Joint Statement on the Main Points Discussed Regarding the Student Strike, 22 November 2020
A JOINT STATEMENT ON THE MAIN POINTS DISCUSSED REGARDING
THE STUDENT STRIKE
By the Representatives of Student and Alumni Groups
and by the Associate Dean for Student Formation
(22 November 2020)
2. The parties agreed to better coordinate mobilizations that will be held on campus property including those principally organized by external groups in order to help maintain order and ensure that safety measures are in place. Consultations will be held with various stakeholders to determine how best to address the use of campus property for expression of grievances while taking into consideration order and safety.
3. Scholars who join the strike (and scholars in general) who file a WP in the second quarter may keep their scholarship for the succeeding semester, assuming they do not have an F or W mark in the first quarter (following the LS academic policies that cover scholarships). However, there is no guarantee from the OAA that it will pay for a retake of the courses that scholars will file a WP for (following the current OAA guidelines on scholarship guidelines). Appeals can be made on a case-to-case basis. OAA will talk to the scholars early next week, and they will answer questions regarding this matter. Student strikers who wish to withdraw with permission may do so until 28 November 2020 for semestral courses and 19 December 2020 for quarterly courses.
Scholars who join the strike (and scholars in general) may also get an INC at the end of the second quarter, without prejudice to their scholarship. However, they must sign a conforme during second semester registration that they should have a final passing grade for the course/s for which they have an INC before they can enroll in a succeeding semester.
4. Support has been provided by the University for students and other members of the University community who were affected by the recent typhoons. Those who need further assistance may contact the Office of Student Services via ls.one@ateneo.edu or 0920 914 2372.
5. In addition, students who have been affected by typhoons are advised to inform the Sanggunian School Representatives about their difficulties in following instructors’ mandates that seem to lack consideration of these students’ current circumstances. It would be best for the feedback to be specific so that it can be more immediately addressed. The Sanggunian, in cooperation with the University administration, will assist students in ensuring that considerations are made by professors. School representatives may be reached as shown below:
7. The student strikers will work with the Vice President for Social Development to come up with more concrete steps that Ateneo de Manila can take to be better involved in making communities more resilient, in holding those responsible for the human costs of recent natural disasters to account, and in achieving climate justice.
8. All the represented groups are working together on broad collective action to hold this government accountable for its failings with regard to the pandemic and disaster response.
We invite the rest of the Ateneo community to join us in our efforts to build understanding between one another, hold this government accountable, and stand in solidarity with the communities we work with. These are times that call for our ideals of magis, generosity, and service to the nation and to the least of our brothers and sisters.
