THE COLLEGE of Commerce and Business Administration is set to dissolve two “umbrella departments” to give way to three new departments that will allow students to choose their majors upon enrollment.
Next academic year, the Business Administration and Basic Business Education departments will be abolished while the Financial Management, Human Resource Development Management and Marketing Management departments will start operations.
Three chairpersons will oversee the three new departments, which were formerly handled by one chairperson.
“It would be difficult for a chair to handle three different programs. Ngayon, kung magkakaroon ng [isang] programa ang bawat chair, matututukan,” said Paula Bautista, chairperson of the Business Administration department.
As a result, the programs will be on the same level as the Entrepreneurship and Business Economics programs, which already have their own department chairs.
With the new scheme, majoring examinations will be abolished and students will choose their preferred program upon enrollment. Previously, Commerce students chose their majors in their junior year.
The Basic Business Education department was also known as “Pre-Commerce,” housing all freshmen and sophomores before they took their respective majors.
Commerce Dean Ma. Socorro Calara said that with the removal of the Pre-Commerce program and majoring exams, more applicants would prefer to apply in the college because of clearer course descriptions.
“[P]arang misleading ‘yung [pre-Commerce]. [Tinanggal ito] para alam ng estudyante kaagad kung ano ang pupuntahan niya, kung ano ang course na kinukuha niya,” Calara said.
Bautista said departmentalization would prevent students, especially freshmen, from shifting to other programs in Commerce.
To make the transition easier, Calara formed a committee composed of representatives from different departments to handle the admission of freshmen. Chairpersons for the newly separated departments will be chosen from the committee.
