Well-studied academic shift

This is in reaction to Solita Monsod’s Feb. 15 column (“Does the academic calendar matter?”) which cited the presentation of Dr. Laura T. David during the Forum on Academic Calendar at the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP Diliman). Allow us to show that the change in academic calendar was well studied by the university’s eight constituent units and system administration, with weather as one of the more important considerations.

The university’s current first semester is from June to October; there is a brief semestral break in November and classes resume in the second semester from middle of November to middle of December, then a Christmas break that runs up to almost the first week of January. The second semester resumes in January and is completed in the middle of April with graduation usually scheduled during the last week of this month.

What has been the  general weather condition during the first semester, i.e., June, July, August, September and October, for example in UP Diliman and its environs?

According to weather data during the last 50 years, as presented by David, the wettest months are June, July and August and consequently, these are the months with highest probability of class suspensions. With the first semester moved toward the month of August, September, October and November, would the change matter? It would: June, July (but even August) have been projected by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to be wetter in 2020 and beyond. Moving the class opening by two and a half months would mean lesser suspension of classes considering that both past experience and weather projections have September, October and November point to lesser probability of rainfall.

The new calendar will have the second semester run from January to May; the semestral break therefore coincides with the Christmas break and also with fine cool weather. Incidentally, this schedule would mean less cost for parents and students who need not go back and forth to the campus twice as in the present/old schedule. The months of January and February are the coolest months and therefore would not be problematic. The months of March, April and May are drier with the highest average temperature being 29.3°C. It should be noted that this is only 0.6°C higher compared to the highest average of 28.7°C during the months of June, July and August for the last 50 years. Pagasa does however project higher temperatures for March, April, May by 2050. The new second semester therefore means adjustments to periods very similar to the current summer classes, as well as implementation of temperature-adaptive green infrastructures, many of which have already been set up, especially for the so-called “summer” classes of the old/current calendar.

Certainly, weather was not the only factor considered in the decision-making. Positive impacts which outweigh heavily the minor challenges, include: 1) enhanced student/faculty/researcher mobility; 2) better implementation of ongoing and new international and regional research/creative

collaborations; 3) development and implementation of dual degrees and sandwich degree programs for PhD and MS degrees; and 4) increase in the number of international publications and other research/creative outputs from international collaboration.

Change in the academic calendar will give a boost to internationalization. As I have stated in an earlier paper, “Internationalization is being vigorously and aggressively undertaken by many universities in developed and developing countries, including those which were not as ‘open’ before. In fact, today the most nationalistic nations are also the most internationalized ones.” The goal to “internationalize” is not being questioned anymore in universities, especially the progressive ones. It is one of the major endeavors for institutional development/growth.

Rhodora V. Azanza, PhD, is assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of the  Office of Institutional Linkages, University of the Philippines.