New student organizations wishing to apply for accreditation for the next school year would be unable to do so following a memorandum from the Office for Student Affairs (OSA).
In a memorandum dated April 3, OSA suspended the application for recognition of new student organizations in the University but the office did not state any particular reason for the suspension.
The suspension comes on the heels of the hazing case of Faculty of Civil Law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, who died Sept. 17 last year after undergoing the initiation rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.
Aegis Juris had been an accredited fraternity based in the faculty for the past school years and the Senate inquiry panel pointed out during a hearing last Sept. 25 that, despite its suspension, the fraternity was allowed to present during the faculty’s freshman orientation last August.
However, OSA Director Socorro Guan Hing contested during the Senate hearing that it was only by September — during the time of Castillo’s death — that the fraternity’s suspension became official.
Divina further clarified that the fraternity was still deemed to be compliant with its accreditation June last year.
“In June, they are deemed to be compliant. Only in September that they are deemed to be non-compliant,” Divina told the Senate inquiry panel.
Guan Hing also stated before the panel that the college’s freshman orientation was not meant for recruitment.
“There is also a schedule for recruitment done by organizations which comes after they have been recognized. If and when recruitment really happened, that was not authorized,” she said.
In a statement released last Feb. 18 regarding the expulsion of eight law students linked to Castillo’s case, OSA said they conducted a seminar for organization advisers and student leaders on the Anti-Hazing Law and recommended a review of the Student Handbook as well as organization accreditation processes.
In the same statement, the office further said they also issued an indefinite moratorium on recruitment and activities of all fraternities and sororities in UST following the incident.
OSA’s recent memorandum states that “specific details” regarding the recognition of fraternities and sororities would be issued separately.
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