No plans yet on offering suspended courses by next AY; programs to undergo rebranding

Originally published from HF Vol. 36 Issue 3

With two academic years (AY) of being put on hold, Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism (JOU), Philosophy (PHI), and Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (APM) will still not be offered for AY 2022-2023 as the programs undergo rebranding before being reopened as a regular course. 

As the departments hold various efforts to promote their respective program, JOU and APM would be rebranded into a new course that will be offered by AY 2023-2024, while the revised Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (PHI) is targeted to be launched come AY 2024-2025.

In an interview with The HERALDO FILIPINO, Social Sciences Department (SSD) Chair Dr. Edwin Lineses and Communication and Journalism Department (CJD) Chair Dr. Maria Nornelyn Cachuela shared that their respective programs will be rebranded into a new course to deliver a more relevant curriculum for upcoming students.

According to Lineses, the rebranding of the PHI program will consist of “possibly changing nomenclature and offering it as double major or having cognate courses in professional education, and the like”. 

Meanwhile, for the Broadcast Journalism course, Cachuela bared plans on changing the name of the JOU program to Digital and Multimedia Journalism (DMJ) in light of digital and developing techniques in the media industry. DLSU-D, however, is the only University in the country that offers Broadcast Journalism as a full program, and not only as a curriculum subject. 

On the other hand, Mathematics and Statistics Department (MSD) Chair Sharon Lubag shared that they have been  revising the APM curriculum in the last two years to fit the current demands of the course on a wider scale.  

While MSD had not been able to welcome new freshmen students for the APM course, the department managed to accept new students under the Night College scholarship of the University.  “In this set-up, the teaching units of our faculty who are handling the math subjects (and other subjects) of our students are reflected as community service,” she explained.

As reported in The HERALDO FILIPINO Double Issue Vol. 35 Issue No. 1, JOU, PHI, and MSD programs were all temporarily dissolved in AY 2020-2021 for failing to meet the University’s block quota of at least 20 students per course. 

In a separate interview, Vice Chancellor for Academics and Research (VCAR) Dr. Marco Saez said he has already set a deliberation for review of the rebranded courses by September.

“We (OVCAR) are currently discussing the possibility of making any or all of the following elements, as required elements in the reinvented programs: sustainability, infusion of digital technology, collaborative/joint degree, aligned with global developments, accelerated and/or ladderized/uplinked,” he added.

 

On impact of program dissolution and previous concerns

While SSD, CJD, and MSD are working closely to rebrand and improve the course offerings, the department chairs also noted the impact of losing their programs within their  departments. 

Lineses shared that the faculty bore the effect of the course suspension more than its students, as they “have many faculty members in the section who may have to handle general social science courses instead of having philosophy courses”.

Cachuela expressed  similar concerns, as she mentioned that the number of classes that the CJD faculty handle have been reduced since the suspension of the JOU program.

Aside from a decreased teaching load in their department, the MSD Chair, meanwhile, noted that their existing students had no lower batch to mentor for two AYs. 

Going back to the initial decision of the administration to put APM on hold at the beginning of AY 2020-2021, Lubag then recounted how the department and students were upset by the sudden suspension of the course. 

“It was sad for the department and the students when the administration decided that the BS Applied Mathematics will not be offered on that year,” she expressed.

While Lineses was not yet the department chair when the PHI program was temporarily dissolved, he said the SSD was also surprised upon discovering the University’s decision to shelve the course. 

“It should be clear from the start that the courses should push through at a certain year, regardless of the turnout of enrollees and not only during the time of enrollment,” the SSD Chair pointed out.

This is in reference to how the administration handled the lack of applicants from the suspended programs in AY 2020-2021, as students who initially enrolled in the three courses were  advised to shift to other programs or not proceed with enrollment at all. 

However, both VCAR and the department chairs assured that existing students will continue their remaining subjects until they graduate and will be merged with ongoing classes if needed. 

 

Plans to increase enrollees

As the programs need to get at least 20 enrollees required to meet the University’s block quota, SSD, MSD, and CJD conducted various initiatives to introduce and promote their curriculum since the courses have been suspended.

SSD launched its uSAPan: A Sociopolitical Advocacy Project series, a monthly virtual event in partnership with Lasallian Community Development Center (LCDC), International Development Program Council (IDPC), and Political Science Program Council (PSPC), and invited SHS students from different areas within Cavite. 

On the other hand, MSD is eyeing to craft scholarship programs for APM students to attract possible enrollees. 

“Hopefully, these will be accomplished this 1st semester of the next school year, in time for the grade 12 students’ college application,” Lubag said.

Meanwhile, CJD continues to market the course by providing industry exposure through events and collaborative activities, according to Cachuela.