It was in 1975 when La Salle gained University status; with this came the need for internationalization. According to Reodel Masilungan, Director for the International Center, though the University has been accepting resident foreigners ever since its conception, it was during the 1970s when the University began to accept non-resident foreign students which continued until the 1980s, during the time of Br. Andrew Gonzales FSC. It was also during this time that the University also started to accept foreign priests and nuns for theology.
Choosing DLSU
Local and foreign students are on the same footing when it comes to admissions. Both foreign and Filipino students are required to take the entrance examinations, and it is only if they pass that they are admitted to the University. Dr. Alvin Culaba, Executive Vice President for External Relations and Internationalization (ERIO) shares that now they are trying to be more selective when accepting foreign students.
There are numerous reasons why foreign students enroll in the University. Among these is the good instruction and strategic location of DLSU. English is also the main medium of instruction which paves the way for more foreign students to choose La Salle. “Their motivation really is to gain competence in English,” Culaba explains.
“Hence, studying in DLSU for them is like studying in a First World university while paying Third World rates,” David Michael San Juan, a professor from the Filipino Department, points out.
Masilungan adds that though there are some untoward incidents which happen to foreign students outside the University, such as being overcharged by taxi drivers, foreign students approve of the hospitality shown towards them in general.
Coping inside the University
The Center for Language and Lifelong Learning (CELL), which was eventually renamed as the Center for English Language Learning, is a premier branch of the College of Education (CED) that provides opportunities and core competencies in academic skills, especially in communication.
Norma Lim, one of the teachers from CELL, shares that she establishes good camaraderie among the students for them to develop a good sense of cooperation to lessen their stress level. She also mentions having cross-cultural sharing for each of the foreign students to learn from others’ experiences in the Philippines.
“I sometimes accept social invitations of the students to dinner to help them practice English in real-life situations,” she adds. Some teachers just simply check from time to time if the foreign students can grasp the lessons discussed in the class.
Karam Moon (III-MGT) is a Korean student who affirms that she doesn’t find difficulty studying in the University because of her slight knowledge of Filipino. “But those foreign students who just got in the Philippines have a hard time understanding even if the professor speaks in English,” she says.
Biases
San Juan shares that he does not find it difficult to teach the foreign students. “The language barrier is very easy to overcome. Cultural differences [do not] pose any problems,” he justifies.
When it comes to bias, some teachers may have defensive prejudices against Korean and Middle Eastern students because of a perception that these cultures encourage high assertiveness; the students might become rowdy. Moon affirms that she feels negative biases from some of her professors.
“I do not know with the other nationalities, but Koreans tend to stay together all the time. When they are together, they do whatever they want. They act like they are the best in this world. Because of these students [who might act too assertively], the professors are apt to have negative bias towards us,” she explains.
Nevertheless, most professors have no problems with teaching foreigners. San Juan shares that discrimination is not an issue in the University. He says that the University is multicultural and multilingual like our country, and so he thinks discrimination is not a problem; or rather, no one should feel it as a problem.
Good hosts
“What applies to local (Filipino) students, applies to foreign students,” Culaba states. It is the responsibility of the student to pass the course, to pass his or her requirements, and to attend class since there is no special policy for foreign students in terms of academic policies. Culaba emphasizes, “There are no exceptions; all academic policies apply because they are our students. Our standard is a Lasallian standard.”
Though this might be the case in terms of academic policies, Masilungan says that during the Lasallian Personal Effectiveness Program (LPEP) he offers to foreign students, he instills in the students the thought that all students, regardless of nationality, are subject to the Student Handbook.
Overall, foreign students have equal rights and opportunities inside the University. They are being reported to their respective embassies, and their affiliations and activities are well-documented by the International Center. The International Center monitors their academic performances, seeing through: who does well, who becomes a dean’s lister, who graduates with honors, and in general the academic standing of foreign students. The University connects with the embassies in light of promoting DLSU when they go home to their own countries.
For this school year, there are 541 international students enrolled in the University.
