Office of Student Affairs

OSA

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

The Board of Regents through Resolution 70 s 2019 approved the reorganization of the Office of Student Affairs pursuant to CHED CMO 9 s 2013. The new organizational structure of OSA seeks (a) to strengthen OSA services through OSA reorganization within the limitations and expertise of the unit and (b) to realign some student services to relevant offices in the university.

The current structure of the Office of Student Affairs includes Counseling and Career Department (formerly University Guidance Center), Student Development Services, Scholarship and Financial Assistance, Diversity and Integrative Services, Student Policy and Research Services. Meanwhile, the following services were transferred or realigned to the following offices:

Functions/ Programs Offices/ Unit
Food Services VPRGES/BDO
Economic Enterprise and Student Entrepreneurial Services A unit shall be created under VPRGES to focus on students

Health Services

Medical Aid and Insurance Services

A unit in USM Hospital and Health Services be created to attend to student needs
Disaster Risk Reduction Security Services Management Office creating a Safety Office under SSMO
Social and Community Engagement Shared responsibility of the National Service Training Program and Extension Service Office
Sport Development Creation of  a non-academic department under ISPEAR
Culture and Arts Creation of a non-academic department under ISPEAR
Student Housing and Residential Services Business Development Office shall develop a Campus Residence Life Program for Dorm Residents
Foreign/ International Students Executive Assistant for International Linkages
Student with Special Needs Reproductive Health, HIV Education shall spearheaded by the GADO
Admission Services Admission and Records Office
COUNSELLING AND CAREER DEPARTMENT

Caring for the Future

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

Formerly the University Guidance Center, it provides services in Guidance and Counseling, Information and Orientation Services, Career Guidance and Job Advisory.

Guidance and Counseling Services

  • Find ways to enhance students’ psychological well being through academic achievement, personal growth, and social development
  • Provide integrated approach to the development of well-functioning individuals primarily by helping then to utilize their potentials to the fullest
  • Provide individual and/or group intervention designed to facilitate positive change in student behavior, feelings, and attitudes
  • Monitor systematically the effectiveness of guidance activities
  • Coordinate with multi-disciplinary team of specialists to ensure that special needs of students are met
  • Conducts information and inventory, counseling, appraisal and testing, placement and follow-up, and referral
  • Lead in the implementation of mental health laws

Information and Orientation Services

  • Provide administrative and technical support to the Student Welfare Committee
  • Provide informative activities and materials designed to facilitate student adjustment to life in tertiary/higher education
  • Develop information materials on the institutional profile, personal/ social materials including those relevant to Anti-VAWC Act, Drug Abuse and Prevention, Sexual Harassment, HIV-AIDS, self-care and healthy lifestyles,
  • Ensure that information materials are accessible and available to all students
  • Conduct comprehensive orientation program for new and continuing students responsive to students’ needs

Career Guidance and Job Advisory Services

  • Enriches career competencies, placement fit and building industry partnership for students’ career success
  • Provide assistance for vocational and occupational fitness and employment
  • Gather information about students through the use of psychological tests and non-psychometric devices
  • Conduct job fairs and career seminars
  • Conduct resume clinics and career e-portfolio
  • Conduct Life Skills Training and Development (conflict and stress management
  • Regularly coordinates with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the labor markets and trends
  • Regularly coordinates with industry partners in on-campus recruitment
  • Regularly coordinates with appropriate offices and projects (tracer studies) in collating up-to-date information of graduate performance

Job Hiring

Student Welfare Committee

The department also serves as the secretariat of the Student Welfare Committee.

  • Recommend internal rules and regulations to support relevant laws such as RA 9262 or Anti-VAWC, Anti-Bullying Act, Drug Abuse Prevention, RA 7877 or Anti-Sexual Harassment Act; RA 9442 anti-PWD discrimination;
  • Recommend policies to enhance guidance and counselling services;
  • Recommend policies to enhance career guidance;
  • Recommend appropriate psychological test materials;
  • Recommend policies on safety management to support RA 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 to be implemented by the Security Services and Management Office;
  • Recommend policies regarding establishment of student laboratory cooperatives, savings, and other entrepreneurial activities to be implemented by the Business Development Office;
  • Regularly reviews the contents of the Student Handbook
  • Members:
    • Vice President for Academic Affairs
    • President, University Student Government
    • Director, Office of Student Affairs
    • Director, Health Services
    • Director, Security Services and Management Office
    • Director, Business Development Office
    • Director, Gender and Development Office
    • Department Head, Counselling and Career Services
    • Department Head, Student Policy and Research Services
    • Department Head, Diversity and Integrative Services

COLLEGE GUIDANCE COORDINATOR/ STUDENT SERVICES COORDINATORS

Pending hiring of professional guidance counselors, faculty members from each unit maybe designated as guidance coordinators upon favorable recommendation of the Dean. The Counselling and Career Department shall initiate the proper training of designated guidance coordinators for them to effectively assist in providing appropriate services. The designated guidance coordinators shall act as student services coordinator of the respective units. OSA shall closely coordinate with the Deans in the implementation of guidance/student services.
Student Development Services Department

Aktibong Mag-aaral, May Dangal

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

Campus Organizations Regulation and Development

  • Recognize/ accredit, supervise and monitor of student organizations
  • Evaluate performance of student organization
  • Establish mechanism, process, procedure in accreditation
  • Review the constitution and by-laws of student organizations
  • Assist the University Student Government in its compliance to regulatory agencies requirements

Student Publication

  • Provide support the establishment and implementation of student publication in pursuant to RA 7079 or Campus Journalism Act
  • Monitor the activities of the student media outfits
  • Accredit and evaluate performance of student publication both print and non-print media

Campus Activity Monitoring and Permits

  • Supervise, recognize and monitor of student activities
  • Issue permits for activities organized by the students in-campus
  • Screen the request for non-curricular off-campus activities in compliance of CMO 63 s. 2017 and other applicable rules and to endorse the same to the Office of the President through the VPAA
  • Establish mechanism, process, procedure in activity monitoring and issuances of permits

Leadership Enhancement

  • Design and facilitate leadership training sessions /modules for students
  • Provide opportunities to develop and enhance leadership effectiveness in the individual and organizational levels
  • Provide administrative and technical support to the Student Development Committee
  • Lead in the evaluation of the performance of students and student organizations and recommend for the Gawad Parangal Awards
  • Assist in the screening of applicants for mobility and off-campus leadership trainings

Student Development Committee

The Department serves as the secretariat of the Student Development Committee

  • Recommend policies regarding accreditation of student governments and organizations
  • Recommend policies relevant to in-campus and off-campus activities
  • Recommend policies relevant to sport development program to be implemented by ISPEAR
  • Recommend policies relevant to culture and arts to be implemented by ISPEAR
  • Recommend policies on the social and community engagement of students
  • Recommend policies relevant to student publication and the implementation of the Campus Journalism Act
  • Recommend policies on the participation of students to mobility and leadership trainings
  • Members:
    • Vice President for Academic Affairs
    • President, University Student Government
    • Director, Office of Student Affairs
    • Director, National Service Training Program
    • Director, Extension Services Offices
    • Executive Assistant for International Linkages
    • Dean, Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation
    • Department Head, Student Development Services
    • Department Head, Student Policy and Research Services

Scholarship and Financial Assistance

OSA

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

Scholarship Administration

  • Manage scholarship programs for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students
  • Collate student records and submit applications to scholarship agencies
  • Coordinate with UniFAST and other scholarship agencies for the timely application and compliance to sponsors requirements
  • Supervise the distribution of benefits to scholars in coordination with other offices

Financial Aid and Student Loan

  • Identify deserving students for financial aid and student loan
  • Recommend policies for Student Loan
  • Generation and allocation of funds for financial subsidy and student loans

Student Work Assistance

  • Supervise the implementation of the University Student Assistantships (USA)
  • Supervise the implementation of the Student Work Referral System

Scholarship Scanning and Monitoring

  • Source out and scan scholarship agencies
  • Advertise scholarship opportunities
  • Coordinate and match scholars with scholarship agencies
  • Monitoring of Scholars Performance
  • Coordinate with Student Development Services Department in the conduct of activities to enhance scholars leadership skills

Scholarship Board

The department also serves as the secretariat of the Student Scholarship Board.

  • Recommend policies in criteria and screening of scholars
  • Recommend policies relevant to scholarship and financial aid
  • Reviews memoranda of agreements with sponsoring agencies
  • Recommend policies on University Student Assistantships and Student Work Referral System
  • Recommend policies relevant to student loan and financial assistance
  • Members:
    • Vice President for Academic Affairs
    • Director, Office of Student Affairs
    • Director, Finance and Management Services
    • Director, Business Development Office
    • Director, Admission and Records Office
    • Department Head, Scholarship and Financial Assistance
    • Department Head, Student Policy and Research Services

Diversity and Intergrative Services

No Student Left Behind

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

Multi-Faith and Peace Advocacy Services

  • Provide environment conducive to exercise of religious freedom
  • Conduct of inter-faith dialogues
  • Conduct activities integrating peace advocacies in student organizations
  • Supervise campus ministry programs
  • Supervise religious organizations in coordination with the SDS department

Diversity and Affirmative Action

  • Maintains database of students belonging to IP, PWD, solo parent, senior citizen groups, etc in coordination with ARO.
  • Provide appropriate services for students with special needs
  • Organize program and activities for students with special needs to be integrated to the mainstream studentry.
  • Organize activities that will minimize racism, discrimination and prejudices to students with special needs.

BM Plang Legacy

  • Organize activities that showcase the life and works of Bai Matabai Plang
  • Organize the studentry to be active partner in the celebration of the Bai Matabai Plang Day.

Student Policy and Research Department

OSA

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.

Student Handbook

Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Conduct research related to student affairs
  • Regular monitoring and evaluation on the implementation of student service
  • Prepare and submit reports to oversight agencies
  • Coordinate with other offices administering student services not under direct supervision of the OSA
  • Coordinate offices for quality assurance

Student Discipline

  • Define appropriate student conduct and prescribe sanctions thereof
  • Provide administrative and technical support to Student Discipline Committee

Student Assistance and Grievance

  • Provide timely mechanism to address student grievance
  • Conduct regular consultation

University Council on Student Discipline

The Department also serves as the secretariat of the University Council on Student Discipline.

  • Recommend policies relevant to student discipline and decorum;
  • Cause the creation of preliminary investigation committee;
  • Cause the creation of student crime prevention committee to be coordinated by the SSMO;
  • Review final judgments, decisions, resolutions, orders of the preliminary investigatory committee;
  • Recommend penalties and sanctions to the various offenses including classification thereof
  • Conduct investigation when necessary;
  • Members:
    • University Legal Officer or a personnel with legal background as Chairman
    • Student Chief Justice or its equivalent, University Student Government
    • Director, Office of Student Affairs
    • Director, Security Services Management Office
    • Department Head, Student Policy and Research Services

Table of Organization

OSA

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.
Manpower

OSA

The Office of Student Affairs takes the lead in offering student services to graduate, undergraduate and secondary students. OSA shall closely coordinate with other units to ensure that student services are made available. OSA shall monitor the implementation of student services in autonomous and satellite campuses of the university and periodically review its performance.