Sustainability in Academe: Blazing a Trail (UA&P Sustainability Report 2011-2012)

Sustainability in Academe

Blazing a Trail

University of AsiA And the PAcificUA&P

UA&P Sustainability Report 2011-2012

CONTENTS

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE 1

INTRODUCTION 2

ABOUT UA&P 3

ABOUT THE REPORT 9

SUSTAINABILITY IN ACADEME: BLAZING A TRAIL 10

Elevating the Academic Atmosphere 11

Fortifying Man and His Society 37

Advancing Responsible Stewardship 53

Fostering Environmental Consciousness 57

ASSURANCE STATEMENTS FOR TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE 60

ASSURANCE STATEMENT FOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 66

EXTERNAL REVIEW COMMITTEE 68

GRI CONTENT INDEX 72

ACADEMIC CONTENT INDEX 84

GRI APPLICATION LEVEL CHECK STATEMENT 88

PHOTOS BY ERWIN CANLAS, CECILIA FORBES, AND CCO ARCHIVE

1Sustainability in Academe

Blazing a Trail

It is my pleasure to present the first Sustainability Report of our University and, for that matter, of an educational institution in the Philippines. We have decided to embark on sustainability reporting because we believe it is a vital means for measuring how far we have gone in achieving our objectives as well as how prepared we are to meet the challenges of the future.

To us, the sustainability report is not just one among many reports we produce annually but a unifying mechanism for our regular review processes. It provides a system for consolidating, integrating, and internationalizing all our reporting efforts.

The GRI Guidelines has given us an integrating perspective that is aligned to one of our central hallmarkspeople development. Its GRI frameworktriple bottom line (TBL) reportingcaptures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success, giving as much premium to social (people) and environmental (planet) aspects as to the economic profit.

For an organization such as ours whose business is the formation of people, a commitment to TBL reporting reinforces and refines our commitment to coordinate the interests of stakeholdersstudents, faculty and staff, partners (which include parents and alumni), and the international Asia-Pacific communityrather than maximize shareholder profit.

To make the Sustainability Report more reflective of the functions of an educational institution, we drew up another set of indicators that measure in a more extensive way the performance of an organization whose main concern is the integral development of individuals.

We hope that this contribution of ours to the GRI Framework will help other educational institutions go much further in achieving their objectives.

JOSE MARIA G. MARIANO, PhDPresident

Presidents Message

2UA&P Sustainability Report 2011-2012

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) counts itself as one of the few educational institutions that pioneered, and continue to pioneer, the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its programs.

As early as 2001, UA&P began to offer a three-unit CSR course, making it a mandatory subject for the students. This move even preceded the Commission on Higher Education-mandated integration of CSR in business courses.

To strengthen our commitment to CSR, we have established the Center for Social Responsibility, which is now one of the hallmark centers of UA&P. The Center takes care of UA&Ps integrated development programs that enable people, particularly the poor and marginalized, to help themselves.

Since 2007, the University has been playing an active role in shaping the global sustainability agenda through its elected seat in the Netherlands-based Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

It has also been assisting companies with innovative sustainability reporting solutions. To share its technical expertise, promote meaningful dialogue, and exchange ideas about sustainability reporting, it has organized a yearly Sustainability Conference that pools together leaders from all types of Philippine business.

Through the years, we have strengthened our commitment and mechanism for transparency and accountability through various means, one of which is stakeholder engagement. We have formed a People Development Committee whose objective is to identify programs and projects that will best benefit employees. We also have a semiannual General Assembly where employees are updated on the operations of the University and how issues they previously brought up are being resolved.

In 2011, the Management Committee made a decision to produce a sustainability report for the School Year 2011-2012, the first to be made by any academic institution in the country. According to the University President Jose Maria Mariano, it will help unify and enhance our regular review processes as well as embed a culture of evidence in the University.

UA&P is set to blaze yet another trail in its pioneering efforts in sustainability as it comes out with this first ever sustainability report from a Philippine academic institution.

This report will allow the University to have a deeper understanding of its current performance and how it can further improve its operations. It is also an important means of engaging with the different stakeholders.

The GRI framework has been adopted for this purpose as it describes sustainability performance and addresses corporate social responsibility.

Introduction


Blazing a Trail

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) is a private, not-for-profit institution of higher learning that puts due emphasis on the integral development of the human person and seeks to contribute to the integral human development of the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region. It traces its beginnings to the Center for Research and Communication (CRC), which was established more than 40 years ago as a private think-tank conducting research and offering graduate courses in economics and management. It gradually expanded its education activities and, in 1995, was granted university status by the Commission on Higher Education, the first such act of the then newly established commission.

UA&P, located in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila, has a population of 1,750 undergraduate and graduate students. There are 137 full-time faculty members, 98 part-time faculty members, and 216 administrative staff. To date, the University has produced more than 6,600 alumni, including those who graduated from CRC.

The University has one college, six schools, and one institute that offer academic degrees:

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Institute of Political Economy (IPE), under CAS governance

School of Communication (SCM) School of Economics (SEC) School of Education and Human Development (SED) School of Management (SMN) School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE)

Three centers are mandated to promote the corresponding hallmarks of the University:

Center for Student Affairs (CSA), for the values formation hallmark

Center for Social Responsibility (CSR), for the people development hallmark

Center for Research and Communication (CRC), for the research and communication hallmark

About UA&P


incapacity, inability, or disability of the President, takes over and discharges all the duties of the latter as well as other duties as may be delegated to him by the President. The Treasurer of the Foundation has custody of the funds and the securities of the Foundation, receives for the Foundation any and all contributions from persons and organizations in the Philippines and in other parts of the world, deposits the funds of the Foundation including contributions and securities in such banks or trust companies as may be designated by the Board, and performs all duties incident to the Office of Treasurer. The Treasurer also posts a bond in such sum and with such security as may be determined or fixed by the BOT.

The Secretary of the Foundation takes care of the records of the meetings, has custody of the corporate seal, notifies the trustees of their election, and under the

Governance

The University of Asia and the Pacific is a project of the University of Asia and the Pacific Foundation, Inc. (UA&PFI) and is governed by its Board of Trustees (BOT).

The BOT, which has 14 members, is composed of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the President, the Vice President, the Treasurer, and 10 Board members. The mandate of the Board is to manage the affairs, business, and property of the Foundation. Within the UA&PFI BOT, an Executive

Committee decides on matters raised during the regular monthly meetings. This is composed of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the President, the Treasurer, and one more Board member.

The Chairman of the Board convenes the Board of Trustees pursuant to the By-Laws of the UA&PFI. He presides over all meetings of the Board and the meetings of the members of the Foundation.

The Vice Chairman of the Board assists the Chairman in the performance of his duties, and acts as Chairman in the latters absence.

The President of the Foundation, who must be a member of the Board of Trustees, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and exercises general supervision and control of the corporations business affairs.

The Vice President of the Foundation, in the absence, death,

UA&PFI Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees Members

Paul A. Dumol, PhDEnrique P. Esteban, PhDJose Rene C. Gayo, D.B.A.Marie Rose G. Marcella

Antonio H. OzaetaAmbassador Jose V. Romero, Jr., PhD

Shirley M. SanggalangIreneo U. Tan

Antonio N. Torralba, PhD

Placido L. Mapa, Jr., PhDChairman

Javier J. CaleroVice Chairman

Jose Maria G. Mariano, PhDPresident

Bernardo M. Villegas, PhDVice President

Judy Rosario G. CamTreasurer

Arwin M. Vibar, PhDSecretary


Blazing a Trail

general direction of the President, prepares and presents the business to be acted upon at all meetings.

The Management Committee (ManCom) is a collegial governing body of the University, directly under the BOT and the Executive Committee. Its prerogatives extend to the implementation of the strategic directions for the University set by the Board of Trustees. Presently, the ManCom is composed of the University President, the University Vice Presidents, and the University Secretary. The President coordinates the work of the other members of the ManCom and presides over the ManCom meetings.

Under the ManCom are the Operations Committees (OpComs), each of which is tasked with the governance of a particular school within the University. The members of an OpCom are the Dean of the college/school, the Vice Deans, and the college/school Secretary.

As indicated in the UA&PFI By-Laws, members of the Board shall not receive any stated salary for their services as Trustees. Senior managers and executives are covered by the salary structure of the University.

The by-laws state that the members of the UA&PFI shall consist of the incorporators named in the

articles of incorporation and such other members as may be admitted only by a majority vote of all the members of the BOT. Admission to membership in the Board is made to prospective members only upon the invitation of the Board and after thorough screening of their qualifications.

Stakeholder Engagement

The University has a wide range of stakeholders that include students, employees, alumni, parents, potential applicants, other higher education institutions, the local community, the local government, government agencies, professional organizations, media, and suppliers

Figure 1. UA&P Organizational Chart

board of trustees

managementcommittee

universitysecretariat

cas/ipeopcom

secopcom

smnopcom

scmopcom

sedopcom

Center For Student Affairs (CSA) opcom

Center for Research and Communication

(CRC)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opcom

College of Arts and

Sciences (CAS)Lit HisArts HumEng P.E.Rel Fil APS Philo (Lib. (APL)Arts)

Institute ofPoliticalEconomy

(IPE)

EngineeringInformation Science

and TechnologyMathematics

Natural Sciences

Office ofStudent Affairs

(OSA)

Office of Alumni Affairs(OAA)

CorporateCommunicationsOffice (CCO)

DevelopmentOffice (DEV)

Chaplaincy(CHP)

Admissions Office (ADM)

University Library (LIB)

Financial Management & Reporting

(FMR)

Human Resource Management

(HRM)

Informationand

CommunicationTechnologies

(ICT)

Public andInternational

Affairs(PIA)

sseopcom

Office of the Registrar(REG)

Assets & Facilities

Management (AFM)

Strategic BusinessEconomics Program (SBEP)

Applied BusinessEconomics Program (ABEP)

BusinessEconomics

(BE)

IndustrialEconomics

Program (IEP)

BSBA Program

Master of Sciencein Management Program (MScM)

Center for Food and Agribusiness

(CFA)

EntrepreneurialManagement Program (EM)

Continuing Management

Education (CME)

Integrated Marketing Commu-nications

MA in Commu-nication

MA Devt Educ

MA Child Devt Educ

Educ Leadership

Human Cap Devt


converse with the University officials through get-togethers and informal sessions.

Officials of financial institutions and of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are met whenever the need arises.

For this specific report, the GRI Steering Committee, composed of key university officers, identified the Universitys stakeholders and ranked them based on the GRI guidelines. The following were identified as the Universitys stakeholders: teachers and administrative staff employed in the University, students, alumni, parents, financial institutions we transact with, suppliers, and

of goods. Engagement with them takes place through various media such as surveys, focus group discussions, and exit interviews with employees and students. The employees can course comments and recommendations to the ManCom through the People Development Committee, which is a consultative body in matters related to employees. They can also convey suggestions through the employee suggestion boxes or through their immediate supervisors. The University has also institutionalized a semiannual general assembly for employees where issues affecting employees are discussed and views are expressed. For this sustainability report, formal focus group discussions were organized with select stakeholders. Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement underwent materiality testing and formed part of the performance indicators in this report.

In general, we have established avenues for stakeholders to contribute to the improvement of the University. A climate survey was done in 2011 to identify the employees work-related concerns. A semiannual general assembly for employees was established so that those leading the University can give the employees updates on the situation of the University. This is also an opportunity for the employees to air out their concerns and ask questions to those in governance. The People Development Committee was also established to identify and provide recommendations to the employees concerns. UA&P News Page, the community newsletter of the University, is published fortnightly.

We also make sure that students and parents get to interact and

government institutions that regulate higher educational institutions, such as the CHED. We conducted focus group discussions with select stakeholders to identify the issues that are relevant to them.

The key topics that were raised during the focus group discussions were the following:

1. Salary and benefits of employees

2. Issues on communication3. Promotion4. Ranking and promotion5. Mentoring6. Facilities7. Quality of teachers,

teaching, and research

Programs OfferedFive-year Graduate Programs MasterofArtsinCommunication,majorin

IntegratedMarketingCommunications MasterofArtsinEducation,majorinChild

DevelopmentandEducation MasterofArtsinHumanities MasterofArtsinPoliticalEconomywithSpecialization

inInternationalRelationsandDevelopment MasterofScienceinIndustrialEconomics MasterofScienceinManagement

Bachelors Programs BachelorofArtsinEconomics BachelorofArtsinHumanities BachelorofArtsinIntegratedMarketingCommunications BachelorofArtsinMediaandEntertainmentManagement BachelorofArtsinPoliticalEconomy BachelorofScienceinAppliedMathematics BachelorofScienceinBusiness

AdministrationmajorinManagement BachelorofScienceinChildDevelopmentandEducation BachelorofScienceinEntrepreneurialManagement BachelorofScienceinHumanCapitalDevelopment BachelorofScienceinIndustrialEngineering BachelorofScienceinInformationTechnology

Other Graduate Programs MasterinAppliedBusinessEconomics MasterinBusinessEconomics MasterinEducation,majorinChildDevelopmentandEducation MasterinEducation,majorinEducationalLeadership


Blazing a Trail

The Universitys governing bodies have been trying to address the concerns of the stakeholders by putting policies and programs in place. For example, concerns on communications were addressed by setting up the People Development Committee, publishing a newsletter and a magazine regularly, and putting up employee suggestion boxes, among others.

Hallmark Centers

The University has three hallmark centers to correspond to its three hallmarks: Center for Student Affairs, for the hallmark of values education; Center for Social Responsibility, for the hallmark of people development; and Center for Research and Communication, for the hallmark research and communication.

Center for Student Affairs

Formerly known as the Office of Student Affairs, the Center for Student Affairs (CSA) has recently been made a center to highlight its role as a guardian of one of UA&Ps hallmarks: Values Formation.

Aside from the day-to-day services CSA provides, there is also a diverse selection of activities, development

programs, and volunteer projects for students who aim to optimize their college experience. These combine to address the various needs of students and provide an atmosphere conducive to personal learning and growth.

In the same spirit, CSA also advocates responsible participation in student-initiated projects and organizations. CSA is composed of five desks that encompass every aspect of student life beyond academics Student Services, Mentoring and Guidance, Kultura, Civics, and Sports Development.

Center for Social Responsibility

The Center for Social Responsibility (CSR) is the social extension center of the University of Asia and the Pacific.

It aims to maximize the synergy of the faculty, students, and partner institutions in uplifting the social and economic conditions of marginalized groups in society. This is borne out of the Christian doctrine that every person has the social obligation to reach out to those in need. The Centers brand of social responsibility goes beyond common notions attributed to charity and stewardship that are commonly

expressed by dole-outs. Rather, CSR prefers to view social responsibility along the lines of uplifting the dignity, productivity, and sustainability of people, companies, and communities.

CSR utilizes its professional expertise, resources, and entrepreneurial abilities in a process of synergy to create greater impact and sustainability.

Throughout the years, the University through the Center has engaged in various, wide-ranging projects:

Corporate sustainability Assistance to local

government units in obtaining financing

Community development Strategic planning Character education Poverty alleviation

Center for Research and Communication

The Center for Research and Communication (CRC) was established in August 2010 as a university hallmark center and a joint project of the CRC Foundation, Inc. and UA&P Foundation, Inc.

CRC is a non-stock, non-profit public policy research institution. It undertakes research with the purpose of making current issues understood by decision-makers in business, government, and civil society, who can translate progressive ideas into action.

CRC also aims to help form responsible citizenry that can judge policies on the basis of their wisdom rather than populist appeal. It gives priority to areas of research that maximize the contribution to the common good of Philippine society of officials of government, business, and civil society, who will make use of the findings of research to design their respective policies and programs of action.


Mission Statement of UA&P

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) is an academic community where the pursuit and spread of truth are undertaken according to the highest intellectual and professional standards. It shall always remain faithful to these foundational aims:

To pursue, through world-class research, an interdisciplinary synthesis of humanistic, professional, scientific, and technical knowledge, inspired by a Christian view of man and sense of life;

To promote, in an atmosphere of freedom, the integral development of all the members of the University community so that they may work with good will, competence, and team spirit;

To form committed professionals and encourage them to serve with personal initiative and civic responsibility the community in which they work, thereby helping build just and harmonious social structures; and

To create and spread a culture that strengthens the dignity of the human person and the unity of the family, and that promotes understanding and cooperation among persons of all races, beliefs, and social conditions.

To achieve these aims, the UA&P shall

seek to reach a level of excellence in its research and teaching programs that will earn for the University a place among the most prestigious academic institutions in the Asia-Pacific region;

adopt advanced research and teaching techniques so as to become a source of innovative forms of learning, as well as contribute to a better balance between the cost and quality of research, communication, and education;

adapt its teaching programs, founded upon basic research and the study of the humanities, to the actual needs of a society undergoing progressive change and of a wide region promoting international cooperation;

seek, while working closely with other Philippine institutions, wider regional and international recognition so that it can be present in intellectual fora and policy dialogues;

strengthen and broaden the avenues for cooperation so that it can effectively contribute to the spread of proper values and people development and obtain from various sectors of society the necessary support to carry out its extension work;

organize itself in a manner conducive to internal efficiency and effective coordination, while keeping enough flexibility, so as to enable all members of the university community to contribute freely and responsibly to the fulfillment of their common tasks; and

strive to attain, as a necessary condition for its autonomous development, a level of economic self-sufficiency that will allow the University to firmly establish itself as a center of academic excellence, to initiate new projects, and to admit well-qualified students from the underprivileged sectors of society.


Blazing a Trail

About the Report

This is the first ever sustainability report to be prepared by a Philippine university. The content of the report, which covers School Year 2011-2012, was put together by a steering committee under the leadership of the Vice President for Administrative Affairs. The committee is composed of key people in the University who can disclose information and management approaches behind the categories required by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. The UA&P GRI Steering Committee, composed of key officers of the University, started the process of defining the report content and materiality assessment by identifying and ranking the various stakeholders of the institution. The committee identified the following as key stakeholders: teachers and administrative staff employed in the University, students, alumni, parents, financial institutions we transact with, suppliers, and government institutions that regulate higher educational institutions, such as the Commission on Higher Education. We deem these stakeholders crucial to the development of the University, and they are considered to be the beneficiaries of this sustainability report. After identifying the stakeholders of the institution, we selected individuals from each

sector and conducted focus group discussions with them to know from their perspective which items in the economic, environmental, and social aspects should be reported on by the University. The committee decided to add another category outside those in the GRI framework: Academic Performance, which is unique and highly relevant to the university setting. The steering committee crafted the sub-disclosures on management approaches and identified the key performance index applicable to the University. The committee also included the performance indicators identified by the stakeholders consultation as relevant and should be addressed by the University. These performance indicators were subjected to materiality testing following the GRI standard. Given a highest possible score of 16, the committee decided that those key performance indicators (KPIs) with a score of 10 and above would be reported on. Out of the 53 KPIs for the GRI triple bottom line, only 33 were found relevant23 of which are core indicators while 10 are noncore. For the academic KPIs, all 25 indicators were deemed relevant to the University. Queries regarding the report may be forwarded to Mr. Rolando Sison, Vice President for Administrative Affairs at [email protected].

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Sustainability in Academe: Blazing A Trail

The Universitys sustainability agenda is inspired by its commitment to contribute to the integral human development of the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region. Our core business is educating individuals, and our approach to sustainability is therefore rooted in the human person.

We believe that sustainability is not only about environmental protection, nor should it only be about economic viability or social development. It has other dimensions that are just as important, particularly in a setting such as a university and with a strategic direction that holds the human person as its driving force.

Since the core business of the University is education, its sustainability efforts are anchored on its academic goals and strategic directions. Hence, sustainability endeavors, whether economic, social, or environmental, need to support the fullest development of everything that is human in the individual.

The Universitys sustainability commitments are presented here according to academic, economic, social, and environmental perspectives.

We reached the decision to include the academic perspective in addition to the triple bottom line because of the vital role of education in sustainability efforts that are aimed at upholding human dignity. We drew up a set of indicators based on the four major areas of operation that make up the academic lifecurriculum, faculty, students, and alumni. Together, they form what we want to call the fourth bottom line: Academic Performance.

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Blazing a Trail

The University seeks to be a university of choice imparting a seamless curriculum, handled by a prestigious faculty, preparing students for competence in life and at work, and with the alumni steeped in social responsibility.

The university curriculum is founded on a liberal education perspective and a Christian outlook. The core curriculum serves as the Universitys gateway to the specialization programs, which in turn are all intended to give the students a more thorough preparation for the exercise of the skills demanded by their professions.

The faculty, who are the primary channel of the curriculum, aim to be mindful of their indispensable role in the life of the University, nurturing their personal integrity and professional prestige so that they may contribute more effectively to the integral development of their students and the rest of the academic community through classroom instruction, research, extension, and personalized dealings.

The students, the raison dtre of the University, are seen to grow steadily in their pursuit of integral development and, thus, in their disposition to take full advantage of the curricular and co-curricular programs of the school, and even to help create development education initiatives.

The alumni, who form the Universitys showcase, manifest their appreciation of their experience in the University by committing and contributing time,

money, and effort in the pursuit of the Universitys vision and mission statement and the continuity of its corporate aims and goals.

The academic and administrative support staff assures the details of the teaching and learning environment in the University, thereby facilitating the full and

pleasant exercise of teaching and learning responsibilities.

The goals above are attained through the core curriculum, specialized studies, co-curricular activities, the hidden curriculum, and, in general, campus life, transforming students into persons and professionals who are steadfast in the service of God and society.

ELEVATING THE ACADEMIC ATMOSPHEREGiven our core business of educating individuals and our approach of grounding our sustainability in the human person, the academic life of the University focuses on four major areas of operation: the curriculum, the faculty, the students, and the alumni.

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Policy and goal-setting, as well as implementation, monitoring, and evaluation are carried out periodically and collegially in all levels of governance, from general assembly, to the faculty, to the department chairs and program directors, to the Operations Committee, to the Management Committee, and to the Board of Trustees.

The following performance indicatorsgrouped into curriculum, faculty, students, and alumnidemonstrate that our educational programs, goals, and strategies are sustainable.

SEAMLESS CURRICULUM

The course offerings, the program of studies, the course framework, and the course syllabi are founded on and anchored in the reality and development of the human person and his or her relationship with others, the material world, and God. Hence, the curriculum has the human person as its focus and as jumping board of its construction and implementation. In a concrete manner, the curriculum translates the vision and mission of the University.

The university curriculum is characterized by a liberal education orientation and a Christian outlook and by a seamless unity across

courses in a given program and between the core and specialization curricula. Each subject is deliberately made coherent with the other subjects in the core curriculum and specialization curriculum.

All programs are submitted to all stages of peer accreditation at the appropriate time to guarantee continuing monitoring of quality and upgrading.

To ensure that the curriculum is seamless and integrated, we see to it that the following factors are clearly established:

The specific contribution of each course to the corresponding program;

The specific contribution of each program to the Universitys clientele;

The linkages between the core curriculum and the specialization curriculum; and

The delineation between the four- and the five-year programs.

Hence, standards, rubrics, and procedures for evaluation of learning in the different courses, including evaluation of research papers and theses, have to be institutionalized.

All these imply the review of the content of the course syllabi in all programs to ensure the attainment of program goals. This helps significantly in the attainment of Level III accreditation in four graduate programs and Level II accreditation in three other programs.

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

UA&P has two types of undergraduate programs:(a) one that serves as core curriculum for the straight masters program in certain fields; and (b) one that stands alone as a full Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. These programs have an integral connection with graduate programs through the liberal education component and the smooth transition to graduate school founded on the principles of liberal education.

The core curriculum subjects (liberal arts) prepare students competently for the specialization curriculum subjects in the graduate schools, particularly in critical thinking, effective discourse, and translating thought to programs and activities geared toward the common good.

Differentiation in standards between undergraduate and graduate programs is seen quantitatively in the competency/passing mark in undergraduate programs (3.0 on a scale of 1 to 3.5) and graduate programs (2.5 on the same scale). The departments and graduate schools provide the qualitative meaning of 2.5 and 3.0 in terms of competencies specific to the disciplines.

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Blazing a Trail

Table 1. UA&P Programs Accredited by PACUCOA

Programs Level

Liberal Arts Program Level III

Master in Business Economics Level II (3rd accreditation)

Master in Applied Business Economics Level II (3rd accreditation)

Master of Science in Industrial Economics

Level II (3rd accreditation)

Master of Arts in Education Level II (3rd accreditation)

Master of Arts in Communication Major in Integrated Marketing Communications

Level I (working for Level II)

Master of Arts in Political Economy with Specialization in International Relations and Development

Level I (working for Level II)

Master of Science in Management Level I (working for Level II)

A number of programs have been accredited by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA). PACUCOA is a private accrediting agency that gives formal recognition to an educational institution by attesting that its academic programs maintain excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives.

All academic programs are expected to submit themselves to peer accreditation by PACUCOA through Level III status by School Year 2021-2022. The list of accredited programs is shown on the Table 1.

Two other programs (AB Integrated Marketing Communications and AB Political Economy) will have their preliminary visit before the end of School Year 2012-2013.

Students academic performance is evaluated through a reasoned judgment made by the subject faculty. The sole criterion for student evaluationon a scale of

1, 2, 3, and 3.5is acquisition of competencies. A set of rubricsmeaning of each mark, expressed in gradations of .25has been in use for several years.

As part of their academic requirements and as basis for performance evaluation, students are assigned papers on topics coherent with pedagogical expectations according to the students respective developmental stages.

Students are also expected to undertake research work and hence to submit theses. They are

prepared through formal courses in research in both undergraduate (Communication Arts III) and graduate (Methods and Materials of Research) levels. In the graduate level, the course is mostly geared to thesis writing. The two preparatory approval stages for thesis writing are the topic presentation and the proposal defense (preferably with the same panel for both). The final thesis defense features the same panel as well to the extent possible.

The universal criteria for thesis defense include content or substance, contribution to the understanding of the field, coherence among the parts of the thesis, and oral presentation. The different schools in the University translate these criteria according to the nature and demands of their respective programs. The thesis panel has three to five members, including the thesis adviser and an outsider knowledgeable in the theme.

Core Curriculum

The number of units assigned to the core curriculum and the specialization studies has been rationally determined on the basis of (a) national policy

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requirements, (b) dictates of the job market, and (c) the academic thrust of the University.

The bulk of the core curriculum is usually completed in the first two years of four-year programs and the first three years of the straight masters programs. This prepares the students for a seamless transition from core to specialization curriculum, with the core courses as a basis for critical and analytical thinking, application, effective and appropriate communication, and synthesis of faith and reason.

The core curriculum is classified into three clusterswisdom, professional skills, and citizenship subject clusters (the hallmarks of the College of Arts and Sciences, which is charged with the delivery of the core curriculum). The wisdom subject cluster includes Philosophy, History, Literature, Art, and Theology; the professional skills subject cluster has English, Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education;

and the citizenship cluster consists of Filipino, Rizal, Asia-Pacific Studies, and Political Economy.

While each subject is distinct from the rest and has its reason for being, one subject depends on the rest for a holistic appreciation of its own content. For instance, Art looks into its evolution in History and its expression in Literature. English, Filipino, and Math are tools for a deep understanding of the Humanities.

For core curriculum courses, the sole criterion for competence determination is acquisition of targeted knowledge and skills. The evidence can be found in long tests, individual papers, and midterm and final examinations. Personal effort does not enter competence determination; rather, it is seen as a conditio sine qua non for genuine knowledge and skills acquisition. Hence, importance is given to individualized mentoring, where the mentor goes through the study patterns, habits, dispositions, lifestyle, and general academic and personal life of the students he or she is mentoring.

Core curriculum

AB and BS programs. From a high of 105 units (for AB programs) to a low of 75 units (for BS Industrial Engineering), depending on the specialization requirements.

Straight masters program. A high of 120 units (MA Humanities) to a low of 117 for the other programs (MA Political Economy, MS Management, MS Industrial Economics, and MA Communication).

Specialization curriculum

AB programs. From a high of 63 units, including electives (AB Integrated Marketing Communications) to a low of 51 units (AB Humanities), the latter mainly due to the humanities-oriented content of the core curriculum.

BS programs. A high of 132 units (BS Industrial Engineering) to a low of 75 units (BS Human Capital Development).

Straight masters program. A high of 105 units (MA Integrated Marketing Communications) to a low of 69 units (MA Humanities).

Specialization Curriculum

Because the University seeks to offer courses not ordinarily offered elsewhere, we have pioneered in several course offerings. For instance, we offer Integrated Marketing Communications, not Communication; Development Education or Human Capital Development, not Education; Industrial Economics, not Economics; Entrepreneurial Management side by side with Management.

The curriculum of specialization courses is crafted and updated by senior faculty handling the course, in close consultation with industry leaders. This has helped guarantee the continuing relevance of the basics and nuances of program content, based on industry and market movements.

Apart from direct consultation to ensure continuing relevance is engaging the services of industry practitioners, including alumni entrenched in the industry, for

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Blazing a Trail

the faculty. In the Integrated Marketing Communications program, for example, a good number of faculty members teach part-time since they are industry practitioners, even executives.

These two directions explain the high level of employability of UA&P graduates, whether those in the four-year programs or the straight masters programs, with the graduates of the latter enjoying an initial advantage over the former.

Control and Accreditation

The six straight masters programs of UA&P have received their respective government

recognition. So do the existing AB programs (Humanities, Economics, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Political Economy) and BS programs (Information Technology, Entrepreneurial Management, Applied Mathematics, and Business Administration). Three BS programs and one AB program are under Government Permit (BS Industrial Engineering, BS Human Capital Development, and BS Child Development and Education; AB Media and Entertainment Management), a preliminary stage to full recognition.

All academic programs are expected to have submitted

themselves to peer accreditation by PACUCOA through Level III status by School Year 2021-2022.

There is likewise a scheduled rollout of academic programs aimed at the Universitys attainment of institutional accreditation or autonomy from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) by 2018. CHED is the governing body covering both public and private higher education institutions as well as degree-granting programs in all tertiary educational institutions in the Philippines. The target for autonomy has been made coherent with the strategic plan that spans 2010 to 2018.

Figure 2. Proposed Timeline of Accreditation

Legend:

Existing AB programs (Integrated Marketing Communications, Political Economy) whose Government Recognition was granted by CHED in School Year 2010-2011

Graduate programs (Political Economy, Communication, Management) whose Level I Accredited Status was granted by PACUCOA in March 2010

Graduate programs (Education) whose Level II 3rd Re-accreditation Status was granted by PACUCOA in School Year 2010-2011

Graduate programs (Industrial Economics, Business Economics, Applied Business Economics) whose Level II 3rd Re-accreditation Status was granted by PACUCOA in School Year 2010-2011

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Table 2. Timeline of Government Recognition Application of Programs with Permit

Program Status Expiration Submission to CHED

BS Child Development and Education

Authorized to operate the 1st and 2nd year levels of the program, effective SY 2011-2012

March 2013 October 2012

BS Human Capital Development

Authorized to operate the 1st and 2nd year levels of the program, effective SY 2011-2012


BS Industrial Engineering Authorized to operate the 1st and 2nd year levels of the program, effective SY 2011-2013


Internationalization

The Universitys vision for internationalization consists of gaining a deeper understanding of Asia and the creation of niches in Southeast Asia in liberal education and specialization courses, the study of socio-economic issues, and the organization of educators forums on basic and higher education concerns.

Our 2018 strategic plan goals include the following:

A niche in liberal education and specialization courses, taking a good lead among other Southeast Asian universities;

Think-tank status in Asian politics and socio-economic issues;

Presence of university officials and key faculty members in national and international forums attended by officials and faculty of other universities;

Twinning arrangements; Deep understanding of

educational partnership practices in Asia and elsewhere; and

Teachers on sabbatical as visiting professors.

The University has had several memoranda of understanding

and agreement with European and Asia-Pacific universities. It has organized several conferences involving international academics on social issues affecting university education and social development in general. Most recent is an international research series on World Family Map Project, spearheaded by the University of Virginia, the Ridge Foundation, and six other universities in Europe and Latin America.

The University has also signed partnership agreements with Korean and Chinese universities and other private entities on the teaching of English. Ambassadors of Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries have also been invited for exploratory talks on student and faculty exchange, research, and other development initiatives. A recent move is a national essay competition and a photo essay competition on Calidad Humana, with the embassies of Chile and Brazil, the University of Asia and the Pacific, and the University of Santo Tomas comprising the core team.

In addition, the UA&P Tambuli Awards has taken what could be its first big step in becoming a truly global event. The Tambuli Awards, launched in 2005 by the UA&P School of Communication, is the first and only award-giving

body globally of its kind, where equal measure is given to both profitable integrated marketing communications campaigns and the simultaneous promotion of societal values. This year, over a hundred entries not only from the Philippines top advertising agencies and clients but also from Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia vied for the awards. The awards show was graced by international delegates, such as the ambassador of the Republic of Chile, His Excellency Roberto Mayorga; First Secretary of the Embassy of Spain, Antonio Garcia; and Third Secretary of the Embassy of Indonesia, Titik Nahilal Hamzzah.

Another milestone to look forward to in the academic initiatives of the University is the Advanced Management Program (AMP) offering of the Southeast Asia Business Studies (SEABS) of UA&P. SEABS is envisioned to be a leading business school for understanding and mastering Southeast Asian business issues and opportunities. It will leverage the global experience of IESE Business School (the graduate business school of the University of Navarra, Spain) in case-based executive education and UA&Ps Center for Research and Communications track record in business-economics research. The AMP aims to take a

17


Blazing a Trail

general but strategic focus on key business, industry, and global issues that will shape the future business landscape and thinking in Southeast Asia. The program is set to offer a multicultural mix of participants (with senior executives coming from other ASEAN-member countries), modular courses spread out across six months, multi-location delivery (Philippines, Indonesia, and Spain), and an international faculty (the combined roster of faculty from UA&P, IESE Business School, and affiliate schools in Asia).

REPUTABLE FACULTY

In accordance with university policy, faculty members are chosen from a select pool of candidates with at least a masters degree if teaching in the undergraduate level, and preferably with a doctorate degree if teaching in the graduate level.

From incorporation to separation or retirement, faculty members are given the opportunity to undergo internal and external means of personal and professional development in teaching, research, and extension. They are and shall be appropriately compensated and evaluated toward the further enhancement of their academic performance and initiatives.

Interdisciplinary dialogue and faculty mentoring are encouraged among teachers, to enable them to discuss the dynamics and integral applications of the different disciplines and the Universitys corporate culture, Christian orientation, and lifestyle.

The goal of the University is that 100% of the faculty handling the core curriculum and undergraduate

courses be full-fledged graduates of appropriate masters degrees, and 60% of the faculty of the specialization programs be in the graduate level with a doctorate degree. This would rationalize the laying out of a clear career path and development program for each faculty member.

To enable teachers to carry out their workload efficiently and effectively, the management ensures the following:

New teachers are coached through observation and chat sessions at least once a quarter, and one- to three-year teachers at least once a semester;

The compensation package is clearly delineated for the faculty in all stages and aspects of their professional engagement; and,

A complete database on the University and college/school faculty is maintained as easy reference for policy and other decisions and other needs.

Classification

Employees in the faculty track are classified as full-time or part-time. A full-time faculty member renders 44 hours per week of service, equivalent to at least 15 units in a regular semester. He or

she is not employed elsewhere, and after six months of teaching in the University, enjoys all the benefits due to a regular employee of the institution. On the other hand, a teacher who renders service for a minimum of three hours per week is classified as a part-time lecturer. The number of hours he or she renders varies on a semestral basis, and he or she may have professional involvement elsewhere.

Considering the impact of teachers on the lives of the students regardless of number of units taught, the same personal and professional qualifications should be demanded of both full-time and part-time teachers. They shall be subject to the same selection, hiring, salary movements (mutatis mutandis), and separation criteria, and shall be distinguished only by the time they dedicate to university work.

Full-time instructors shall have an ordinary load of 30 teaching units a year, open to load reduction but only for mentoring, professorial research, work of governance and administration, or further studies, and subject further to Operations Committee (OpCom) approval. The teaching load of professors is capped at 18 units a year for them to be able to do research.

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Lecturers and teaching associates

Lecturers are industry practitioners and other experts who are invited to handle classes over a period of time or even a full term. They are distinct from part-timers, who are salaried on a per hour and semestral basis. Lecturers receive honoraria, which considers the total period of engagement but which may be paid out on a per hour basis.

Teaching associates are young graduates with graduation honors, who demonstrate high potential toward teaching competence, but who have not completed a masters degree. Working either part time or an equivalent of full time, they are required to complete their masters degree within a stipulated period.

Those deemed qualified for incorporation as full-time faculty members are proposed following the standard process of approval and clearance. These teachers follow the policy on conversion to permanent status.

Movement from probation to permanence to tenure

Conversion from probation to permanence is one of the more significant and delicate acts of the University. Such conversion

is a declaration of the teachers fitness for long-term engagement in the University and his or her contribution to its corporate development as a higher education enterprise.

Hence, proposals toward permanence are based on a judgment of the teachers moral probity, doctrinal soundness with regard to the Catholic faith, professional competence in his or her field, and clear understanding and application to life of the culture of the University.

The countrys law provides a maximum period of three years of probation from date of employment as faculty member before being made permanent. In the University, full-time teachers are admitted on probationary status for a minimum period of six months to a maximum of three years.

Permanent teachers are dismissed only for cause. Dismissal, however, should be extremely few and far between, on account of the prudence exercised in making a teacher permanent.

The contract of probationary teachers is on a semestral basis. The services of probationary teachers who do not perform competently are terminated after the contract term.

The responsibility for ensuring that only teachers who are fit for long-term engagement in the University are made permanent lies with the OpCom of the unit, with the Management Committees (ManCom) concurrence. ManCom receives and processes the teachers performance evaluation every semester on the first year and every year thereafter.

The Human Resource Management (HRM) is responsible for maintaining a complete file of faculty members, including documents related to the decision of rendering a teacher permanent. For School Year 2011-2012, six faculty members were made permanent, 12 were given contract, and one was given tenure.

Academic ranks

Faculty ranking in the University is a process of the faculty member growing in professional competence and maturity and in fullness of commitment to the ideals espoused by the University.

Ranking begins with the four stages of Instructor and proceeds to Assistant Professor. It eventually leads to tenure upon attainment of Associate Professor and Full Professor.

Upon admission, a faculty member with no doctoral degree is classified under any of the four progression steps of the Instructor rank depending on how far the teacher is into his or her doctoral studies.

Instructor 1 With no PhD units coursed

Instructor 2 With 50% of PhD coursework completed

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Blazing a Trail

Instructor 3 Comprehensive examination or equivalent passed

Instructor 4 Thesis proposal approved

Graduate studies of teachers correspond to the goals of the University. Hence, the University reserves the right to concur with the teachers envisioned graduate study and career path, as well as the choice of institutions of higher learning where teachers should pursue their masters or doctorate studies. For School Year 2011-2012, six faculty members finished their MAs and PhDs.

A faculty member is expected to work towards the rank of at least Assistant Professor.

Admitted faculty members with fully earned PhDs do not immediately qualify for Assistant Professor rank. They start off with a special title, Visiting Fellow, which may be equivalent in pay but not in rank to Assistant Professor. If engaged full time in the University, they are subject to the norms of probation. Upon permanence, the faculty member is given the rank

of Assistant Professor, subject to previously mentioned conditions. Professor Djun Kil Kim, a specialist in Korean Studies, was a Visiting Fellow in 2011. He became professorial and research chair of the UA&P Samsung Korean Studies Program, a pilot project of the UA&P Department of Asia Pacific Studies and the Samsung Group that aims to provide more in-depth studies on Korean culture and history. He is currently a lecturer under the Asia Pacific Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty members teaching in a graduate school are expected to work toward tenure, that is, the rank of Associate Professor. With tenure, they are no longer subject to periodic evaluation.

Ranking and teacher evaluation always go together. Rank promotion is based on good teacher performance as reflected by evaluation ratings. Teacher performance is always holistic, that is, with the rating reflective of the totality of the teachers professional competence, disposition, attitude, moral probity, doctrinal soundness,

work virtues, and character. For School Year 2011-2012, two faculty members were promoted to Associate Professor.

From among Associate Professors and Full Professors, University Fellows are designated by the Board. They are tasked to give recommendations on specified academic questions (e.g., designation of Associate Professors, setting of university standards for graduate thesis, and setting the directions of the Universitys research). UA&P has seven University Fellows: Dr. Jesus Estanislao and Dr. Bernardo Villegas, economists and founders of the University; Fr. Joseph de Torre, social and political philosopher and Professor Emeritus of the University; Dr. Paul Dumol, historian and university trustee; Dr. Antonio Torralba, educator and university trustee; Dr. Jose Maria Mariano, university president; and Dr. Emilio Antonio, Jr., economist.

The University values its faculty and aims to make each one a partner in institution building. Hence, our care for our teachers

Table 3. Faculty Distributed According to RankSecond Semester, School Year 2011-2012

Full ProfessorAssociate Professor

Assistant Professor

InstructorAssistant Instructor

LecturerTotal by School

CAS 0 3 16 35 7 23 84

CRC 1 1 0 0 0 0 2

CSR 0 0 0 4 0 1 5

IPE 0 0 0 7 0 3 10

SCM 0 1 4 1 0 10 16

SEC 0 2 4 7 0 2 15

SED 0 0 6 2 0 5 13

SMN 0 2 3 10 0 49 64

SSE 0 1 7 13 0 5 26

Total 1 10 40 79 7 98 235

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is a matter of deliberate attention, even beyond retirement.

Appointments

Teachers receive their appointments as faculty members from the University, as proposed by the department chairs through the OpCom and concurred by the ManCom.

Special appointments are made for governance or administrative work.

The University makes appointments for governance positions for ManCom or OpCom work, and for administrative positions for department chairs, program directors, or unit heads.

Governance or administration office is seen as crucial to the attainment of the vision and goals of the University. This, however, is without prejudice to the main responsibility of the faculty member, which is to carry out teaching, mentoring, and research work.

Ordinarily, the term of office for governance or administrative positions is three years, with the possibility for re-appointment for an additional term.

Determining and Managing Teaching and Mentoring Load

Teacher workload determination and distribution

Teaching, mentoring, and research are the faculty members major workload in the University. Teaching units are assigned to each faculty member.

The teachers workload is ordinarily made up of 30 teaching units,

inclusive of mentoring, in a school year of three terms (i.e., two semesters and the summer after), or a usual load of 15 teaching units a semester. In order to suit the teachers development needs, teaching units may be distributed in any manner across the three terms. Reckoning research and other workload

Research comprises the teachers ordinary workload that requires independent time. Hence, teaching units may be reduced for this work.

Where applicable, studies towards PhD replaces research as ordinary workload; hence, teaching units may likewise be reduced for this workload.

Administrative work (i.e., department leadership, program directorship) also requires independent time and shall thereby yield to reduction of teaching units.

Governance work (i.e., OpCommembership) subjects the faculty members to a different workload, which is reckoning framework, but is accompanied by a strong encouragement to teach.

Thesis advising and other equivalent work in some graduate

schools are deemed part of teaching and are considered as teaching units.

The OpCom unit may give special assignments requiring independent time (e.g., material crafting, developing a course) to select faculty members. Teaching units may be reduced for the purpose but with the duration of the assignment duly specified.

Reduction of teaching units for assignments is done sparingly.

Research

The first mission statement of the University is to pursue, through world-class research, an interdisciplinary synthesis of humanistic, professional, scientific, and technical knowledge, inspired by a Christian view of man and a sense of life.

Because of its roots in the Center for Research and Communication, UA&P has a competitive edge in the Philippines to be a leading research-intensive university.

Faculty members, especially those with professorial rank, are expected to carry out research work not only for their professional development in their field of specialization but also for the research build-up in the areas of interest to the

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Blazing a Trail

University: poverty alleviation, Asia Pacific studies, education, fashion, media, advertising, family, ecology, work and society, and citizenship.

Research, whether personal or institutional, shall seek publication, albeit in various modes. Research and publication are deemed complementary: one cannot exist independently of the other.

Extension

The University wishes to give due stress to cultivating a sense of social responsibility among its students, faculty members, and administrative staff.

Faculty members may give time to social outreach but through their field of specialization and professional interest and not at the expense of their more direct responsibilities of teaching, mentoring, and research.

The University does extension in any of three modes:

By providing direct development education interventions for disadvantaged students, teachers, parents, and communities.

By putting people together for participative, bottom-to-top, multi-stakeholder, and systemic social development initiatives.

By inculcating social responsibility among the faculty and students through curricular and co-curricular channels.

Teachers carry out social outreach interventions either personally or on their own initiative, through the unit where they belong, or through involvement in projects of the three

hallmark centers. The venue for social outreach is usually, but not always, the adopted community of the University, which is Brgy. San Joaquin, Pasig City.

Outreach programs are best highlighted by researches and publications; partnerships with local or foreign businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or government units; or collaborations with other colleges and universities.

It is desired that social outreach programs be founded on appropriate research studies, which will then drive the direction and

Table 4. Faculty Involvement in ResearchSchool Year 2011-2012

Research activities CAS SCM SEC SED SMN SSE IPE

Number of faculty who presented a paper in a conference

16 1 1 - 2 2 -

Number of faculty with publications

8 1 7 2 5 - 2

Number of faculty who finished a dissertation

1 - - - - - -

Number of faculty with ongoing research projects

- 3 - - 5 - -

Total 25 5 8 2 12 2 2

manner of the implementation of such programs.

Compensation

Faculty compensation is based on threshold income levels in accordance with ones professional stature, which would enable the faculty member to raise a family in decent comfort and provide oneself with the means for continuing personal and professional development.

The policy and praxis on each of these compensation items are described in an administrative handbook.

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Development

The members of the faculty implement the curriculum and enrich the lifestyle of the University. Their personal and professional development is the crux of the Universitys sustainability. They are the main implementers of the curriculum; thus, they are the major agents of the Universitys vision and mission.

The policies and goals regarding formation and development flow from the beliefs contained in the University Credo:

Education is a lifelong process, and its focal point is and should always be the individual person;

The primary purpose of education is the integral formation of the human person, the fullest development of everything that is human in the individual.

They are also driven by the following commitments from the University Credo:

The highest standards of professional excellence in our academic, scientific, and cultural endeavors;

The inculcation of sound and time-tested human and social values and attitudes in people, beginning with those we work and live with and reaching out especially to those in most need of help in society;

The creation within the University of an atmosphere of academic serenity conducive not only to disciplined and diligent study, high-level research, and the responsible use of the freedom of scientific inquiry,

but also to mutual respect, openness, understanding, and friendship, without discrimination of any kind.

Faculty formation and development is the one single assurance of the Universitys attaining its 2018 vision and terminal goals. The faculty is the Universitys most direct link to the students and the rest of the academic community. The teachers continuing personal formation and professional development becomes a lynchpin of all the institutions effort towards becoming a sterling University, with a strong liberal education foundation and specialization competencies, a Christian identity, and a clear notion of its role in the Asia-Pacific region. Hence, faculty formation and development has to be a constant concern among faculty and the management, as translated into policy and day-to-day operations.

The University has a roster of personal and collective channels of faculty formation

and development, as well as the ambience of family life, culture, and serious professional work that teachers imbibe. This is collectively called the Integral Development Program (IDP). The variety of the channels includes orientations, philosophy classes, training programs, meditations, seminars, and doctrine classes. These activities provide the teachers with different opportunities for formation and development with naturalness and real concern for their work and stay in the University.

Please refer to the Training and Education aspect of Social Performance (Fortifying Man and His Society) on page 41 for a more comprehensive discussion of the Integral Development Program of the University.

Evaluation

Faculty evaluation is seen as a channel for the professional development of the teacher and a basis for performance bonus or upward salary movements. Salary promotion within specific ranks shall be based solely on

23


Blazing a Trail

performance and not on years in service.

The OpCom of the school is ultimately and collegially responsible for the evaluation of their respective faculty, while the immediate superior (i.e., department chair, institute director, or program director) is immediately and directly responsible for it.

The immediate superior bases his or her faculty evaluation on (a) his or her own experience with the teacher, (b) class observation, and (c) the unstructured or structured feedback received from fellow teachers and the students.

Ordinarily, students are not directly involved in evaluating individual teachers. The students level of maturity, among other factors, might hinder an objective assessment of the faculty member. Students, however, are free to give feedback to the program director or any other person in program administration or governance.

Teachers in their first three years of teaching are rated every semester,

while teachers who are permanent are evaluated every year.

In principle, permanent teachers are no longer coached but are perforce still evaluated. There is effort for evaluation to be carried out by a tandem or triad of permanent teachers.

The chief key result areas of the teacher, against which he or she is evaluated, are teaching and research. Other key result areas that can contribute favorably or adversely to the teachers evaluation where applicable are extension, graduate studies, faculty development, job assignment, and professional deportment.

Whatever evaluation form is used, the teacher shall have the right to see it, acknowledge having seen it, and comment on it if he would want to. The teacher may indicate his objection, if any.

At bottom line, the teacher sees faculty evaluation and everything that goes with it as integral parts of his personal and professional development, not as an eagle eye on the lookout for mistakes.

Management of Faculty Retention and Promotion

Rights and responsibilities

The UA&P teacher is a professional with the following rights:

Recognition of moral authority. He or she holds legitimate moral authority on the students and among his or her peers that no one may undermine.

Recognition of academic authority. He or she has the right to pass judgment on the

academic deportment of his or her students, subject only to the norms of justice and fair play.

Security of employment. Upon permanence, he or she has the right to security of employment and may be removed only for just cause and after observance of due process in the context of a higher education enterprise.

Conducive place of work. He or she has the right to a workplace that enables him or her to carry out his or her duties with serenity and effectiveness.

Professional care and attention. He or she has the right to expect personal care and attention from the University especially as regards his or her professional development needs, including the periodic evaluation of his or her performance.

Guidance. He or she has to the right to guidance in his personal and professional development using the channels provided by the University.

On the other hand, each member of the faculty carries these grave responsibilities:

Truth in teaching. To endow his or her students with relevant, appropriate, and truthful subject content in accordance with stated course objectives, and consequently, to use only properly assessed materials in teaching.

Recognition of academic freedom. To understand and uphold the academic freedom of the University by ensuring the consistency of his or her subject content with the principles upheld by the

24


University and the subjects distinct role in the core curriculum.

Appropriate pedagogy. To make sure that the methods and approaches used correspond to the nature of the subject and the status, needs, capabilities, and particular circumstances of the students.

Fairness in student evaluation. To be objective, consistent, coherent, and transparent in observing evaluation standards and implementing evaluation tools.

Personal integrity. To uphold his or her personal integrity, preserve his or her moral reputation in and outside the academic community, and enrich his or her professional competence through continuing education, research and publication, and extension.

Delicacy in dealings with others. To exercise prudence, respect, refinement, and delicacy in his or her personal and professional dealings with students, colleagues, administrative staff, and superiors.

Judicious use of materials. To make judicious use of University material and financial resources in order to derive optimum benefit from them for the members of the academic community.

Prudence in handling information. To observe prudence and silence of office in the handling of information affecting the reputation of the members of the academic community and the University itself.

Unity with the university. To uphold and defend the

Universitys goals, thrusts, policies, standards, and those who represent them, in the interest of solidarity.

Openness to guidance. To use the channels provided by the University in ensuring coherence between his or her work, performance, and deportment on one hand, and the ideals of the University on the other.

Guidance and mentoring. Within his or her areas of responsibility and authority, to provide appropriate mentoring and guidance to peers and students.

Separation of teachers

One of the Universitys primary goals is to keep the good teachers and to separate those who habitually fail to contribute satisfactorily to the attainment of the vision of the University, despite the regular formative and corrective means available to them.

Separation can take place in two ways: (a) by simply not renewing the contract on the part of part-time or probationary faculty, or (b) by a due process of termination in the case of permanent teachers.

Acting on the principle that prevention is better than cure,

the OpCom applies a schedule of gradated measures to avoid to the extent possible the ultimate sanction of separation.

Renewal of contract, separation, and promotion

The contract of full-time faculty members on probation is renewed yearly; that of part-time faculty members, lecturers, and teaching associates, every semester. They may leave the University at the end of their contract period through simple non-renewal of contract. For School Year 2011-2012, four faculty members chose not to renew their contract.

Separation of part-time faculty members or contract teachers not in the faculty is based primarily on non-correspondence with the vision, mission statement, or principles of the university, either in teaching or personal and professional deportment. Retention is premised on good contribution to the attainment of university goals through teaching and personal and professional deportment.

Full-time faculty members who have been made permanent enjoy a standing contract but are nevertheless not tenured. They can be separated on grounds enumerated in the faculty handbook and Code of Conduct.

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Blazing a Trail

As a general principle, good teachers are retained and promoted according to existing norms of the University. Sterling teachers are acknowledged or rewarded through a performance bonus, research grants and rewards, support for continuing faculty development, and ultimately, through promotion to tenured positions (Associate Professor and Professor).

COMPETENT STUDENTS

The students are the Universitys reason for being; hence, they are the main subject and object of our human development thrust and efforts. In broad brushstrokes, the University shapes the minds and hearts of the students the service of others. It enables the latter to be effective agents of their own development and that of their immediate and mediate milieus. In particular, the University crafts the curriculum (its substance and approaches) and prompts its implementors (the faculty) to bring about the self-education of the students towards service to God and society.

Preparedness

Student applicants are admitted on the basis of adequate preparedness for good scholastic performance in college.

They are given academic workload that would enable them to take full advantage of their stay in the University. Other formative means, such as co-curricular activities, are also at their disposal.

Opportunities for integral formation, individual and collective, and always exercised in the spirit of responsible freedom,

are provided to help the students in all aspects of the student value chain. Key to integral formation would be individual mentoring by designated faculty members and administrative staff.

Parameters of University Life

The life of the student in the University spans ones entry up to exit and onto ones professional life. A students engagement in the University presumes selection, personalized education, personal and professional preparation, and continuing education.

Hence, the University crafts an implementable student selection and admission procedure, including all the nuances involved in processing special cases. Upon admission, the most crucial initial stage would be to designate a definitive mentor to all students in the undergraduate and graduate programs, aiming to attain at least a 70% level of realized frequency of mentoring chats.

Quality of teaching and learning is premised on clear and coherent syllabi, which clearly establish content, teaching methodology, and criteria for evaluation. It is also important for all teachers handling the same course to abide by the same syllabi. This, with good teaching and a well-established program of academic support to students concerned, has reduced attrition significantly over the past two to three years, and even increased the number of students in the deans list by 10% for the period from the current average.

For the effective delivery of student services (i.e., chaplaincy, guidance, library, accounting, enlistment, and registration) and to create a good

learning atmosphere, a review of performance evaluation standards and improvement targets is carried out.

Purpose

The policy and goals that govern student recruitment and enrolment arise from the Universitys principles, contained in the Credo, that the primary purpose of education is the integral formation of the human person, the fullest development of everything that is human in the individual.

We are true to our commitment to practice the highest standards of professional excellence in our academic, scientific, and cultural endeavors and to inculcate sound and time-tested human and social values and attitudes in people. We seek to create within the University an atmosphere of academic serenity conducive not only to disciplined and diligent study, high-level research, and responsible use of the freedom of scientific inquiry, but also to mutual respect, openness, understanding, and friendship, without discrimination of any kind.

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Admission and Enrollment

The Director of Admissions heads an office that services student admissionsfrom attracting applicants onto application and providing scholarship grants to giving the students personalized attention all the way to enrollment.

Admitted in the University are graduates of Department of Education-accredited high schools, Filipinos who graduated from secondary schools abroad, and foreign or international students who are graduating or have graduated from any high school abroad. They must pass the College Entrance Exams (CEE) to qualify for admission to the University. Procedures and admission requirements are downloadable from www.uap.asia/admissions.

During enrollment, freshmen are pre-enlisted by the Registrars Office. Upper-level students pre-enlist/enroll the subjects offered in accordance with the approved curriculum of their program. The University honors online payment from students who do not opt to avail themselves of the on-campus registration and payment. Procedures for online enlistment and on-campus enrollment are accessible on the website at http://enlistment.uap.asia.

Statistical trends provide a basis for redirecting the admissions strategy. However, there could still be more researches done to enrich marketing efforts to promote UA&P programs.

The criteria for evaluating admission include attrition rate, number of students graduated, record of graduates, and grade distribution of students. Entry and exit interviews enrich statistical data.

Table 6. Student Enrollees in Graduate Programs (Five-Year Programs)Second Semester, School Year 2011-2012

CASSCM

SEC SEDSMN SSE IPE Total

Hum IEP CDE MADE

Male 10 26 19 1 3 50 0 23 132

Female 12 44 22 32 8 47 0 26 186

Totals 22 70 41 33 11 97 0 49 318

Table 5. Student Enrollees in Undergraduate ProgramsSecond Semester, School Year 2011-2012

* TELUS International Philippines is part of TELUS Corporation, a telecommunications service provider in Canada. UA&P is one of TELUS Internationals educational partners under the TELUS International University (TIU) project, which aims to provide university education to the business outsourcing firms employees at subsidized costs. UA&P began its partnership with the company in 2010.

Second Semester

CAS *TELUS AB Programs BS ProgramsTotal

I-III I-IV I-IV I-IV

Male 205 13 53 344 615

Female 331 17 88 340 776

Totals 536 30 141 684 1391

The table below shows the enrollment trend from 2008 to 2012. The freshman intake for School Year 2011-2012 increased by more than 6%.

Figure 3. First Semester Enrollment TrendTotal Enrollees ( AB/BS, MA/MS, and Graduate Program)

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Blazing a Trail

Key statistics of admission are presented to and analyzed with the Operations Committee (OpCom), the Management Committee (ManCom), and even the Board of Trustees, yielding redirections in subsequent marketing and campaign work. The main lesson behind the figures is a more strategic and closely-knit marketing plan and a continued, more deliberate, use of marketing instruments. After admission, the next challenge is student retention until the completion of their respective academic programs. Generally, 50 to 70% of freshman intake reach fourth year, while 30 to 40% complete the straight masters program.

Load and Instruction

Program of studies

The 75 to 120-unit requirement of the core curriculum goes beyond the prescriptions of the Commission on Higher Education. The subjects expose and hone the students to research work and paper-writing from the start. The logic of the subject sequence is borne by pedagogy and psychology, as well as the special contribution of the subject to liberal education. Everyone is expected to go through all the subjects of the core curriculum, which are deemed essential to the formation of well-rounded, liberally educated students.

The responsibility for the development of the core curriculum belongs to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), while that of specialization studies belongs to the corresponding graduate schools. Curriculum review is held every five to eight

years, allowing three to five classes to course through the current prescribed curriculum.

Every subject in the core curriculum and specialization studies can trace its rationale toto the Credo and Mission of the University.

Co-curricular activities

Co-curricular participation is high, especially in sports and arts. By limiting the academic load of the students to 21 units per semester, we aspire to an even higher participation of students in co-curricular activities.

There is no university policy on academic qualifications for continued participation in co-curricular activities. This matter is dependent on the decision of the organization, the Center for Student Affairs (CSA), and ultimately, the sense of responsibility of the students. Students are encouraged to evaluate the co-curricular activities before joining them.

Co-curricular activities are of three types: civics, sports, and arts. These activities are detailed in the section on Co-curricular Program on page 28.

Instructional process

The corporate culture of the University is geared toward holistic and integral development, as seen in the aims of each course and the coherence of all elements of the syllabi.

Teachers make extensive use of books, films, and other teaching-learning materials assessed for soundness, level appropriateness, format, and presentation. Given high importance are student researches, student papers, and group techniques (i.e., shared inquiry).

In general terms, teaching methods encourage analytical and deductive thinking, expression of thought, and translation of thought to address social realities.

Slow but persevering students are helped mainly through mentoring sessions (individual or group), reduction of academic load by policy, and peer guidance.

Classroom management

The main channel for encouraging attendance is by making each class day worth the students while. The aspiration is to make absence have its own consequences of not

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learning. There are rules, however, regarding attendance and the consequent failure due to absence (FDA). Learning management is a matter of university-wide concern and is addressed through periodic and special seminars, and faculty mentoring.

Class size is between 30 and 35 students, except for Literature (on account of the shared inquiry method) and English (on account of coaching in writing), whose limit is 25 students.

Academic performance of students

There are clear rubrics for evaluation of student learning. Grades of students are based mainly on written measures (quizzes, examinations, and papers). Teachers see to it that oral reports presented by students are processed in class.

Furthermore, with the exception of Literature, class participation is not usually given weight in the student evaluation. Examinations are always geared toward determination of the attainment of course objectives. Group projects are discouraged but allowed within certain parameters.

Administrative measures for effective instruction

Academic leadership and supervision is made to rest immediately on the Department Chair and the senior teachers and mediately on the OpCom, headed by the dean. Hence, insurance of quality instruction is a collegial responsibility of the Department Chair, the senior faculty, the rest of the departmental faculty, and the OpCom.

Consultation dialogues are occasionally held, usually upon the initiative of the students. Students are open with the Department Chairs and even OpCom members for their concerns. These available means have made public dialogues almost inexpedient.

Student achievement, on the other hand, is recognized through inclusion in the deans list and graduation honors, and for those who qualify, merit scholarships and financial grants.

Co-curricular Program

The Center for Student Affairs, which has direct charge of student organizations, has contributed

significantly to the promotion of a sense of corporate citizenship in the University. Well-staffed by alumni and other qualified personnel, the Center is able to provide criteria and guidance on three sets of interests and activities: sports, the arts, and socio-civic programs. Criteria and praxes are penned in documents and periodically updated and enriched during strategic planning of the staff.

All programs and projects are connected with the Universitys Credo and Mission and are governed by clear guidelines from the initiation and proposal stage to post-event evaluation and submission of notes of experience.

There were six accredited civic-oriented student-initiated organizations for School Year 2011-2012. They are the AIESEC, Catalyst, ER+GO, Fu, Han-SaRang, and Sabio. Table 7 shows some of the activities they conducted during the said school year, including those initiated by the Student Executive Board (SEB) of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The problem of apathy of students toward varsity sports has been

Documents

Sustainability in Academe: Blazing a Trail (UA&P Sustainability Report 2011-2012)