Monday, January 13, 2025

The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) conducted the 2nd Semester Faculty Re-Orientation titled, Jumpstart to Effective Instruction: Paving the Path to 2025 ISUccess on January 13, 2025 via Zoom Meetings.

The said event was attended by faculty members from across the Isabela State University (ISU) System with the goal of equipping themselves to better serve their students and increase productivity before the start of the new semester.

Before the event started, Dr. Ricmar P. Aquino (University President) addressed the attendees by highlighting that the University should continue striving to become a beacon of excellence while expressing that education is a dynamic process which does not happen only within the four (4) corners of classrooms.

Some of the relevant topics discussed in the re-orientation are:

    • Financial Oversight and Budget Allocation for Faculty
    • Implementing Rules and Regulations of Research and Faculty Incentives
    • Re-orientation on HR Policies for Faculty
    • Cultivating the Workplace and Classroom as a Safe Space for Faculty and Students
    • Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Revised Faculty Manual
    • Demonstration and Simulation of Web-based e-Faculty Workload and ISU Orange Version 2.0.

Looking back and serving as lessons for the future, Dr. Boyet L. Batang (Vice President for Academic Affairs) presented ISU’s 2024 Academic Affairs Milestones. Part of his presentation is encouraging the faculty to maintain and improve on these milestones through strategic initiatives, quality education, inclusivity, and community engagement.

Moving forward, the 2025 Vision for Academic Excellence was also shared by Dr. Batang which serves as the roadmap of the University in the continuous improvement of its services and offerings. These include hopes for the following:

    • Licensure Examination: achieve above national passing percentage for Agriculture and Fisheries Program and BLEPT, produce national topnotchers, and implement the gamification of licensure examination reviewers;
    • Certificate of Program Compliance: receive COPC for new proposed undergrad programs and to all graduate programs submitted 2021 onwards;
    • AACCUP Accreditation: become Top 1 institution with the most number of programs with Level 3 and Level 4 re-accredited status, and receive re-accredited status for all programs with pending compliance of mandatory recommendations;
    • New and innovative programs: offer BS Food Technology, BS Aircraft Maintenance, MAEd and PhD Leadership Management, BS Fish Processing Technology, BS Precision Agriculture, BS Smart Agriculture, and BS Meteorology, and develop water-related courses curriculum; and
    • Status of Faculty: send more faculty to undergo their studies abroad/reputable institutions in the country, promotion of faculty through institutional promotion, and increase the number and quality of instructional materials and research.