Sunday, August 08, 2004
WE ARE (NOT) A UNIVERSITY
The Damage Report - Year 3 - Ending Week #8
Background Music: "Confessions Pt. 2" by Usher
NOTE: This is a weekly blog entry that summarizes a series of events of a finished week in and around La Salle.
OUR very first issue as the new editors of Heraldo Filipino came out this past week. It would turn out to be the center of attention and gravity over the past few days. There's just so much talk about that issue. It has ignited an explosion between student leaders and campus journalists. It has made enemies more bitter at the same time it has captured the attention of professors which commend HF for being daring to bring out this delicate issue towards the general community.
Heraldo Filipino, being the official student publication of De La Salle - Dasmariñas, reported what we collectively believe is the truth. The students, obviously, deserve to know the truth that something fishy was or is still going on.
The administration of DLS-Dasmariñas slapped onto the faces of Heraldo Filipino and the concerned community this past week that "WE ARE" a university, despite our banner "CHED declares DLSU-D not a University". And how is that? "BECAUSE THIS CAMPUS IS UNDER THE DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM".
It so happens that the "DLSU SYSTEM" with its base at DLSU-Manila has this "grand" charter. All other campuses which fall under the system are "considered a university" because they use an "overflow" of the "grand" charter. And then, any campus which can formulate its own charter will gain higher prestige and honor or in other words those schools get to have a "U" after the "DLS".
What schools are those? The mother campus in Manila and the one in Araneta. They are formally known as "De La Salle UNIVERSITY - Manila" and "De La Salle UNIVERSITY - Araneta". The rest, which use the "grand" charter of the DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, don't carry "University" but instead are known as:
De La Salle University System
DE LA SALLE - DASMARINAS
De La Salle University System
DE LA SALLE - LIPA
De La Salle University System
DE LA SALLE - CANLUBANG
***
So, student leaders join together (not everybody, but generally speaking) and rejoice towards the rest of the community that "WE ARE" a university because of the administration's explanation. Because of the sudden appearance of "De La Salle University System" above the name of our school.
Still we beg the question, "Why have we known this school as De La Salle University - Dasmariñas?".
It's still engraved on the logo above the cemented "De La Salle University - Dasmariñas" on the arch at Gate 1. It's still on car stickers. It was on numerous letterheads across all official documents in our campus. The big bus has a shiny "De La Salle University - Dasmariñas" on both of its sides.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) told our school last February to ditch the word "University" from the institution's official name since our beloved campus is still weak in four specified fields.
Suddenly the head of the entire system implemented the use of "De La Salle University System" above all the names of the system schools including those in Lipa, Batangas and Canlubang, Laguna.
Now we ask this last question, "Say... the system were to collapse or it would go under new management and decided to let go of the Dasmariñas campus... say... our institution was isolated... what then, are we? ARE WE A UNIVERSITY ON OUR OWN? WHAT IF THE "GRAND" CHARTER OF THE SYSTEM IS CHANGED TO EXCLUDE DASMARINAS, ETC.?"
Not in exact quotation...
The Executive Vice President of DLS-Dasmariñas replies: "That will never happen."
The News Editor of Heraldo Filipino and my own classmate Maycee Mercado, furthers: "But what if, ma'am?"
EVP: "No. That will never happen!"
Maycee: "But what if, ma'am?"
EVP: "IT CAN'T HAPPEN!!"
Unleashing the arguments
It was a clear battle between good and bad journalism.
Yes, it's good news that our kind EVP (i'm not being sarcastic, the new EVP is actually a nice person as I've heard) has put even her reputation on the line by saying to the student leaders and campus journalists that she would never become head of a "FAKE" university.
It's all in the name. Some lousy mistake by placing a "University" in our name years ago had everyone fooled.
I study in this institution, and I personally believe that DLS-DASMARINAS is a rising jewel that will be a tough fighter like any of the big universities within the National Capital Region (NCR). I believe, along with the EVP, that we are no less a Lasallian then our brothers and sisters in DLSU-Manila.
I believe we will establish OUR OWN CHARTER before I graduate in 2006. I believe one of our future banners at Heraldo Filipino will read "INSTITUTION COMPLETES OWN CHARTER" with the kicker "A 'University' after 'De La Salle' completes 'Dasmariñas'".
But when it comes to being a university on our own right now? That's the question Heraldo Filipino has asked. We as the students have been believing that we have been studying in an official university. Regardless of its connection to the La Salle system.
But we're just part of a "university system". Isolated, which EVP and some one-sided imbeciles believe is impossible, we are NOT YET a university.
We still lack in those four fields. As much as I wish we ARE FULLY ESTABLISHED as a UNIVERSITY on OUR OWN, there are professors who say we are still short in the fields that CHED specified.
***
If this were Empathy Ink...
In my honest opinion at the end, we are in an institution that is part of a "University System". To say we are a university independently, I believe we're not. As much as our campus looks great and is improving every year... we still lack in the fields that CHED mentioned last February.
When CHED visits sometime in the next few weeks, hopefully our administration has finalized the paperwork for DLS-D to become DLSU-D again.
***
Recap of the past week:
- Monday, the latest issue of HF was released.
- Tuesday, emergency EB meeting at HF to discuss reactions from admin.
- Thursday, student leaders and campus journaists meet with the EVP in a special dialogue.
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