DLSU Provost and Vice President for Academics Dr. Robert Roleda announced a shift to a combination of hybrid and primarily face-to-face classes starting Term 1 of Academic Year 2026-2027 on February 13 earlier this year.
The change in learning modality presents both benefits and challenges as students and faculty adjust to the new setup.
Modality Concerns
For many professors, returning to a face-to-face setup is more than welcome, despite the existing challenges. Dr. Dominic Paguio from the Department of Educational and Leadership Management remarked that on-site delivery of classes cultivates a richer exchange of ideas in a spontaneous atmosphere. “The professor draws energy from the students, and the students also, I think, get affected by the energy of the professor,” he shared.
Paguio noted, “With the upcoming [ID 126] batch, we can expect an influx of students. I would think there is a probability of having overcrowded classrooms.”
The University recently announced the reopening of St. Mutien Marie Hall to provide additional classrooms and facilities for the growing student population.
Part-time lecturer John Laurence Robes from the Department of Marketing and Advertising acknowledged that more face-to-face classes could enhance student engagement by helping address shorter attention spans associated with online learning.
However, he observed that not all students are prepared to accommodate more in-person classes given the increase in transportation and living costs. He further pointed out that scholars, in particular, may incur additional financial struggles as they depend on specific sources of funding for tuition and to cover daily expenses.
Although Paguio favors in-person classes, he acknowledged the strain of commuting for students and faculty who live far from Manila, among other issues. Robes pointed out that faculty members would have to be more empathetic toward students because “Not all students that attend my classes regularly are actually capable of meeting me on time. Some students come from Cavite or Laguna or Tagaytay.”
The student perspective
Despite the survey revealing a majority preference for face-to-face classes, students remain divided over the announcement. For Nathan Sombe (III, BSA), in-person classes improve focus and allow him to maximize his annual tuition. “We will use DLSU’s facilities like classrooms, [air conditioners], whiteboards, projectors, etc. for the whole week. Mas magiging sulit ‘yung tuition [fee] natin, rather than an online setting where we will have to pay for our own electricity, water, etc. just to be in classes,” Sombe explained, contrasting the additional expenses for online sessions.
(Our tuition [fee] becomes more worth it…)
On the other hand, student-athlete Cassandra Deleste (II, BS-MKT) expressed a preference for the hybrid setup, sharing that she chose the University for its flexibility, allowing her to balance academic and extracurricular commitments.
“While hybrid options may still exist, slots could be limited, forcing some students into less suitable arrangements…reducing time and opportunities [for] students to grow outside the classroom,” Deleste said.
Bianca Mappala (III, BS-ADV) stated that “Our setup right now is very balanced. Having more face-to-face classes adds 10 times more problems for the students, even the admin, the staff, all of them,” emphasizing the larger increase in transportation and food costs if students were to be on campus longer.
Are we left behind?
As more universities continue to shift toward a full face-to-face setup, DLSU faces pressure on whether its performance is still on par with these other leading universities. Nevertheless, feedback suggests that the hybrid setup does not mean falling behind, but rather flexibility. Mappala remarked that the retention of the setup is widely appreciated by the students, even considering it as a deciding factor for enrollment.
However, the faculty and students agreed that there is a difference in the quality of instruction, depending on the modality. For Robes, the ideal is to eliminate the quality difference between both modalities, while also retaining high levels of student engagement. Paguio also pointed out that each modality fits a certain type of student: face-to-face classes benefit those requiring more guidance and support, while online classes are best fit for those who are more independent.
Despite the existing hybrid setup, students still often complain about overcrowding on the Manila Campus. Concerns over the campus’ capacity to accommodate a greater influx of students have become a point of skepticism, especially regarding its facilities. Although St. Mutien Marie Hall has reopened, both faculty and students worry that it may not be enough to accommodate the volume of incoming batches.
Aside from campus capacity, infrastructure challenges such as the reliability of AnimoConnect, extended elevator queue times, and outdated laboratory equipment continue to be points of concern.
While the University administration has made its objective clear, existing issues persist, and the Lasallian community has yet to feel prepared for a shift to in-person classes.