Special Reports

SA KABILA ng inaambisyong maging Center of Excellence ang Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas sa iba’t ibang disiplina, nakagugulat isiping wala pa ring sariling language policy ang pinakamatandang unibersidad sa Pilipinas.

Taun-taon, simula pa noong 1980’s, naiulat na sa Varsitarian ang hinaing ng mga guro sa Filipino, Panitikan, at iba pang mga disiplina sa UST na tumatalakay sa paghadlang ng pag-unlad ng bawat disiplina.

BILANG tugon sa pagkabigo ng Department of Languages at Social Sciences and Philosophy Department na tuparin ang tungkuling paunlarin ang mga hawak na disiplina, pinagsanib ang mga ito sa General Education Department (Gen Ed), isang departamentong nasa ilalim ng Office for Academic Affairs.

Napapaloob sa dating Department of Languages ang mga disiplinang Ingles, Filipino, Espanyol, at Panitikan. Sa dating Social Sciences and Philosophy Department, nabubuklod ang Sociology, Psychology, Economics, History, Philippine Constitution, at Rizal Course.

THE STUDENT publication scene in UST is perceived as one of the liveliest in the country. Nearly every faculty and college has a student organ, something that could not be said of other universities that hardly have a student press, much less a student publication index to boast of. However, red tape, indifference or non-cooperation of college or faculty administration, ignorance among campus writers and college administration of the Campus Journalism Act, and even editorial meddling by the college officialdom conspire to make the campus press in UST less than lively.

SOME fees are regarded as “unique” or peculiar to a college or faculty.

At the Conservatory of Music, students are charged a “music fee.”

According to Dr. Raul Sunico, the dean of Music, the music fee varied in the past semesters, depending on the instruments the students were majoring in.

Starting this school year, the fee has been standardized.

“Collectively, the students should shoulder some of the costs of maintaining the instruments, whether they use them or not,” Sunico explained.

ASIDE from the tuition and miscellaneous fees, the University also charges students other fees, usually recommended by the deans of colleges and faculties. These are identified in the student registration form as “other fees.” Prof. Florita Aguiling, Budget Office director, identified four:

THE STUDENT council fee (SCF) is supposed to fund the projects and activities of the student councils. But local student councils are complaining that the SCF is not serving its purpose because it is not properly and regularly disbursed. As a result, the local councils say they cannot implement their projects. Moreover, cash-strapped councils hold fund-raising projects or even shoulder the expenses.

At the College of Nursing, budget requisitions are slow, said Katrina Urbi, council president.

SOMETHING is brewing at the UST Cooperative canteen.

To most students, the “Coop”, as it is fondly called, serves as a food haven, where the hungry Thomasian gets his quail eggs, mojos, and tacos quick and cheap. To the tenants, the Cooperative Canteen is a source livelihood. But to the UST administration, the Coop present a big obstacle to its plan of turning the Cooperative building into a student center, to house student organizations.

TO FURTHER improve the security on campus, the University will now provide students and employees digital identification cards. The news has roused mixed reactions, as this Varsitarian survey shows.

Do you agree with the introduction of the digital IDs?

“Yes, it is important to be up-to-date nowadays.”
- Angeline Serrano
1st yr. Pre-Com, College of Commerce

STARTING this semester, the UST administration is providing Thomasians with a new digital identification system.

While La Salle and Mapua have been using a similar system for years, it is only now that UST is upgrading its identification system—one of the few steps towards full computerization of facilities.

Being an open campus, the University has always had the problem of outsiders getting into student-designated areas.

IF THE University administration would have its way, it would apply a practical solution to a practical problem: it would phase out the Philosophy department of the UST Central Seminary (USTCS) due to the dwindling number of students. But the illustrious alumni of the oldest school of Philosophy in Asia would not hear of it. They believe the department, which houses young student-residents who are in one of UST’s Centers of Excellence, deserves another lease on life.