UST IS dressing down for the dry season.
With classes extending to the hot months of March to May due to changes in the academic calendar, the University has allowed the use of “Type B” uniforms last Feb. 19.
“Following the resolution made by the Council of Regents in June 2014, the Type B or Summer Uniform will be officially used as an everyday school wear from Thursday after Ash Wednesday until the end of the summer period,” read the memorandum signed by Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. last Feb. 3.
The Type B uniform will serve as a complementary school uniform consisting of a t-shirt or a light-material top and pants or walking shorts that should meet UST’s standards on good grooming.
The use of a secondary uniform for the hot months was proposed by the University last year. Each faculty or college and their respective student councils were asked to present designs which were submitted to the Office of the Secretary General and presented to the Council of Regents for approval.
However, Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said the wearing of Type B uniforms was not mandatory and was just a response to the request of students. “Type B is suggested by the students. It just so happened that we want to regularize it so that is what the memorandum is for,” Dagohoy said in an interview with the Varsitarian. “It’s not strictly required so some colleges will have a Type B uniform and some colleges will not.”
Some colleges and faculties are still reluctant to implement the Type B uniform. The Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) is set to conduct a poll among students before implementing the Type B uniform.
“Hindi pwedeng ‘yung iba naka-Type B uniform tapos ‘yung iba naka-regular uniform. We should really consider if we want a Type B uniform or not,” said Artlets Assistant Dean Narcisa Tabirara in a dialogue between the students, administration, and student council last Feb. 10.
The Faculty of Civil Law, Conservatory of Music, and Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy are still waiting for the approval of their respective deans regarding the design and implementation of their Type B uniforms.
Civil Law Student Council President Victor Villanueva said the Law dean has yet to allow the Type B uniform, which would only be used during specific dates starting April. “The design has already been approved by the dean’s office [but] we are still waiting for it to be approved for our use,” Villanueva said in an interview.
Nursing Student Council Vice President Hans Joseph Lim said their Type B uniforms—a polo shirt with the college logo and khaki pants—would only be used during lecture days.
The Colleges of Education and Commerce started wearing their Type-B uniforms—polo shirt paired with khaki shorts—last Feb.20. But unlike Education, Commerce students are not required to wear the Type-B uniform every day. Senior Commerce students are also not required to use the alternative uniform.
Students at the College of Science already wear a white polo shirt with blue stripes paired with long pants and closed shoes every friday.
From July to August
Next academic year, classes in UST will begin on the first week of August, according to another memorandum dated Jan. 23, to coincide with the full implementation of the K to 12 curriculum.
“We have to do that so that everything will be in sync. It would be very easy for us to achieve our goal of transfer credits,” Dagohoy said, adding that more students would be able to study abroad.
Based on the new collegiate calendar, the Mass of the Holy Spirit or Misa de Apertura will be held on Aug. 3, while the opening of classes will be on Aug. 10.
The first semester will be from August to December of 2015, while the second semester will be from January to May of 2016. Each semester will still have a total of 104 school days.
Classes for the second semester will begin on Jan. 18, 2016. Special classes for the third term, previously known as “summer classes,” will begin June 15, 2016.
