By Kristine Ann M. Fernandez
AMID DEVASTATION CAUSED by calamities, the Silliman University administration maintained an optimistic outlook by focusing this semester’s convocation on positive news.
Reminding the audience that when “we seriously do things we forget to tap our own backs that we’re doing fine,” Vice-president for Academic Affairs Dr. Betsy Joy Tan presented Monday the institutional achievements and highlights of last semester at the Luce Auditorium.
In terms of ranking, Tan reported that the international independent research institution Quacquarelli Symonds ranked SU as the top sixth school in the Philippines and the number two school in the country under the International Students category.
SU is also within the top 301-325 bracket of the top Asian universities.
Furthermore, SU has been the first institution outside the United States to receive a direct special grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established by Time magazine founder, Henry Luce. The foundation gave SU $25,000 for its Applied Ethics program.
Tan also mentioned four developments that improved student services last semester.
First was the five-day-week schedule, which Tan said “proved to work for us as Mondays are now being used for makeup classes and suspensions from typhoons and disasters that affected us.”
Second development was the Wi-Fi densification program, which allows students, faculty and staff to conveniently access the web from 45 Wi-Fi areas in the campus.
“The Wi-Fi program facilitates to easy access of research materials, communication among peers and the optimization of our ability to interface with our students online,” Tan said.
Third was Silliman Net Radio, an online radio run by students. It can be accessed through a link on the university website’s homepage.
Fourth was the online enrollment, originally designed for continuing students.
“We hope to make this fully available to new students and transferees in time for school year 2014-2015. By then, we also hope to incorporate a payment system that will enable you to pay online,” she added.
Tan also urged the audience to maximize the use of the official su.edu.ph e-mail accounts and to frequently check the university website and Facebook page for campus updates.
