NEW VICE-Rector for Academic Affairs Dr. Clarita Carillo said she will focus on faculty development, faculty research, and continuing education in her three-year term.
Carillo, who served as the College of Education’s assistant dean from 1994-1999, said that her office will continue establishing links with other universities, focusing particularly on forging faculty exchange programs.
“Our faculty should get more international exposure,” she said. “Students leave but teachers stay in the University. They can teach what they have learned from other universities to their students.”
Carillo also said she will support faculty members who are inclined to research.
“Very few teachers are enticed in doing research works,” she said. “We can pay for their registration fees when they present their scholarly works to other groups as an incentive.”
An increase in research will improve the University’s 500th ranking in the world’s best universities by the Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquerelli Symond, Carillo said.
She added she will also look into the evaluation system of teachers to make sure that their competencies are measured properly.
Graduates who feel that they need to brush up their skills will be able to take up a certain program for just six months to one year if Carillo’s plan to offer short certificate courses will take off.
“I will coordinate with the deans on what programs to offer,” Carillo said. “This plan will also help the University strengthen its ties with the alumni.”
She also said that she will encourage general education professors to conduct peer-reviews of the different programs they put up in the Blackboard system.
“The general courses are web-enhanced. But the problem is they are not regularly utilized,” she said. “The professors can improve the programs by giving concrete suggestions to their colleagues.”
As for the students, Carillo said she will coordinate with big companies to know about the different competencies they require from applicants.
“Big companies recognize our University’s big population which translates to a bigger pool for hiring,” she said. “By summer, we can teach the graduates the competencies these companies require to help them (graduates) get hired easily.”
Carillo has also coordinated with the Educational Technology Center (Ed-Tech) to come up with instructional materials.
“Instead of just focusing on University events, the Ed-Tech can produce instructional materials,” she said. “Students today are very visual, and Ed-Tech can help us educate them.” I. A. L. de Lara
