(UPD-IO, February 10)—In ceremonies befitting the country’s premier institution of higher learning, Dr. Francisco Nemenzo turned over the rein of the University of the Philippines to Dr. Emerlinda Román at 8 a.m. today at the Quezon Hall lobby.
The turn-over rites was witnessed by the Board of Regents (BOR), members of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), current UPD and UPS officials and administrators, past UP presidents, chancellors of the UPS’ constituent universities, past UP chancellors, UPD faculty, personnel and students. Among the special guests were Román’s husband Patricio and son, PJ, and Quezon City mayor Feliciano Belmonte.
In his farewell message, Nemenzo asked Román to carry on with the unfinished projects of his administration.
Nemenzo,mentioned four concerns: the pursuit of a new UP Charter, the proclamation of the Commonwealth property as a Science and Technology (S&T) Park, the UP Centennial Fund Campaign and the development of the UP College Cebu.
The
outgoing president called on Román and the UP community
to continue working for a new UP Charter. However, he said certain
groups in both the Upper and Lower House are
pushing for a UP Charter that is more restrictive than the existing
one, and urged everyone to be vigilant.
"The struggle for a new UP Charter continues, and we have to be ever vigilant because this Charter Bill has become a high profile Bill. And a lot of Congressmen and Senators are trying to draw public attention by inserting all kinds of amendments. The version in the House is most disturbing because instead of giving us greater autonomy as is the purpose of that Charter Bill, in its present form, it is going to be more restrictive than what we have now. I am afraid that the UP community will find it unacceptable,” Nemenzo said.
He also asked Román to press for the proclamation of the Commonwealth property as an S&T park, as it is imperative in uplifting the state of S&T education in the country.
Nemenzo stressed the S&T Park would not only be an income generating vehicle, but more importantly, “it will give our students and faculty access to scientific equipment that we cannot hope to buy with our own resources.”
He also expressed his full support for Román’s projects such as the “UP Centennial Fund Campaign,” aimed at generating funds from UP alumni and friends of UP, in preparation for the 100th year celebration of the university in 2008; and strengthening UP College Cebu, which Nemenzo said, has a “great potential.”
Nemenzo,who was newly appointed by the BOR as Professor Emeritus in Political Science, enjoined everyone to whole-heartedly support Román to whom he turned over a university “that is better prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.”
In her acceptance speech, Román extolled Nemenzo’s legacy of excellence designed “to propel the University to the 21st century.” According to Román, these are Nemenzo’s flagship programs: the UP Modernization Program, Revitalized General Education Program and incentives for excellence.
UP today is reasserting its role as “the country’s premier institution of higher learning and in strengthening its position in the international academic community,” Román said, as evident in 11 hallmarks. These are: 1) the breadth, diversity and equality of its academic programs; 2) its faculty, 70 percent of whom have graduate degrees; 3) its student body, 41 percent of whom are enrolled in science and technology; 4) UP’s increasing research and publication output in ISI journals; 5) its outstanding performance in the CHED’s first Republika Awards where almost 50 percent of the 12 awardees, including the national winner, comes from UP; 6) its continued dominance in licensure examinations in different fields; 7) CHED’s accreditation of 52 UP programs as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development; 8) its upgraded teaching and research laboratories; 9) its computerized student and administrative services, including the improved student/computer ratio of 7:1; 10) the networking of all campuses, which has allowed the simultaneous broadcasting of lectures in the seven campuses of the UPS; and 11) the sustained and still-growing interest of foreign universities in linking up with UP for faculty and student exchange and joint research.
Despite the accomplishments, Román said there are “forces which continue to undermine our efforts to become world-class” in the areas of curricular programs, the faculty, the students, the culture and the University’s financial position.
On curricular programs, Román said there is a need for caution where the institution of new programs is concerned, and a need to undertake a comprehensive review of existing programs in the light of changing trends and priorities. Meanwhile, the faculty sometimes forget their basic duties and responsibilities as teachers due to the demands of survival as well as individual interest.
On students, where they once provided teachers with stimulating intellectual discourse, teachers today ask how students made it to UP, or how they manage to stay in UP at all since they have become passive in the classroom, lack basic communication skills, have poor study habits, do poorly written research papers and are generally apathetic.
On culture, she said these days, scholarship has taken a back seat in the University where teaching and research are imperatives. Citing a 2001 study, she said only 50 percent of the faculty in Diliman did not engage in research at all, which she described as “hardly an inspiring model for our students or our junior colleagues.”
Finally, she notes UP must “look elsewhere for funding in the face of the decreasing share of higher education in the national budget.”
Román perceives UP’s centennial in 2008 as a rallying point for its constituents to pay tribute “to the institution that has had the most definitive effect on our lives.” She vowed to set up a UP Centennial Commission to oversee preparations for the grand homecoming in 2008, and to raise funds to “move close to the ‘world-class’ university of our dreams.”
The 19th and first woman president of UP, Román concurrently serves as UP Diliman chancellor until February 24, when the BOR submits to the president its recommended successor to the flagship campus’ top post.
—Chi A. Ibay with report from Mariamme D. Jadloc