The University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents is set to select next month the chancellor of UP Los Bańos. Even now the entire community—students, faculty, administrative personnel, non-academic personnel and even alumni—are awaiting the results of the selection, as the choice of chancellor signals either a new direction for the university, or tacit approval of the status quo.
Those in the know have much to say about the status quo in UPLB, with the current chancellor, who is up for his second term, transforming UPLB from an institution of learning and research into an “armed garrison.” Faculty members have complained loudly and publicly about policies designed to, as they allege, “humiliate” them, while students’ rights have been curtailed, with elections for the student council, which were supposed to take place last February, postponed indefinitely.
Nearly 80 academic employees of UPLB have written an open letter expressing their “indignation, collective disgust and deep sense of betrayal” over what they called recent “demoralizing events.” These include, for the faculty and academic personnel, an impasse on promotions and housing rental rates for the staff; while students are chafing over increases in dormitory fees and “undue delay” in the conduct of student council elections. “There is a prevalent atmosphere of cynicism and frustration” in UPLB, the open letter says.
The non-academic personnel are restless as well, calling for a public protest last Aug. 15 over issues such as the non-granting of a promised 10-percent salary increase as well as the continuing suppression of labor rights.
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Given the current atmosphere in UPLB, including allegations of misuse of funds and conflict of interest involving a private college’s claims of a link with UPLB, it seems astounding that Chancellor Rey Velasco appears confident of getting an extension on his troubled term.
An observer of the scene at UPLB says Velasco’s optimism may be based on his being an Upsilonian, with three “brods” or fraternity brothers, sitting on the Board of Regents, the ultimate appointing authority in the UP System. Here’s hoping the board bases its choice of UPLB chancellor on the candidates’ credentials, especially scientific and administrative experience, and the soundness of their visions and plans for UPLB.
Academic clusters, including the majority of the faculty and student representatives have already come out publicly with their support for one candidate: Dr. Candida B. Adalla, a professor of entomology at the Crop Protection Cluster of the College of Agriculture. A product of UPLB, who obtained her undergraduate, master’s degree and doctorate in entomology from the university, Adalla in the 38 years she has spent on campus has, as a letter of nomination put it, “integrated and performed with astounding success the multifaceted role of a UPLB faculty—a dedicated and caring teacher, a multi-awarded researcher-scientist, a farmer-oriented extensionist, a hard-working administrator, a well-respected partner of government and nongovernmental organizations, a loving mom, a community worker and above all, a strong believer in God and His wondrous deeds.”
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Until June this year, Adalla was dean of the College of Agriculture (CA), which is admittedly the “heart” of UPLB, the training ground of many agriculturists, agriculture officials and agribusiness experts not just here but abroad.
Under her leadership, which she assumed in 2002, Adalla managed to secure the approval of the Board of Regents for the new CA organizational structure, long a dream of former college deans. She also led the preparation of research proposals and income-generating projects to beef up the budget of the new CA.
On the academic side, Adalla spearheaded the revision of “responsive and relevant academic programs,” especially new courses that provide training in emerging fields of agricultural science. Another important achievement of hers was the creation of a “one-stop shop” called the CA AgriPark, where technologies, publications, services, and varieties are showcased. She was also a major player in the development of Commission on Higher Education’s new policies and standards for the BSA curriculum, being the chair of the Technical Committee for Agriculture of the Technical Panel for Agricultural Education.
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ALL things being equal, someone of Adalla’s proven ability and administrative skills, including the wide respect she enjoys among her peers, would have qualified her for the post of chancellor. Not to mention that should the Board of Regents appoint her to the post, she would become UPLB’s first woman chancellor, a perfect complement to the choice of Dr. Emerlinda Roman as UP’s first woman president.
In her personal “Vision, Mission and Goals” document, Adalla states her envisioned mission for UPLB as being “the leading institution responsive to the needs and demands of the Filipino people and the global community and to maintain its competitive edge in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology and environment.”
In the same document, she says “the university must regain its stature as the leading university in the Southeast Asian region with its colleges being centers of excellence in their respective disciplines.” This can be achieved, she states, by continuing rationalization and updating of degree programs and courses, as well as “developing world-class faculty with access to modern research and teaching facilities.”
“World-class teachers and facilities will redound to a yield of world-class graduates that will continue to occupy key positions in government agencies and private enterprises,” she points out.
