In its attempt to evaluate possible issues concerning the enrollment for the second term of Academic Year 2013-2014, the USG has once again sponsored a multi-sectoral forum held at Waldo Perfecto Seminar Hall this afternoon. The forum, in particular, emphasized the recent change in the enrollment schedule, which has evoked mixed responses from the student body.
Looking at the survey results
The Office of the Vice President (OVPIA) and Office of the Secretary (OSEC) jointly conducted an online questionnaire in an effort to assess the student body’s views on the revised enrollment scheme. This survey revealed that 45 percent of the respondents felt that the new enrollment schedule was able to promote equality among students. Another 45 percent felt that the system was unfair, in view of some of the revised enrollment scheme’s new provisions. As Christine Badillo shares, a significant number of students were disappointed with the new scheme, as it pits regular students with reinstated and irregular ones. In contrast, 10 percent of the respondents felt neutral about the new system.
While the new scheme may have had its drawbacks, Badillo mentions that a lot of students appreciated the granting of advance enrollment privileges to 2nd Honor Deans Listers. Moreover, the survey shows that more DLSU students are in favor of the new enrollment schedule, with 56 percent of the respondents attesting to this.
Badillo, however, laments the lack of survey respondents, with the College of Science, School of Economics and College of Education turning in the least number of respondents. University Registrar Voltaire Mistades confirms this, adding that the number of survey respondents constituted less than 5 percent of the total undergraduate student population.
Issues raised
The forum likewise allowed the student body to raise their concerns regarding the recent enrollment. Some students, for instance, complained about the contentious issue of regular, irregular and reinstated students being crammed into the priority lane. While Mistades believes that the new system works to the detriment of regular students, he argues that irregular students, who had not been able to freely choose sections before, will now be given the liberty to do so.
Others also called for the provision of more course offerings, contending that some students had been unable to get the courses they want. However, Mistades and Paulynne Castillo, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services (AVPES), didn’t see the need for more course offerings, claiming that the University already provides students with the right to petition for courses
A concern of special interest during the forum is the withholding of enrollment for some students due to their failure to submit necessary forms. Many students failed to submit Form 137, in particular – a form which certifies that the student does not have any pending accountabilities with his/her high school. Mistades laments that due to some high schools being unable to submit these to DLSU, the University had to refrain other students from enrolling during their respective time schedules.
The return of animo.sys?
With the new system in operation, Mistades shares that around 100 percent of the student body had been able to efficiently process their enrollment at their respective time schedules. Despite the continuing success of the MyLasalle system, however, Mistades asserts that DLSU may not be sticking to MLS for good. Part of the reason for this, he says, is that an Oracle-powered system like animo.sys would facilitate the transfer of records in the case of DLSU students moving to other universities abroad. With the call of globalization being stronger than ever, he believes that DLSU must follow the example of world-class universities such as the National University of Singapore and employ Oracle-powered systems in order to catch up.
