AT THE ONSET of this academic year, students from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) bemoaned delays in the enrollment process, along with an erratic class scheduling system, as Metro Manila and other parts of the country experienced days of heavy rains and flooding in early July.
Although the academic year began in earnest last July 28, many Bedans were reported to have struggled to enroll on time and navigate arbitrary class schedules, revealing gaps in communication and coordination with their respective academic departments.
Enrollment period
Enrollment for the CAS officially opened last July 7, with the registration closing on July 21 for irregular students, shifters, and transferees. However, just before this, successive typhoons ‘Crising’ and ‘Dante’ and tropical storm ‘Emong’ battered the country, disrupting normal operations.
Amid rising concerns from students, the Student Council’s (SC) Year Level Representatives lobbied for an extension of the enrollment period, as well as launching the ‘Bedan Welfare Check’ to survey the impact of inclement weather on Bedans. As a result, the enrollment period was extended until August 2, with incoming freshmen granted a further extension until August 15.
Despite the extension, Article XV, Section 1 of the Student Handbook states that class hours missed due to late enrollment are officially counted as absences.
Denver Provido, President of the Society of Bedan Literati and Linguists (SBLL), said that many found it difficult to enroll due to the lasting effects of the typhoon.
“[P]rimarily because nanggaling tayo sa bagyo, maraming nasalanta. Itong bagyo rin ang dahilan kung bakit ang daming ‘di naka-enroll, and from the looks of it, also impacted ‘yung work ng mga tao responsible for making enrollment and class go smoothly,” he said.
Other enrollment issues were also highlighted by senior Political Science students, particularly regarding the improper handling of their documents.
As a result, students often had to pay duplicate fees when requesting documents from their former schools.
Start of academic year
Bedans have also raised concerns about intermittent changes in class schedules and assigned professors, leaving many uncertain about whether they had classes on a given day.
“The start of the academic year has been a headache. I checked the portal to see what time my first class starts. When I arrived at school, I heard my classmates say that our schedule [had] changed,” said a junior from the Department of Information Technology (IT) who asked to remain anonymous.
Provido also noted an instance where the registration form indicated that face-to-face classes were scheduled for Tuesday, but the professor was not informed.
“Another is a personal experience na sa registration form ay Tuesday ang face-to-face [classes] pero ang alam ng professor ay Friday talaga, to which iba ang confirmed information ni professor versus sa information sa CAS office,” he said.
“This resulted in students waiting for a professor who never came and students who went to campus twice, dahil mali ung nasa registration form nila,” added Provido.
Alfons Sanidad, the Third-Year Level Representative of the San Beda Economics Society (SBES), noted instances where professors were confused as to why several students were absent during the opening week.
In light of these circumstances, various professors personally accounted for the inconsistencies in the records.
“We were able to work through them as even our [professor] assisted in helping clear confusion,” said Lance Tadeo, the Second-Year Level Representative of SBES.
Moreover, junior Political Science students also testified that their department chair helped rectify the slow feedback loop and helped clarify most concerns.
Experience of other departments
Despite these circumstances, some programs encountered few setbacks at the start of the calendar.
Denise Jewel Diaz, the President of the Junior Bedan Law Circle (JBLC), clarified that the Department of Legal Management did not face any issues, as they typically follow the schedules of previous academic years.
While some students saw the situation as a minor setback, a junior from the IT Department, who asked again to remain anonymous, said the changes were inconvenient but not too serious. However, he acknowledged that the start of the academic year still confused both professors and students.
As the academic year mounts, the student body nevertheless hopes for a more efficient and transparent means of communication, and that students would be granted leeway for gaps in enrollment.
“As much as we want to be on schedule with the academic year, they should also reconsider some leeways or adjustments should the need arise,” said Sanidad.
Sophomores from the Department of Political Science also underscored that it is important to create a more robust schedule of classes in line with institutional events.
In light of the sudden changes in class times, a junior student from the IT Department proposed to create a centralized scheduling system to prevent conflicts and reduce the manual checking carried out by the CAS offices and faculty.
Provido also noted the necessity of clear communication between offices.
“Information can only be concise and accurate if people are able to express it properly. I don’t know how much planning goes. If there is a system, clearly the system does not work effectively and efficiently,” he said.