By Deorafe Basong, Kaela Aidelynne Orcullo
Humanities depts thrive to keep programs alive
Despite widening enrollment gaps across colleges, small departments at Silliman University (SU) continue to find ways to sustain themselves through visibility, innovation, and community engagement.
The enrollment status for the first half of school year 2025-2026 shows growth in larger academic units, while others continue to face longstanding challenges.
In SU, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) remains one of SU’s highest-enrolling units, driven largely by Psychology, Pharmacy, and Political Science, which in total have over 1,000 combined enrollees this year.
While these strong-performing courses continue to attract students, smaller undergraduate programs still struggle to increase or even maintain their numbers.
Humanities programs, such as Bachelor of Arts in English and Literature, Philosophy, and Filipino, often welcome at least five to 15 new students per year, placing them among the lowest-enrolling in the university.
Updated data from the Office of Registrar and Record Management (ORRM) shows that AB English currently has 17 students across its programs, AB Philosophy has 19, and BSED Filipino with only four. Meanwhile, AB Filipino marked its third consecutive term with no enrollees.
ORRM noted that enrollment in these programs barely reached double digits in previous years, yet departments continue to find ways to thrive amid uneven university-wide trends.
English dept: Innovations amid fluctuations
With over 20 students, the SU English and Literature Department considers its student numbers “generally sufficient despite fluctuations,” according to chair Dr. Joan Generoso.
Generoso explained that the concept of “low enrollment” is not always straightforward as student numbers have varied over time, particularly due to sustained international linkages with partner institutions in Japan and South Korea.
These international partnerships are maintained primarily through the Intensive English Program (IntEP) of the Language Learning Center (LCC), which provides short-term English language and culture experiences for students from partner universities, such as Shikoku Gakuin University, Hiroshima College of Foreign Languages, Kobe International University, and Kyushu International University.
She shared that the program widens student engagement by providing immersion opportunities for both Filipino and international students, while sustaining enrollment in the English Dept and supporting continuous program evaluation.
“The faculty maintains a positive outlook and continues to monitor trends closely to ensure program vitality,” Generoso said.
According to her, the department’s core teachings foster“critical thinking, communication, cultural understanding, and global citizenship.”
Generoso also highlighted ongoing initiatives designed to strengthen student interest and engagement in the program.
The department has reached out to different Senior High Schools in organizing English Day activities for Humanities and Social Sciences students from various schools.
Among the activities were offering career talks in public high schools, participating in college caravans, and accommodating SHS immersion to give students “first-hand academic exposure.”
It also expanded its cultural and literary footprint by strengthening ties with the SU National Writers Workshop and hosting research forums aimed at advancing scholarships in literature and linguistics.
“Any fluctuations are treated as opportunities for assessment and improvement,” Generoso furthered. “We have enhanced the curriculum by integrating digital literacy, creative content production, and communication arts.”
Philosophy dept: Sustainability through visibility
For the Philosophy Department, this year brings a modest increase, as they have exceeded their standard 20-student population count.
According to faculty member Issachar Bacang, the addition of five to six new enrollees each year is already considered significant for the department.
He acknowledged, however, that perceptions about the Humanities influence enrollment.
“The common consensus is that humanities won’t make you rich after you graduate, which, to me, is the sole reason for higher, tertiary education in the eyes of the older Filipino generation,”he said.
To attract more students, the department employs traditional strategies, including college fairs in senior high schools, publicizing conferences and lectures, and maintaining a “semi-active” Facebook page.
The Philosophy Department also recognizes the shared responsibility of f students, faculty, and administration in sustaining the program.
“For students, all we ask is their excellence. As for the administration, all we need is their faith and fidelity in us,” Bacang said.
According to him, even if the department does not always make “much money” or attract a “well-known clientele,” they should be given a chance to “impress.”
Bacang furthered that he has never seen more “dedicated education professionals” than those who understand the challenges of maintaining a small academic unit.
“Because of how small it is, we cling to it jealously and fight tooth and nail to protect it,” he said.
For him, recruitment efforts and program promotion can only go so far. Faculty cannot fully change societal perceptions that undervalue the humanities.
Filipino programs: Adapting to declining interest
Meanwhile, SU’s AB-Filipino and Master of Arts in Filipino programs continue to face significant enrollment challenges, reflecting a broader shift in student preferences.
For the past three years, the program has struggled to attract new students, with no recorded enrollees since the half of school year 2023 to 2024 up to the present.
“This downward trend reflects the program’s low enrollment status,” Assistant Professor Jean Ontal noted.
The MA-Filipino program saw a temporary increase from three to seven students last year, but numbers have since fallen again to three.
Ontal explained that students prefer more “practical” academic routes such as Bachelor of Secondary Education – Filipino or STEM programs.
“They often perceive an education degree as more practical and immediately beneficial for employment, particularly in the Department of Education (DepEd),” she stated.
She added that many students are “increasingly choosing allied fields or science-related programs” due to a perceived demand in the workforce.”
The removal of core Filipino subjects from the General Education Curriculum has also affected interest in Filipino and literature-related programs.
“This change has not only reduced enrollment at the undergraduate level but has also contributed to a notable decline in the number of students pursuing the Master of Arts in Filipino, as many no longer see the long-term relevance of specializing in the field, given the drastic shifts in the national education system,” Ontal stressed.
To adapt, the department implemented several initiatives such as developing promotional materials and online campaigns, participating in college fairs, and boosting social media presence.
The AB-Filipino curriculum was enhanced with 18 units of education subjects to allow graduates to qualify for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), while the MA-Filipino curriculum now includes a statistics subject to strengthen research competencies.
Ontal recommended further measures to boost visibility, which include an annual cultural fair, scholarship opportunities, faculty participation in professional development, and more extensive community outreach initiatives.
Despite these challenges, the programs continue to make a major impact. AB-Filipino students gain professional pathways through teaching credentials, and MA-Filipino students develop advanced research skills that equip them for academic and professional careers.
Thriving and sustaining
As faculty of these departments cited pressing challenges, they also emphasized shared strategies to help them remain competitive and highlight the relevance of their fields in the society.
While these programs’ enrollment may be modest, their value remains substantial.
Sustaining this work, however, requires more than the commitment of the departments themselves. They also depend on support from the university.
“Although the faculty members are doing their best to promote their programs, the strong and consistent support of the University administration is crucial to increasing the visibility, attractiveness, and long-term viability of the AB-Filipino and Foreign Language programs,” Ontal said.
The future of these programs, and the broader role of Humanities education at SU, rests not only on the dedication of faculty and students but also on the university’s willingness to invest in their growth and respond to changing student interests.
This article is a second part of the special report “OUTNUMBERED: Small depts push forward amid low enrollment”
