The University’s implementation of “vertical articulation,” wherein specific academic areas are housed in a single department in a bid to professionalize specific academic disciplines, is a step in the right direction.
The program that started last year has resulted in the formation of six university-wide academic departments, namely English, Filipino, History, Social Sciences, Philosophy and Literature. Before, there were only three academic departments handling these disciplines ––Languages, Social Sciences and Humanities.
While it is too early to conclude that the program will elevate the quality of instruction in the University, it should be safe to assume that specialization in each department will result in better monitoring of professors on how they perform as educators, and a review of the courses they teach.
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The past four years of, I say, “search for a second home” led me to meet other students from other colleges. This acquaintance with other Thomasians made me aware of our efforts and struggles as students to obtain decent, if not high, grades.
In a typical boarding house setting, small conversations would sometimes deal about what is new and what is happening on campus. Of course, what else would be the best topic for students talk about?
Teachers. We compare our professors, from the “character” to the “conservative,” and from the “revered oldies” to the “cool newbies.” I guess it is just fair since professors also talk about their students oftentimes.
I remember the story of one of my “dorm-mates” about his professor who seemed to neglect the significance of the subject she was teaching. His teacher only lectured during the first meeting and the succeeding classes were followed by reporting. No one really paid attention. The quizzes were “very elementary.” At the end of the semester, almost everyone in class got a “no sweat” grade of 1.00. My friend admitted
he learned almost nothing.
Another friend recounted how her writing class became a speech class despite the fact that there is a separate course for that called oral communication in the following semester.
He learned the proper pronunciation of certain words but had no idea how to write persuasive essays which was the main objective of the course.
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It is understandable that there is such thing as “academic freedom” in UST wherein professors can set their own academic standards and requirements. But this freedom should not be abused to deviate from what should be real purpose of the courses they teach
Other teachers have this audacity to end a semester despite being aware that students learned almost nothing, or what he or she did was a mere repetition of what had been learned in high school.
Of course, the UST’s faculty as a whole should not be underestimated, as proven by the consistent domination of Thomasians in various state licensure examinations for the past several years.
But some teachers are just too lazy improve themselves even as the University tries to reform the academic system.
I hope the formation of these new departments will mitigate if not eradicate such practices that besmirch the efforts of many University professors to form well-rounded and intelligent Thomasians and make UST the leading private university in the country.
I hope students will also do their share in monitoring lazy faculty members who make us all look bad. You can do this by writing your comments during the evaluation so that the admin will be aware of how they conduct their classes. You are the “CCTV cameras” of the administration so do your share as well. We can patrol our own ranks but since students have first hand information on such matters, its better if the admin hears from you as well.