V-Side Story

Just a biiiit of history for all of you who cared to read and comment at the infamous Collegian article by a person named Isa....I guess they got what they wanted, news worth talking about. But just like any news, a slice of the real story remains hidden. I am not sure whether the writer will in fact commit to doing a follow up article...so let the UP in me speak:

 

 

The trisem sched I picked up from students themselves while we were exchanging online through the UPOU Community Site.

So we ran polls via the UPOU Community Site, then I also conducted an online survey,which included other questions related to acads, student concerns and other matters.  Information about the ongoing survey was also promoted during the Year 2008 General Assembly. Other efforts were taken to build a sense of community among the AA students thereon.

 

From the survey, I heard grounded and well meaning responses from students who seem to me do not come from the usual mold. Given the profile of the UPOU AA student population, I now understood the choice to go for DE, hence can identify with the pressing concern of completing their degree within the shortest possible time as top priority. I presented the partial results of the survey to the students in one of my face to face class sessions, and also in one assembly/fellowship event. No objections were heard perhaps because face to face sessions were not the usual means to communicate.  Our conversations went on through the comm site. But as Program Chair, I am burdened to work for practical solutions to issues raised by the AA's who comprise the biggest population of students at OU, one step at a time. All I could find then was to increase semestral course offerings. I thought, the trisem proposal would perhaps come at a later time. There were channels and heirarchies to contend with which I found difficult to understand, being a newbie. To some extent, a bigger part of me was seeing the issues raised from their point of view. I did feel for them, and also became a witness to how OU admin, facs and colleagues tried very hard to work within a government system with soooo many rules. It's difficult enough to prove to fellow autonomous units that WE are UP.

 

 

From all these exchanges, we were able to participate in the Centennial Lantern Parade, and talks about Student Council followed. In fact, 3 or more meetings happened among OU students (and across 3 batches) interested in organizing themselves to form a Student Council. In one occasion, we had a Student Regent join us. Through the assistance of this active group of AA students, we were able to participate in 1 student referendum (surprised?)

 

 

Hence, during our faculty meetings to propose changes to the program in the light of system wide study of the RGEP, the AA program review and a proposal for another UPOU undergrad program, the trimestral schedule was brought up. I recalled that we were looking at the MRR stipulation and counting the number of semesters and years for a BES student to graduate--it was simply too long... and all this time, the AA's were in such a state! And so I willingly mentioned results from the survey. The trisem sched seemed to be the best option to satisfy the needs of students, the goals of the program, and the nature of online learning. The needed curricular revisions, program and policy institution took place and in time (for we only had 2 semestral University council meetings). I was so relieved and truly proud to be part of the change we all wanted. But a lot of work remains undone, a few ones still ongoing, one of which is a review of UP policies and guidelines which do not seem to work for open universities.

To make the trisem sched work,  the Dean of the Faculty of Education  was hell bent on choosing the right facs to teach, training us to package and design courses accordingly, redeveloping courses and recruiting new tutors to do the work. We were forced to look into our course offerings and come up with a long-term plan to have a fixed schedule of offerings on a cycle we can only surmise. I kept on insisting to maintain the number of course offerings I wanted for the students but then realized, I did not really have to...because it is trisem! There is sound logic after all. I felt so proud and f****** tired and tenured=no choice but to follow and work more.  I did so, partly because I find happiness in being part of the solution.

 

And so when initially faced with this article, I kinda laughed and sort of said 'isn't this kinda dumb?!',  for I knew where I stood when I supported the move for the trisem sched, and other things the UPOU admin tried to do from their end to iron out complaints from OU students. I did  lay some blame on  the writer, but then, she's  a student and still learning, diba? Who am I to deprive her of that? This is a school paper after all, what can I expect?!

 

But I looked at the conversation going and one can see that the collegian article, comments most especially, only reflect that there are so many things not known about Distance Education, the UPOU community, OU students and their major issues.  A few issues were raised during the Student Congress, good... these merely scratched the surface. Did they even bother to know that....

-when enlisting/cross registering in PE courses, the OU students are the least prioritized?

-that AA students are not allowed to shift to Diliman, despite proof of good academic standing, while anytime, a UP residential student (with lousy grades and all)  can shift to OU? and  we willingly accept students who do need a second chance at life... 

-that when OU students cross register, some college-based staff and student assistants do not know that OU exists? and sometimes give OU transferees a hard time?

-that they have tried their very best to organize a student council (3 attempts) ; and at one time, 1 OU student wanted to run for SR but was questioned by fellow UP students due to a non existent UPOU SC?

These are little injustices but carry deep meanings which hit the core of our identity as UPOU.

I guess what I'm driving at is this: in our search for truth comes the responsibility to care--so please care to know who the OU students are before even trying to conclude that the issues of the so-called marginalized students are the real issues to be dealt with. Spend some time to filter whether in fact these expressed statements are issues or mere complaints grounded on the wrong information/interpretation of guidelines or a misconception of distance education itself (plus, lack of online navigational skills or poor comprehension by a few).

Also, try to see if the message/intent is as principled as the bearers. Strong reactions against persons interviewed were not merely borne out of this article but rooted on prior online FB exchanges which reflect character and principle of personalities involved...or the lack of it. In this case, the quality of the medium overrides the message.

 

 

As a fellow UP student, I choose to remember the article's motive which is to increase awareness re student representation, and I hear it loud and clear,

in the same way that I have heard that before among UPOU students themselves.

 

But as a UP faculty, these questions remain unanswered:

If student representation is the path, in what form?

Do you think a residential type of SC will be the best path to unite the OU students?

Are they even meant to be united in the same way that residential students try to do so?

Because honestly, the OU folks who were ahead of you did their best, but could not complete the task, for the nth time due to life priorities.

Perhaps the mold of residential like SC just didn't work.

If it takes a lot of creativity, time and effort, out of the box thinking for us UPOU folks to fight our battles with the UP system, find workarounds to residential policies/guidelines which sometimes do not work for us and our students, then I'd really like to see how you, OU students can do the same for yourselves.

I only wish for concrete and sustained actions after these exchanges---for UPOU students and not for anything nor anybody else.

A gentle reminder for future UPOU student leaders and mobilizers:

Honestly, we UP grads are fine where we are. I, for one, do not need UP students to fight my battles because as a citizen of this country, I am already doing that with fellow UP GRADUATES. In case you folks, again, fail in this area of setting up your SC, or addressing the so called issues of the nation with the SR,  then it is really OK as long as in the end, you get your degree. Surely, this is not module/miscellaneous money wasted...but certainly  wasted if you get stuck with your studies or settle with plagiarizing, cheating and trolling for life. Move on, for there are bigger battles to fight and, more about being UP to do and experience after you graduate.

 

In the case of most UPOU students I have come to know and will care to know, your diploma is a symbol of what you have already been doing well for your families, communities, and workplaces--ergo our nation.

 

Mabuhay kayo!