The Arts College Government (ACG) pursues the implementation of the Major-Minor and the double Liberal Arts (LIA-LIA) degree programs for the students of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
According to incumbent CLA College President Matthew Yabut, the idea of the LIA-LIA program was pitched as early as 2010, and the campaign for the approval of the Major-Minor and LIA-LIA degrees started with CLA College President for academic year 2013-2014 Angelo Tiglao.
The difference?
Yabut clarifies that the Major-Minor program and the LIA-LIA program are entirely different from each other. “When you’re taking LIA-LIA, it means you have to take all major subjects required to complete the two LIA programs you’re enrolled in,” Yabut explains. LIA-LIA would work just the same as the existing Liberal Arts-Commerce (LIA-COM) program, where students have to take all courses in both degrees.
On the other hand, with the Major-Minor program, students would only be required to take a few major subjects from another course, which is to be credited as a minor program. Yabut adds that, between the two, Major-Minor is more plausible than LIA-LIA. This is because in order for the LIA-LIA program to be included in the official list of programs offered by the University, the proposal must be approved by the Commission on Higher Education.
On the Major-Minor program
Yabut shares that surveys have been conducted throughout the entire academic year. However, these were University-wide surveys. “[The ACG] is doing surveys again because we want harder data. We want CLA-specific data that would ensure that there’s a really strong demand and a really strong want for this project or these programs,” shares Yabut. He explains that once sufficient information has been gathered, then a proposal will be made. As of press time, surveys are still ongoing.
Yabut reveals that the ACG has been working closely with Vice President for Internal Affairs Micah Fernando, so that if the CLA Major-Minor programs will receive approval, the framework used for the program could also be used for other colleges.
In preparation for the proposal, Yabut is encouraging CLA students to take part in the discussion regarding Major-Minor programs under the college. The ACG is slated to present its gathered data and supporting evidence to the Council of Chairs on July 15. The Council is composed of all CLA Department Chairs and the CLA Vice Dean.
Once the college receives approval for the Major-Minor programs, Yabut narrates that the next step to take is to make flowcharts for certain minors. Afterwards, the flowcharts will be presented to the Office of the University Registrar (OUR), the office tasked to add credited subjects to the Transcript of Records. The goal of the ACG is to have the Major-Minor program approved soon so that the flowcharts can be submitted to the OUR by September this year.
While Yabut and his team remain unsure of which CLA undergraduate courses should be available options for minor programs, he shares that from initial feedback, students have expressed their desire in minoring in International Studies, Communication Arts, Philosophy, and History, among others.
What happens to LIA-LIA?
“What we want to work on this year is what can actually happen within the next term or possibly within the term,” says Yabut on the Major-Minor program. “What we’ve been getting from our consultations with the CLA Office and our administrators is that [the Major-Minor program] is the most possible [option that could happen] within the [year].”
The LIA-LIA project remains open for discussion, however. With his term as ACG President nearing its end, Yabut expresses optimism for the next batch of ACG officers to start a new discussion regarding LIA-LIA, and other double degree programs that could be tied up with liberal arts programs, such as LIA-EDU.
