THE UNIVERSITY has three new departments: the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Mathematics and Information in Computer Technology (ICT) and the Department of Environmental Sciences.
Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, O.P. said a fourth new department is being eyed—the Department of Literature. At present literature is subsumed under the Department of Languages.
The Department of Environmental Science would focus on improving the basic six-unit science subjects with emphasis on the environment.
On the other hand, the Department of Mathematics and ICT will upgrade the basic Mathematics courses with emphasis on IT uses and needs.
“We already have the B.S. in Information Technology. I thought that the Mathematics is the easiest course to be transformed into an ICT mode,” Father Aureada said.
The Department of Philosophy will upgrade the Philosophy subjects such as Logic and Ethics in the general education curriculum. It will seek to make a critical and ethical thinker out of the student, Father Aureada said.
Father Aureada disclosed that the Office of Academic Affairs will soon make literature a separate department from the present Department of Languages, as clamored for by the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
“There are foundation subjects in literature that really does not fall under the Department of Languages,” Father Aureada explained.
The reforms will be implemented next school year.
Father Aureada said the English subjects will undergo “ladderization”. Under the scheme, incoming freshmen will take a diagnostic test to determine their language skills. If they make the quota score, they will be exempted from the basic nine units of college English and allowed to take up Nipongo, Mandarin, or Spanish. Jennifer B. Fortuno
