ABSTRACT:
Are my thoughts and actions as Program Chair facilitative of student support? To what extent have I achieved my targets? Do my explorations genuinely address student concerns or not? How am I making sense of student support at a distance? In my first year as a fulltime faculty member of the pioneer distance institution in the Philippines, I was given the task to manage the Associate in Arts Degree, an undergraduate program with the biggest and most diverse student population of the UP Open University. Three years after, I see the need to reflect on how I have fulfilled my responsibilities as Program Chair alongside exploring varied ICT platforms in order to address student concerns. This study narrates this three-year journey. Using a personal narrative, I shall attempt to analyze and examine my actions through an in depth analysis of student queries, email correspondence, bloglike narratives, virtual community forum posts, and letters to staff and direct supervisors. In doing so, I hope to critically examine my experiences and in the process evolve a disposition in program management and contribution to student support initiatives. This qualitative study mirrors my ongoing struggles and journey as a junior faculty member in an academic organization equally determined to address student concerns at all levels. It hopes to contribute to the university's community of practice by giving voice to a program chair's struggles, evolving identity and understanding of what it truly means to support students.
