NEWLY APPOINTED deans of the College of Commerce and Business Administration, Conservatory of Music, College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS), Institute of Information and Computing Sciences (IICS) and Graduate School of Law have pledged to continue efforts to improve academic standards.
Commerce Dean Leonardo Canoy, Graduate School of Law Dean Maria Liza Rosario and Acting Music Dean Antonio Africa assumed their posts last semester, while Acting CRS Dean Anne Marie Aseron and Acting IICS Dean Jerralyn Padua took over in July and August, respectively.
The new deans replaced Mary Hildence Baluyot (Commerce), Raul Sunico (Music), Cheryl Peralta (CRS) and Alex Santos (IICS). Rosario is the inaugural dean of the Graduate School of Law.
Africa, who has worked with Sunico since 2004, said his familiarity with the previous Music administration helped him get through the transition period.
“No drastic changes, just a continuation. The normal process of change is there [but] aside from that everything is going on [smoothly],” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
Africa promised to upgrade the conservatory’s curriculum and facilities with the help of the University administration.
“I guess those are the two most important things that we should be assuring our students: continuous upgrading of education and continuous upgrading of facilities,” he said.
Aseron said she would continue the plans set by Peralta for CRS. She wants the college to become the standard for academic excellence.
“The plans have been set for the next three years [and] that is to achieve our vision to be the standard for academic excellence in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy, sports science and speech language pathology,” Aseron said in an e-mail.
Aseron said CRS students should expect full and competent implementation of outcomes-based curricula that would result in more productive community development activities.
Canoy said he was confident his experiences would help him improve the quality of education in Commerce.
“I changed the team to be in line with the Total Quality Management, in line with the instructions, research, developments and the international and local linkages. I just want to go with the plans of the [Rector] for UST to go into a exchange programs with other universities,” he said in an interview.
Canoy said he accepted the offer to be the new Commerce dean because he was disappointed with the downgrade of the college’s accreditation.
“I was a bit dismayed because from Level IV [Center of Development], we went down to Level II and Level III,” he said. “So ngayon, ang plans ko ulit is while I’m still here is to push and aspire and go up the ladder of [Center of Development and Excellence].”
