Written by Daniella Doce, Aljim Kudarat
Mindanao State University-General Santos City (MSU-GSC) has always been tagged as a 'standard' educational institution; not only is it state-funded, but its name has already reigned atop national examinations. In its 50th year of standing as an autonomous institution, however, a relative but underwhelming endeavor emerges: opening multiple new programs amid facility scarcity. Clearly, the question is not why a university should set foot onto offer new programs out of necessity, but rather on the decision that turns a blind eye to our current state, as if trying to forcefully wear ill-fitting shoes.
Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and BS in Psychology are the prospective degree programs to be offered by MSU-GSC. Their mere inclusion directly translates as to what students will endure in the coming semesters, given that we are facing a lack of facilities to utilize from the outset given all the existing programs we already have.
Inasmuch as offering new course programs would provide new grounds for MSU's breakthroughs, it is not in good faith that they offer them while there is, in the first place, a dismissive motion citing that this institution ‘does not lack classrooms’, which was posited by Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (VCPD), Prof. Sheila Loable, in an interview with Bagwis. The latter just proves a downright clear-cut of problems aggravated with even worse problems.
The administration is fully aware of its own lapse in the system; and it is saddening to come to a point where MSUans must endure classes until 7:00 PM, a time period of the day when students should have gotten to rest from spending a whole day studying in such a taxing university. In an interview with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA), Dr. Mishell Lawas shared the same root of the problem: “kinukulang tayo ng classroom.”
Not only that, but MSUans must soon brace themselves for 9:00 PM classes due to the impending addition of yet again more degree programs within the university. Regardless of whether it is 7:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m., the final verdict is clear; we will be susceptible to unwanted turns of events even if security is heightened, since this university’s treatment of safety is also a cause for concern. Combine the lack of proper lighting and the much too large expanse of the campus grounds to traverse, and having to study at MSU-GSC at night is a whole new topic, especially for those who must regularly come to class from faraway places.
Not only shall MSU-GSC’s current capacity to hold classes with its limited number of facilities already obstruct the prospective successful addition of new course offerings, the chase towards trying to reach this goal in the first place given the number of faculty we have also begs for reconsideration. While hiring more instructors and faculty seems much more doable than immediately constructing new buildings and rooms that can ease the accommodation of student to classes ratio, the question regarding upholding quality of education over the quantity of course offerings arises.
Yes, late-night classes can shift towards online classes, but as the VCAA has previously stated in an interview, modality shifts won’t take place under normal circumstances, due to the campus not yet being a Smart campus and capable of providing a strong internet connection for its students. The VCAA has also already stressed that as much as possible, holding face-to-face, in-person classes are highly encouraged by the government.
Against all odds, however, the additional course offerings are inevitable in the pursuit of the university to achieve various accreditations and reaching new milestones to keep up with its mission and vision, one of them having to do with becoming a globally-competitive university. To do so, there is no choice but to overload a campus scarce of classroom space. As the latter pipedream continues to be pursued, it is unavoidable that MSU-GSC’s quality education will be inadvertently sacrificed in favor of inflating the quantity of courses available, an endeavor that would have otherwise fared well if executed with gradually achieved sufficient resources and facilities.
It is only right to silently expect that with the advent of additional courses and with ill-preparation, the university will not be able to live up to its expansion. MSU-GSC’s order of having the necessary facilities available before moving to place more strain on the limits of the campus’ accommodation capacity is all skewed. MSU-GSC is biting more than it can chew, and as the educational institution stubbornly insists on expanding course offerings,the forced act is no different than donning ill-fitted shoes.
Comments