Can we still make the cut?

Upon graduation, Lasallians are expected to have gathered enough ideals, knowledge and skills to succeed in the outside world, whether as employers or employees.

Amongst all the other requirements, DLSU President Br. Jun Erguiza FSC stresses the importance of molding Lasallians into their ideal form, referring to the values and ideals Lasallians should have after graduating.

In relation to this, the University launched athe Expected Lasallian Graduate Attributes  (ELGA) metric, which aims to create Lasallians who are critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, reflective life-long learners, service-driven, ethical, and socially responsible citizens, and technically proficient and competent professionals and leaders.

But amidst the economic crisis and the availability of high skill-related jobs, more and more students are counting on the world-class education DLSU has promised.

Jet Duterte Luga, Alyansang Tapat sa Lasalista (Tapat) Vice President for Internal Affairs, affirms, “I think people, more than anything, seek the University’s promise of a world class educational experience that will help mold a student’s future into a bright one.”

Benchmark past

In an article released in The LaSallian in print and online last month about the issue that the University is not getting the best and the brightest, a person commented that DLSU is not what it was before.

He said that DLSU used to produce excellent graduates, specifically pertaining to the accounting graduates before, who topped the board exams.

Similarly, Br. Jun expressed the deteriorating academic results of some students and colleges.

Declining faculty

Some students, however, claim that the University’s standards are decreasing because of the younger faculty.

In recent years, there has been an increase in hiring fresh and younger applicants as faculty members in the University.

Hiring of fresh applicants as faculty members has posed the possibility of triggering the depreciation of the level of education students receive.

Hire or reject

The bigger issue, though, is the likelihood of a DLSU graduate being employed in a specific industry, or his or her capacity to start a new business and to succeed in a venture.

Marketing management graduate Aisha Lim, expresses that she did at first think that the standards of DLSU had gone down, but she presently believes that the University has helped increase her chances of being employed.

“La Salle was able to help me become more competitive because of the resources [professors and facilities] it provides. It has a good standard of education.”

Joseph Simoun Ferrer, former DLSU student council president, shares a similar opinion.

“The corporate world is so fast paced. And in La Salle we are trained for that. A Lasallian education helps prepare us for that. There are so many opportunities in La Salle,” he furthers.

A high raking officer in a multinational conglomerate, however, explained that although he wants to hire Lasallians, he believes that many lack discipline, and are complacent.

An employee in a fast moving consumer good company (FMCG) explained though that they prefer to get from other universities.

University support

The Office of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS) is tasked to conduct activities such as career talks and seminars to enlighten the students on their future endeavors and careers.

Economics fresh grad Janlo Cordero explains that the OCCS has done an excellent job, though he says that there are no new companies that participate as of this year.

Another alumnus clarifies that the University needs to be more direct and hands-on with students. With this, fresh grads can easily adapt to a more assured and convenient means of achieving career-oriented goals after their stay in the University.

As part of the curriculum, graduating students are required to take on the job training (OJT). Students scout for jobs to provide a glimpse and first-hand experience of their careers in the future, based on and related to their chosen courses.