Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Tag: Vol. LXXXIII

96th Rector

UST WILL continue its Christian and educational mission amid an increasingly globalized and knowledge-based economy, drawing from a strong sense of continuity, the new Rector said as UST opened another academic year last June 4.

Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., UST’s 96th Rector, pledged to build on the achievements of the past, saying continuity is essential to moving forward and carrying out institutional transformation.

“We do not immediately change structures laid down before us. We have to understand that they are there out of good intentions,” Dagohoy said in a speech following his installation to the University’s top post at the Santisimo Rosario Parish. “Rather than obliterating the memories of the past, we should build what is set before us.”

CBA negotiations with faculty on hold

COLLECTIVE bargaining negotiations between faculty members and the administration have been put on hold as UST undergoes a leadership transition.

The UST Faculty Union (USTFU) said it had received a letter last March from then UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. saying talks for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) would have to wait until new officials assume their posts.

With the appointment of Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. as the new Rector of the University, USTFU President George Lim said a new CBA, outlining higher salaries and benefits would soon be discussed.

USTFU has been unable to start work on the CBA following the election of new officials in August 2011 and the resignation of De la Rosa last March.

Thomasian named envoy to China

PRESIDENT Aquino has appointed a Thomasian as the Philippine ambassador to China amid a territorial dispute between the two countries.

Veteran diplomat Sonia Brady, a graduate of the old Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, is returning to her old post. Brady had been the country’s ambassador to China from April 2006 to January 2010.

She also served as the country’s envoy to Thailand from 2002 to 2003 and Myanmar from 1995 to 1999, and was the deputy chief of mission to Indonesia and Thailand from 1994 to 1995 and 1992 to 1994, respectively.

Architecture juniors fail in mock boards

A PREVIEW of things to come?

Majority of incoming Architecture seniors flunked a six-part assessment test meant to prepare them for the board exams, data showed.

The results are dismal, according to the College of Architecture. In fact, among 369 examinees, only 19, or 5.15 percent, passed the subject Building Utilities of the Architecture Undergraduate Assessment Test (Ausat).

Examinees also registered a dismal performance in the subjects Engineering Science and History and Theory of Architecture—with only 23 or 6.23 percent passing. Only 24 (6.50 percent) passed in Design, while 135 (36.59 percent) passed in Building Technology. Professional Practice had the most number of passers with 156 (42.28 percent).

SEC warns students of networking

UNDERCOVER government investigations have found that “networking” firms had lured mostly UST students. But while they are “victims,” Thomasians who “gamble” their money to join networking schemes might also end up in jail, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned.

“We conducted undercover investigations and we found out that most of the victims were from UST,” lawyer Lalaine Monserate, head of SEC’s Enforcement and Prosecution Department, told the Varsitarian. “We pretended that we’re interested to join the business and the students, who were wearing their UST uniforms, admitted that they are from UST.”

Monserate said some students even used tuition money to pay for the “joining fee.”

Accountancy tightens retention rules

NEARLY half of Accountancy sophomores who were given a second chance to stay in the program failed the retention exam and were transferred to Management Accounting.

The number of second-year students was cut to 482 from 868. A total of 557 examinees took the first retention examination last March 29, with 265 students failing the test.

One-hundred ninety students were exempted from the retention exam after getting grades of 2.00 or higher for both Accounting 1 and 2.

The retention exam, implemented in 2008, was previously a qualifying exam in the College of Commerce. Later on, students were only required to get a retention grade of 2.75 in Accounting 1 and 2.

Campus lab gets license; no plans to transfer storage

THE LABORATORY Equipment and Supplies Office (Leso) has passed government requirements on explosive substances, but there are still no plans to transfer the storage area to a “more strategic” location.

Flammable materials are still deposited at the Main Building tower despite Leso administrator Ross Vasquez’s proposal to house chemicals in a separate building on campus.

“I still do not know if the administration has plans to relocate Leso, but even if the location is not strategic, flammable materials are stored carefully inside the tower,” Vasquez said.

Under the Firearms and Explosives Law, schools are required to obtain a license before buying and storing explosive substances for academic purposes.

Lakasdiwa loses battle vs Comelec due to lack of merit

THE UNIVERSITY’S highest disciplinary board has ended a month-long battle between rival student leaders, junking an appeal to overturn the results of the Central Student Council (CSC) elections.

In a resolution dated April 25, the Central Judiciary Board (CJB) denied Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino’s (Lakasdiwa) petition to revoke the proclamation of winning candidates due to lack of merit.

However, the CJB reprimanded members of the Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc and called on them to exercise care and diligence in the performance of their duties, warning that the next time they commit errors in election tallies, disciplinary measures will be imposed.

Theology profs told to get license; union questions guidelines

AMID growing dissent over the Church’s teachings from theologians here and abroad, UST will soon require Theology instructors to get a “mandatum” from the Archdiocese of Manila before they are allowed to teach in the University.

The mandatum is essentially a license to teach theology in Catholic schools required under Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II for Catholic colleges and universities.

This is probably the first time the mandatum will be enforced in the Philippines. In the United States, not all universities and colleges require the license.

UST’s management system gains global recognition for efficient processes

UST HAS obtained a global seal of good housekeeping for taking a systematic approach in administrative processes to meet student needs.

The certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is valid for three years, was awarded last May 23.

Fr. Arthur Dingel, O.P., assistant to the rector for planning and quality management, said the ISO 9001:2008 certification indicates that UST is eager to implement continuous improvements.

“The perception towards improvement is growing,” he said. “The world is constantly changing and we cannot afford to be left behind.”

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