Latest Announcements

UP announces additional flexible academic measures for the remainder of the semester

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Announcements

November 26, 2020 | Written by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

Recognizing the extreme challenges of switching to remote teaching and learning in the middle of a pandemic, and economic and technological limitations made worse by the spate of typhoons that battered the country, the University of the Philippines has announced additional flexible academic measures for the remainder of the first semester of AY 2020-2021. This includes the extension of the deadline for the submission of grades to give students more time to accomplish academic requirements and faculty to grade them, and a policy of no failing grades to be given to students this semester.

After due deliberation on the situation of faculty and students in the wake of the typhoons, and in the spirit of balancing divergent positions and interests of faculty and students in the wider context of Philippine higher education, the UP Administration—specifically President’s Advisory Council (PAC), composed of the UP System Executive Committee, Chancellors, and the Philippine General Hospital and UP Bonifacio Global City Directors—upon the recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee consisting of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Assistant Vice-Presidents for Academic Affairs and Vice-Chancellors for Academic Affairs of UP’s constituent units—endorsed the guidelines for the remainder of the first semester AY 2020-2021 and the proposed modification of the academic calendar for the second semester AY 2020-2021 and midyear 2021. The academic guidelines were laid down in Memorandum No. 2020-143 issued by the UP System Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) on 26 November 2020.

The UP Board of Regents, in its 1356th meeting on the same day, approved the PAC-endorsed guidelines and modified academic calendar with an additional condition for the conduct of bridging activities.

Guidelines for the remainder of the semester

The first semester for AY 2020-2021 will end as scheduled, with 9 December as the last day of classes, and final examinations to be held from 11 to 18 December. However, the deadline for the submission of grades is moved from 8 January to 22 January 2021 to give students more time to complete requirements and the faculty more time to grade them.

Moreover, the grades for the first semester AY 2020-2021 will be numeric. The reason for the numeric grades is that, unlike in the second semester of the previous academic year when the University was caught unprepared by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, students have been provided course packs to enable independent learning even when formal classes are not possible. Many students also need grades for scholarships, licensure examinations, future studies, and employment requirements.

However, a grade of 4.0 or conditional failure, or a failing grade of 5.0 shall not be given this semester. Faculty members are also not allowed to give a forced drop (DRP) to students on the basis of non-attendance of synchronous classes or non-communication within the semester, for instance, during scheduled consultations. Instead, students will be given an INC.

This change effectively suspends the rule on attendance that states: “When the number of hours lost by student’s absence reaches 20 percent of the hours of recitation, lecture, laboratory, or any other scheduled work in one subject, s/he shall be dropped from the subject; . . . If the majority of the absences is excused, a student shall not be given a grade of 5.00 upon being thus dropped (often referred to as ‘forced drop’); but if the majority of the absences are not excused, the student shall be given a grade of 5.00 upon being thus dropped.”

Faculty members are encouraged to help students affected by the typhoons and the pandemic to comply with the requirements in time for the 22 January deadline for the submission of grades. Students with missing or incomplete requirements by 22 January shall be given a grade of INC. Suspended is the rule that states that a student whose class standing is not “passing” and who fails to complete requirements or take the final exam automatically receives a grade of 5.0. Instead, students will be allowed to complete their requirements within the prescribed period within one academic year, after which they shall be given a final grade. Students who fail to complete an INC within the prescribed period must re-enroll in the course or its equivalent.

Faculty members are enjoined to continue calibrating their course requirements with the current conditions in mind. Course requirements may be further reduced to the essentials of a course, and no additional course requirements should be specified. Faculty members may conduct bridging academic activities before the extended deadline for the submission of grades, provided the students in their course agree to these.

Suspended academic rules and modified academic calendar

The UP Administration also issued a reminder in the memo that, in addition to the suspended rules on class attendance and INCs above, the following academic rules remain suspended with the approval of the BOR:

1. The deadline for dropping and filing of leave of absence is suspended.
2. A 12-unit course load will be considered a regular load for undergraduate students.
3. The First Semester AY 2020-2021 will not be counted towards MRR. This is because it is the first time for students to do remote learning and they will still calibrate the course load that they can manage, especially for graduate students who are working from home and for other students who have a workload outside of their school work.
4. A student enrolled in a course this semester that is a prerequisite to another shall be allowed to enroll in the latter course for credit in the subsequent semester, despite having no grade yet for the prerequisite course given the extension of the deadline for submission of grades to 22 January 2021.
5. The following rules on scholastic delinquency are suspended for the first semester AY 2020-2021:

a. Warning
b. Probation
c. Dismissal
d. Permanent Disqualification

In light of the postponement of the submission of grades and the time needed to prepare course guides and resource materials, the UP BOR approved the following modified academic calendar for the second semester of AY 2020-2021 and midyear 2021.

Second Semester AY 2020-2021

Start of Classes: 1 March 2021
Reading/Wellness Break: 29 April – 5 May 2021
Reading/Wellness Breaks for the split-sem schedule: 25 – 27 March 2021; 20 – 22 May 2021
End of Classes: 11 June 2021

2021 Midyear

Start of Classes: 5 July 2021
Reading/Wellness Break: 29 – 31 July 2021
End of Classes: 20 August 2021
Finals Period: 23 – 26 August 2021

Extremely difficult semester

The OVPAA memo described the unprecedented difficulties faced by UP students and faculty this semester, given the public health crisis and the impacts of natural disasters on the UP community. Academic units had to redesign programs, balance student demand for course slots with the faculty’s appeal for smaller classes, and rush requests for funds to cover resources for remote teaching and learning. Faculty members have had to cope with an inordinate amount of work, from designing learning activities and planning course requirements, selecting course materials, to preparing course packs with course and study guides and resource materials for uploading in the CUs’ Learning Management System, or for printing and delivery to students with poor connectivity. Some faculty members face the same technological challenges that students have to deal with, and some also have to juggle the added workload with their family care and domestic duties.

Students have also had to grapple with an overwhelming amount of readings and requirements in the four or five courses they have to attend remotely. Additionally, they have had to adjust to the different time frame and rhythm of independent and remote learning without much preparation, while studying in homes and environments that may have poor Internet connectivity, occasional power outages, and may not be conducive to learning.

These difficulties, which were revealed in a “Kumustahan” and in surveys conducted by the CUs prior to the typhoons, prompted the UP System to call for a review of course content and requirements, as well as a reading break from synchronous classes and the submission of course requirements. With the typhoons exacerbating the situation for many members of the UP community, both the UP System and CU administrations called for even greater compassion and flexibility on the part of the faculty and for an iterative reconfiguration of course content and requirements for the remaining weeks of the semester.

Read the OVPAA Memorandum No. 2020-143 here.

UP is Asia’s 69th best, 52nd in academic reputation—QS

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Announcements

By Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc, UP Media and Public Relations Office

The University of the Philippines placed 69^th among the top 634 higher educational institutions (HEIs) of Asia in the latest rankings released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

The QS Asia University Rankings 2021 [https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asian-university-rankings/2021], where UP placed three ranks higher than in the previous year’s edition and emerged among the top 11 percent of Asian HEIs, was released today, November 25, 2020.

1-rankings trendRESIZE30

Rank 69^th is the highest UP has placed in the annual rankings since its 2016 edition, within which period UP placed between 75^th and 70^th. Its position in the top percentile steadily rose from the top 17.6 percent in the 2018 edition, to the top 14.3 percent in the 2019, the top 12.9 percent in the 2020, and the top 10.3 percent in the last.

Similar to its World University Rankings, QS Asia University Rankings zeroed in on “published” institutions or those with at least 100 papers published within a five-year period, cited within six years from publication, all in Elsevier-based and Scopus-indexed publications.

2-underlying dataRESIZE30

In the 2021 edition, UP published 4,885 papers for the period 2014-2018. Publications from UP were cited 22,921 times during the period 2014-2019.

QS measured these published institutions in terms of other key indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty to student ratio, and international research network. The rankings also looked at the number of staff with PhDs, papers per faculty, international faculty and students, and inbound and outbound exchange students.

Academic reputation was arrived at from 102,500 responses to a global survey of academics; employer reputation, from 52,000 responses to a similar survey of employers; and, international research network, from Scopus and Margalef indices of research collaborations.

3-ranks by indicatorRESIZE30

For these indicators, UP had outstanding Asian rankings. It was ranked 52^nd in academic reputation; 53^rd in employer reputation; and, 62^nd in international research network. It ranked 116^th in faculty to student ratio, and 301^st and lower in the rest.

4-difference vs averagesRESIZE30

UP performed way above the average in the country and in the region. UP’s overall score in the rankings¾51.23 out of 100¾was 113.2 percent above the regional average and 254.9 percent above the Philippine average.

5-reputationRESIZE30

In the QS World University Rankings 2021, released in June 2020, UP achieved a ranking of 396^th among the top 1,000 universities picked out from 5,500 institutions. Three other Philippine institutions were in the top 1,000: Ateneo de Manila University, which placed in the 601^st-650^th bracket; and De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas, both in the 801^st-1,000^th bracket.

“The method [for the Asia University Rankings] retains key indicators of the global ranking. . . , but also considers a set of performance metrics carefully tailored for the region,” according to the QS Asia University Rankings 2021 fact file sent to the University.

According to its website [https://www.qs.com/], QS, with the main office in London, is a “provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector.” Its World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, is a popular source of comparative data on university performance.

"Zero Rabies in Davao City" Webinar

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Announcements

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POST-EVENT UPDATE:

"Zero Rabies in Davao City: A Dream or a Reality?" a webinar on the rabies landscape of Davao City was held online on 17 November 2020. The "Synoptic Study on Transmission and Optimum Control to Present Rabies," or STOP Rabies program, for short, presented its three studies and arrived at five policy recommendations:

Recommendations for Zero Rabies in Davao City:

(1) mandatory dog registration; (2) mandatory pet vaccination; (3) have a transitory impounding center and return-to-owner system for impounded pet dogs; (4) operationalize a pet breeder registry; and (5) provision of direct-specific Animal Bite Treatment Center establishments.

Davao City councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte welcomed the recommendations and pledged to incorporate these into the ongoing city health proposal draft.

(View the forum video here: https://bit.ly/35XsF22)

The webinar panelists were Prof. Lyre Anne Murao, Prof. May Anne Mata, and Dr. Genevieve Tupas, project leaders of the STOP Rabies program, Prof. Pedro Alviola IV of UP School of Management, Dr. Esther Cherrie Rayos, Dr. Ma. Corazon Sepulveda, Dr. Gloria Marquez, and Dr. Gay Paliar of the Davao City Veterinarian's Office, Dr. Annaliza Malubay of Davao City Health Office, Dr. Maria Nerissa Dominguez and Mr. Thomas Hiatt of WHO-PH, Pauline Baladjay of DOH, Dr. Sarah Jayme of Global Alliance for Rabies Control, Dr. Daphne Jorca of Bureau of Animal Industry, and Floyd Bascones of Davao Dog Lover's Community

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STOP Rabies program in partnership with The PAWSitivity Project Philippines invites the public to a free webinar, "ZERO RABIES IN DAVAO CITY: A DREAM OR REALITY?" on 17 November 2020, 9:00 AM to 12:00 NOON.

Participants can learn about the rabies landscape of Davao City based on the research results of the program, experience the 1st Virtual Pet Blessing, have fun with the online games and prizes, and meet new people and pet lovers through this webinar. Register here: bit.ly/3k6iqfv

Researchers present in HEED The 3Rs National Conference

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Announcements

POST-EVENT UPDATE:

UP Mindanao researchers successfully presented papers on 19 November 2020 in the session "Livelihood and Health in the Fisheries Sector and Organizational Resilience During the Pandemic," as part of the 1st National Conference on “Health, Environment, and Economic Development: The Road to Recovery and Resiliency (HEED The 3Rs)” held online on 19-20 November 2020.

Asst. Prof. Jon Marx Sarmiento presented “Fish Catch Monitoring in Ayungon and La Libertad, Negros Oriental: Implications to Small Fishers’ Livelihood,” co-authored with Adonis M. Traje, Glory Dee Romo, and Iaza Kaye Y. Villa.

Research Assistant Charisse Miguel discussed “Shifting Patterns of Fishing Gears, Monsoons and its Impact in the Overall CPUE: The Case of Davao Gulf, Southern Philippines,” which is co-authored by Leo Manuel B. Estaña, Francesca A. Acosta, Pedro A. Alviola IV, and J. P. Sarmiento.

Research Assistant Daena Francesca Acosta spoke on “Optimized Nutritional Intakes of Fisher’s Children: The Case of Mabini, Davao de Oro, Southern Philippines,” by P. A. Alviola IV, J. P. Sarmiento, Sherelyn A. Evangelio, Giovanna Faye R. Oguis, Cleto L. Nañola Jr., and L. B. Estaña, as co-authors.

Asst. Prof. Glory Dee Romo presented “Organizational Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from Philippine Enterprises,” co-authored with J. P. Sarmiento, A.M. Traje, Thaddeus R. Acuña, Imee Marie A. Acopiado, and Geraliza Wahing.

Asst. Prof. Roxanne Aguinaldo served as Session Chair, and Extension Associate Dashielle Sollano was the Rapporteur. Prof. Emma Ruth Bayogan was the Lead Person of UP Mindanao for the conference.

The plenary sessions featured economist Cielito Habito, Congresswoman Stella Quimbo, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera, and Vice-President Maria Leonor Robredo. The conference was co-organized by the Economic and Environment Group Philippines, Resource and Environmental Economics Foundation of the Philippines Incorporated (REAP), and SEARCA. Some 500 persons attended the conference.

###

The University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao will host a breakout or parallel session and researchers will present papers in the 1st National Conference on “Health, Environment, and Economic Development: The Road to Recovery and Resiliency (HEED The 3Rs),” organized by the Economy and Environment Group Philippines (EEGP), the Resource and Environmental Economics Foundation of the Philippines Incorporated (REAP), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), to be held online on 19-20 November 2020.

UP Mindanao's session on the theme, "Livelihood and Health in the Fisheries Sector and Organizational Resilience During the Pandemic," is on Thursday, 19 November 2020, at 3:10-4:10 PM.

...

Interested participants may register at: https://forms.gle/pLn1RYP2usjcxBAE9.

UP weighs options for AY 2021-2022 admissions

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Announcements

By UP Media and Public Relations Office | October 27, 2020

The University of the Philippines is set to come out with a system of freshmen admissions unique to the pandemic situation, following a series of consultations with stakeholders.

UP experts had earlier come up with five options or scenarios, UP Office of Admissions Director Francisco de los Reyes, a data scientist, told UP News in an online meeting on October 20, 2020.

The scenarios are the following:

1) A paper-and-pen administration of the UPCAT, subject to IATF and LGU Covid19 protocols and coordination;

2) An online UPCAT;

3) A hybrid paper-and-pen and online mode for UPCAT;

4) A no-UPCAT scenario where UP may mine data from the applicant’s personal data sheet, high school records, the specific high school and performance of its graduates in UP, etc., to arrive at the University Predicted Grade (UPG);

5) A moratorium on freshmen admissions.

The Office of Admissions is holding discussions at every level over which option would be the best for all stakeholders involved. This decision, which is projected to be made during the next meeting of the UP Board of Regents on October 29, will ultimately be based on consultations currently being held with the UP faculty, high schools, UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) contact persons, testing centers, and volunteers.

With a go-signal on any of Options 1 to 4, UP may accept applications by November 2020. The University aims to keep with the usual schedule of releasing the qualifiers list by April each year.

Based on the recent trend, the University expects over 100,000 applicants to be considered for freshmen admission for academic year (AY) 2021-2022.

De los Reyes assures the public that UP remains steadfast to the guiding principle of excellence and equity, whatever option will be taken; and that it will not compromise standardization or waver on the commitment not to disenfranchise any candidate for admission.

“Ultimately, planning for our next round of admissions will be inclusive, with the acknowledgment that some applicants do have the economic privilege, and with empathy for the marginalized,” de los Reyes says in a presentation.

In the meantime, the UP Office of Admissions is beefing up its automation program and IT infrastructure, in cooperation with the UP Information Technology Development Center and Data Privacy Office, which will greatly help it to cope with the pandemic. Foremost in development are dedicated portals for UPCAT inquiries and fully online applications.

Frances Fatima M. Cabana

Director, Media and Public Relations Office

Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs

University of the Philippines

Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City

Tel. Nos. +63 2 8926-1572 or 8981-8500 loc. 2511

Other Nos. +63 981-8500 loc. 2549 to 2551

Latest Announcements

By UP Media and Public Relations Office | October 27, 2020

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