Pulling students to DLSU-STC

Established to be true to its nature, De La Salle University Science and Technology Complex (DLSU-STC) aspires being the top research institute in Asia and the Pacific. And by making this vision into reality, the DLSU-STC now attracts the best and the brightest students and faculty to its roster.

Being better and brighter

DLSU President and Chancellor Br. Ricky Laguda FSC assures sufficient amenities and the necessary space in DLSU-STC. “One, it’s 50 hectares. There will be a lot of space there,” Br. Ricky points out.

DLSU-STC was built to provide more space for growth in research and student activities. Aside from academic structures, and research centers, the campus has also constructed lodging facilities for both students and faculty with the furnished De La Salle Residential Hall. And being adjacent to the commercial complex Laguna Technopark, DLSU-STC creates a suburban-commercial sustaining community ambient for learning, productivity, and migration.

Br. Ricky shares, “I think we will put up a student dorm again, good for another 80 or 90. So by next year or two years from now, that will be good for 200. At least that 200 who wish to avail of student dorms.”

“The faculty will be the same from here. The first two to three years, we will be shuttling them back and forth, same with the students,” Br. Ricky further elaborates. Shuttle services will also be provided between DLSU and DLSU-STC to ease up the discomfort of travelling in such distance.

“It will not affect the upperclassmen. Those who will enter 2013 are the ones who will have a DLSU degree,” Br. Ricky adds. DLSU students who will be graduating on the academic year of 2013 to 2014 and will be transferring to DLSU-STC on the said academic year will be receiving diplomas under the name of DLSU, being an official part of the University.

Addressing courses and concerns

Some programs from DLSU, especially from Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE), College of Science (COS), and College of Computer Science (CCS), will also be available for DLSU-STC, far-fetched from the full-transfer claim.

“There will be programs that can be either in both campuses, or just in Taft, or just in Canlubang. It depends on a lot of conditions or scenarios. So for example, if there’s a demand, then we should offer it there; if there’s no demand, then we’ll not. But we can also offer new programs there,” Br. Ricky elaborates.

Depending on the campus’ vision for itself and the demand of its students, the University will still further discuss other exclusive and non-exclusive courses for DLSU-STC.

“We haven’t really planned it yet. What we are trying to ask the Academics Council to plot out is which programs we wish to transfer over a period of ten years for the three colleges for this year. And next year, we might even open up to other colleges,” Br. Ricky opens.

“In choosing which programs we would transfer here, we need to figure out a criteria. We don’t have a criteria yet. Let’s look at our different programs here. In this particular program, how many sections do we have for this program? And where do they come from? So we need to get those data,” he adds.

For the incoming frosh of AY 2013 to 2014, the DLSU courses currently offered in the DLSU-STC viewbook are Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering (BS-IE), BS in Business Management (BS-MGT), BS in Entrepreneurship (BS-ENT), and BS in Computer Science with specialization in Software Development minor in Gaming Development (BS-CSST), exclusively available to DLSU-STC to cater the increasing demand for developers in the gaming industry.

By AY 2016 to 2017, the University hopes to push through with these proposed programs only available to the DLSU-STC population – BS in Computer Science with specialization in Games and Social Computing, BS in Civil Engineering with specialization in Environmental Engineering, BS in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Aeronautical Engineering, and BS in Biology minor in Business Studies.

Getting ahead for 2013

The University hopes to reach the goal of having 350 students on DLSU-STC’s first academic year on 2013 to 2014. “Why is the college population small? Because the ones who are living in the slums area are mostly young families, so eventually in the next years it will pick up. I think it will be more than 4,000 by 2023,” Br. Ricky shares.

With the University’s STC campus already having around 500 enrollees with about 10% of scholars, Br. Ricky exudes confidence in the attainability of the plans the University has for DLSU-STC. “Because of our brand and the kind of education we try to provide with the students, I think there will be enough students,” Br. Ricky says.

Assessing the attractiveness

Despite its proximity to home, Santa Rosa native and current Taft-based student Keven Hernandez (III, BS-INSYS) believes that DLSU-STC needs more time to grow for him to transfer there.

“Though it’s more convenient for me since it’s closer to home, I think there are more exposure and opportunities that DLSU-Manila can give its students, especially from CCS, as of now,” Hernandez shares.

On the contrary, San Pedro-based Chantal Elloran (III, BS-CHE) would not mind cross-enrolling to DLSU-STC for AY 2013 to 2014 because she would still be getting her diploma under the University.

Bea Tablizo (I, BS-BIO), also from San Pedro, refuses to transfer to the Canlubang campus having to consider DLSU as her second home in just a short period of time.

“I’d rather not because I am already comfortable studying at Taft even though the University’s kind of overpopulated already because of its small vicinity. Also, having new machines or facilities at Canlubang would lead to a lot of adjustments. So, I am already contented having ‘DLSU-STC in Manila’,” Tablizo adds.