCC Board of Directors. In case the President or CEO is absent during the first
general assembly, incapacitated or is not qualified, the second highest officer, the Vice
President or its equivalent, shall represent the organization upon approval of Assistant
to the Rector for Student Affairs the OSA Director and shall qualify to become member
of the SOCC BOD .

ARTICLE IV - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBER ORGANIZATION

Section 1. It is the duty of the member organization to respect, observe and honor these Articles of
Association.

Section 2. Member organizations are encouraged to participate in activities organized by the

SOCC. 

Section 3. Member organizations are required to submit all requested documents deemed
necessary by the SOCC Executive Board (EB).

Section 4. Duly informed member organizations are required to attend meetings called by the UST
Office for Student Affairs and the SOCC Executive Board EB.

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. The EB shall be the administrative, implementing and coordinating body of the SOCC.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall be composed of:

President;
Executive Vice President
Secretary;
Treasurer;
And all such other officers as may be appointed by the Board of Directors
(BODs)
Section 4. The PRESIDENT, who shall be elected from among the members of the BODs, shall be
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SOCC and shall have the power to;

 sign all documents and communication of the SOCC;

 call a special meeting of the Board and /or the General Assembly;
 preside over meetings of the SOCC Board of Directors;
 recommend to the Board projects and activities;
 supervise all committees of the SOCC;
 be the official representative of SOCC; and
 exercise other powers, as may be necessary or incidental to the performance of
his duties or as may be authorized by the Board.

Section 5. The EXECUTIVE VICE- PRESIDENT, who shall be elected from among the members of
the BODs, shall perform the duties of the president in the latter’s absence and perform
other duties as may be authorized by the Board and/or delegated by the President.

Section 6. The SECRETARY, who shall be elected from among the members of the BODs, shall be
the official custodian of the SOCC ‘s documents, books and records and shall:

 take and prepare the minutes of the meetings;

 prepare the Annual Performance Report of the SOCC;
 perform other duties as may be delegated by the President; and
 the such other duties as may be directed by the Board

Section 7. The TREASURER, who shall be elected from among the members of the BODs and who
must be an accounting/commerce student, shall be official custodian of the
organization’s fund and shall have the power and duties to:

 be in-charge of all financial transactions of SOCC;

 deposit funds for the SOCC with a reputable bank;
 prepare the financial report after every activity;
 prepare the Annual Financial Report of the SOCC;
 be the head of the Finance Committee of SOCC; and,
 perform other duties as may be authorized by the EB and /or delegated by the
President.

ARTICLE VI - The BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. The SOCC BODs shall be composed of representatives from the Recognized
CBO and USO, as herein provided.

Section 2. Members of the BODs shall have the following qualifications:

 Must be a bona fide student of the University of Santo Tomas.

 Must be the qualified official representative of a recognized student
organization
 Must not have a failing grade in the immediate semester prior to elections.
  Must have renounced any student political party affiliation.
 Candidate must represent a student organization- recognized for at least three
(3) consecutive years prior to the filing of candidacy.
 Incumbent officers of SOCC are eligible for election as long as they pass the
aforementioned qualifications.

Section 3. Election for the SOCC BOD:

Recognized CBO shall be represented to the Board by - one representative for every ten
recognized student organization of the college. There shall be no rounding off to the
higher number for purposes of determining the number of representatives.
Recognized USO shall be treated as a bloc and be entitled to one representative -for
every ten USO.

During the convention to be held in the summer During the Month of May (specific date
in May- by the second week of May, each college must have elected...) of each
Academic Year, each college shall elect their representative to the Board. Should the
college be entitled to one representative, the candidate garnering the highest number
of votes shall be proclaimed as the official representative. Should the college be
entitled to two or more representatives, then the top two or three candidates garnering
the highest number of votes shall be the official representatives. The same rule shall
apply to the election of representative of USO to the BODs.

Section 4. After the representatives shall have been chosen, the representative shall elect from
among themselves, the president, the executive vice president, the treasurer and the
secretary of the Board. The Board may create such offices and appoint the personnel,
as it may deemed necessary for the operation of SOCC, provided, no personnel up to the
level of Assistant Vice President or project manager , with failing grade , or have
derogatory record with the OSA, shall be appointed.

Section 5. The term of office of the members of the BODs and EB shall be for a period of one year
and shall begin immediately after the proclamation.

Section 6. Election by proxy shall not be allowed.

Section 7. The BODs shall have the power to:

 Approve projects and its budget allocation;

 Create offices and appoint officers and its personnel;
 Proposed amendment to the Articles of Association;
 Delegate its power to a committee composed of not less than 5 members of the
Board but not more than 7, except that the power to elect or appoint officer(s),
proposed amendment to the Articles of Association may not be delegated to
such committee.
Section 8. A majority of all the members of the board shall constitute a quorum to do business
and a vote of the majority of those who are present may resolved to approve a
resolution.

ARTICLE VII - ORGANIZATIONAL SET – UP

Section 1. The SOCC Organizational Set-up shall be as follows:

< ask SOCC 18-19 to create this portion >
Section 2. The SOCC Executive Board shall be composed of the President and CEO, Executive Vice
President, Corporate Secretary, Treasurer, the Vice President for Organizational Relations, the Vice
President for Corporate Communications, the Vice President for Marketing, the Vice President for
Quality Management and Assurance, and the Vice President for Audit and Logistics

Section 3. The Vice President for Organizational Relations shall-

a. Focus on the organizational welfare of all recognized student organization

b. Serve as a consultant for project collaborations between different student organizations
c. Provide internal means of communication for information dissemination between the
recognized student organizations and the SOCC.
d. Be the Officer in Charge for the Socials and Advocacies Committee
e. Perform such other duties as needed or may be given by the President

Section 4. The Vice President for Corporate Communications shall-

a. Handle promotions, publicity, and social media accounts of the SOCC

b. Manage external communication opportunities and risks
c. Be the Officer in Charge for the Creatives Committee, Documentations Committee, and
Interactives Committee.
d. Perform such other duties as needed or may be given by the President

Section 5. The Vice President for Marketing shall-

a. Develop and implement a cohesive marketing plan to increase brand awareness and
involvement
b. Build and maintain high-level contacts with current and prospective sponsors and partners
c. Monitor all marketing campaigns and improve them when necessary
d. Perform such other duties as needed or may be given by the President

Section 6. The Vice President for Quality Management and Auditing shall-

a. Handle both project and financial evaluations and auditing for the events of all recognized
student organizations
b. Monitor and review the over-all performance of the student organizations and quality
management of all events.
c. Be the Officer in Charge for the Project Evaluation Committee
d. Perform such other duties as needed or may be given by the President

Section 7. The Vice President for Audit and Logistics shall-

 a. Provide internal audit service, maintain a complete record of its examination and
inventory, and submit audit report quarterly or as may be required
b. Monitor and review the financial auditing for the events of all recognized student
organizations
c. Review continuously and periodically the books of account, financial records of the
organization
d. Be responsible for the coordinating the storage, maintenance, and management of the
inventory of the organization.

Article iX – Committees and their application process

ARTICLE IX - GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section 1. The General Assembly (GA) shall consist of the President or the Vice President of all
recognized student organizations.
Section 2. The GA shall convene June of each Academic Year to elect their college representative(s)
to the Board of Directors, in the manner as herein provided, and shall meet once every
term. For the first term, during the month of September. For the second term during the
month of February.
Section 3. The presence of at least forty percent (40%) of the representatives of all recognized USO
and CBOs shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4. The GA shall have the power to ratify amendments, revision of the Article of
Association.

ARTICLE IX - REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION FROM OFFICE

Section 1. Any officer of the EB in good standing may resign from his/her office. Resignation shall
take effect upon acceptance of the BODs.

Section 2 The President, Executive Vice President, the Treasurer and the Secretary may be
removed from office by a vote of 2/3 of all the members of the Board. All other
officers may be removed from office by a majority vote of the BODs . Members of the
Board may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of all its members.

Section 3 The Board may elect or appoint officers to fill up the vacant position in the same
manner as provided in electing such officer mentioned, provided that the said officer
shall hold office only for the remainder of the term of office of the removed or resigned
officer.

WHAT ARE THE GROUND FOR REMOVAL?

ARTICLE X - ADVISER

Section 1. The Director for Students Welfare and Development Board Assistant Director of OSA
shall be the ex-officio adviser of SOCC, unless the OSA Director appoints otherwise.

ARTICLE XI – FUNDS
Section 1. The SOCC Fund is an independent fund. The SOCC holds exclusive rights to transact the
fund (i.e. manage, spend, and liquidate) after its disbursal from the Office of the Vice
Rector for Finance (VRF).

Section 2. An amount of Php 10.00 or a higher amount shall be collected from each enrolled
student’s tuition fee. The VRF will allocate the collected fees to the SOCC FUND.

Section 3. Fifty percent (50%) of the said fund shall be used for projects and operation of the SOCC.
The other half shall be used for the project of all recognized USO. This will be known as
the SOCC – University-wide (SOCC-UW) Fund.

Section 4. Only Recognized USO shall be granted the use of the SOCC – UW Fund. Upon the
recommendation by the SOCC to the OSA Director, the amount allocated for each
organization will be equally divided among the organizations.

Section 4.1 All USO will be informed of the Total Amount of the SOCC – UW Fund
during the First General Assembly of SOCC. All USO shall also be
informed of the amount they are entitled to from the fund during the
same assembly.

Section 4.2 All USO will be informed of the process of application for the use of the
SOCC – UW Fund during the First General Assembly.

How much per USO?

Secton 5. All Recognized USO shall have the right to use the SOCC – UW Fund subject to the
following rules:

Section 5.1 A proposal for Student Activity or Project shall first be submitted to the
SOCC Office of the President at least one (1) month before the
scheduled activity. The project proposal shall state the nature of the
project, beneficiaries, objectives, significance and the budget proposal
and other details.
Section 5.2 The Project Proposal shall be reviewed by the SOCC Treasurer and
approved by the President for approval by the OSA Director.
Section 5.3 Once an USO has availed its share in the SOCC – UW Fund is consumed,
it shall not be allowed to make another request to use other UW
Organizations shares.
Section 5.4 At the end of every Academic Year, the remaining SOCC-UW Fund shall
be carried over to the next Academic Year for re-evaluation.
Section 5.5 In case that one or more USO failed to utilize their allotted budget in the
SOCC-UW Fund within the Academic Year, the fund shall automatically
be carried over to the next Academic Year for re-distribution.

Section 6. Other funds may be sourced by the SOCC from institutions and donors, in forms of
sponsorships or the Community Service Fund (CSF), as may be deemed necessary by the
 SOCC EB for a more flexible budget program, and to further its services to the
Thomasian Community.

Section 7. The SOCC UW Fund shall be deposited with a reputable bank in the name of and for the
account of Student Organizations Coordinating Council. The signatories shall be the
SOCC President, Treasurer and Adviser.

ARTICLE XII – AMENDMENTS

Section 1. SOCC BODs may draft the proposed amendment or revision of these Articles.

Section 2. Any proposed amendment / revision to this Articles of Association shall be presented to
the OSA Director for his/her approval.

Section 3. Upon approval of the proposed amendments/ revision by the OSA Director, it shall be
submitted to the GA for ratification by a vote of the majority of all the members of the
General Assembly .

ARTICLE XIII – EFFECTIVITY

Section 1. This Articles of Association shall take effect immediately upon ratification valid
for?