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Monday, June 26, 2006
School denies harassing student leader
By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
THE administration of the St. Louis University (SLU) on Sunday said that the non-admission of SLU Supreme Student Council president Arthur Odsey for enrolment this school year was not an act of political harassment and campus repression.
The school officials, who were reportedly vested with authority by SLU president Jessie Hechanova, said their action was due "to Odsey's failure to comply with the academic requirements of the university." Hechanova is in Israel for official purpose.
Included in the group that studied and decided on Odsey's case Ceasar Oracion, SLU's officer-in-charge; Dr. Gaudelia Reyes, dean of the College of Natural Sciences; Dr. Lilian Gandeza, director of the Guidance Center; and Gil Espiritu, dean of Student Affairs.
Executive Judge Iluminada Cabato-Cortes of the city's Regional Trial Court (RTC) already issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against SLU, ordering it to cease and desist from denying Odsey's admission for enrolment last Thursday.
This developed after Odsey, who was "kicked out" and prevented from enrolling over a week earlier, filed a complaint against SLU, represented by Hechanova, and the College of Natural Sciences, represented by Reyes.
The complainant is a graduating Pharmacy student, who reportedly spearheaded the filing of charges against the school's "carry-over scheme" of tuition and other school fee increases two years ago and the compulsory Internet card fee last March, which was described "as one of the most massive student protest actions in the history of SLU."
The school administration explained that in their June 21 letter to the SLU community, they enumerated the facts to substantiate their claim that Odsey indeed failed to comply with the school's academic requirements.
The school officials said that based on the 2004 edition of their student handbook, "grades are based solely on the academic performance and achievement of students." They also said that under SLU's academic retention policy, "a student who fails more than 45 percent of his subject load enrolled in the past semester will not be re-admitted to SLU unless the college dean refers the student to the Guidance Center for a very meritorious reason."
They said that Odsey enrolled in SLU for the first time during the first semester of school year 2000-2001 in the College of Natural Sciences. "Based on school records, during the 12 semesters and six summer terms, he incurred a substantial percentage of failures and had to be referred to the Guidance Center on four instances before enrollment because of these academic deficiencies," they said.
"Given Odsey's academic deficiencies and following the above-cited academic policies of SLU, the school's decision not to readmit him firmly stands on solid ground. The SLU administration's decision is fully supported by the Manual of Regulations for Private Schools which clearly provide that admission to any private school is open to all pupils and students who meet its specific standards, requirements and regulations as expressed in printed publications or other written material. Except in cases of academic deficiency, violation of school rules and regulations, the closure of the school itself, the pupil or student who qualifies for enrollment is qualified to stay for the entire period in which he is expected to complete the course in a school, without prejudice to his right to transfer to other schools within the prescribed period," they said.
According to them, the Supreme Court (SC) has also declared that while "an institution of learning has a contractual obligation to afford its students a fair opportunity to complete the course they seek to pursue, when a student commits a serious breach of discipline or fails to maintain the required academic standard, he forfeits his contractual rights; and the court should not review the discretion of university authorities."
In a public statement issued by the Supreme Student Council earlier this week, it was learned that Reyes called the faculty of the Department of Pharmacy of the College of Natural Sciences to a meeting at 9:30 a.m. last June 10 to decide whether or not Odsey should be admitted for enrolment.
"Odsey was called by the faculty so that his side may be heard before any decision could be made. After having heard (his) side, the faculty decided to admit him," it was reported.
However, after Odsey went to the dean's office at 2 p.m. of the same day, Reyes reportedly told him that the "the recommendation of the Guidance Office for his non-readmission should be followed."
(June 26, 2006 issue)
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