STUDENTS at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) are barred from shifting to other courses, as part of efforts to impose stricter academic standards.
Incoming CRS freshmen are no longer allowed to shift to other courses at any period of their stay, said College Secretary Donald Manlapaz.
“We need to have the no-shifting policy since our courses have board examinations. We want the student to be aligned to what they want to choose,” he said.
Parents were asked to sign a document waiving PPS No. 1006 or shifting regulations in the UST Student Handbook, which states that: “The University recognizes the right of the student to choose the program he or she wants to pursue, provided he or she meets all the requirements for admission.”
“Kaya nga nagpa-waiver kami [because the new policy is contrary to the UST Handbook]. Kaya siya hindi implemented sa higher batch,” he said.
Meanwhile, second-year students will be required to meet the minimum general weighted average (GWA) in their respective programs to be readmitted to the next year level.
The GWA is 2.50 for five-year programs: Physical Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy; and 2.75 for the four-year program Sports Science.
CRS Dean Cheryl Ramos-Peralta said the new requirement was meant to motivate students to perform better academically, and earn grades much higher than the passing mark.
“This comprehensive policy is aimed at enhancing efforts toward academic excellence in all programs,” Peralta said, adding that the new promotion system would help students determine if they are really interested in and capable of pursuing their chosen programs.
CRS had benchmarked the policy with the colleges of Architecture, Nursing and Accountancy, which have similar promotion and retention policies.
The new promotion policy was based on two separate three-year retrospective studies, which showed the GWA as an indicator of academic performance and the top predictive factor of success in licensure examinations.
In another study, CRS found that 20 to 30 percent of students had GWAs below the cut-off score, which was considered relatively large given the small population of the college.
Artlets’ no shifting policy
Meanwhile, the Faculty of Arts and Letters has decided not to accept shifters and transferees in the first semester of Academic Year 2013-2014.
“Shifting and transferee[s] may be accommodated only if there are available slots,” Vasco said. “Transferees and shifters may only be accommodated on a case-to-case basis and if their case is meritorious [or they have] impeccable grades,” Artlets Dean Michael Anthony Vasco said.
Artlets Assistant Dean Narcisa Tabirara said the faculty was authorized to implement stricter policies.
“Sometimes there are certain conditions in the faculty where the general policy may not be [applicable]. I don’t think any college is obliged to accept shifters and transferees,” Tabirara said.
“We have certain standards that we are trying to maintain. Colleges are authorized to implement stricter policies if necessary, which is stipulated in the [UST] Handbook,” she added. Jerome P. Villanueva
