Dr. Jennifer Florida
Assistant Vice President for Academic Services
In the second semester of AY 2015-2016, enrollment decreased around 7% from that of the previous semester. Figure 2 shows the percentage change for each semester over the last three years, which also manifest a continuous decline in enrollment.
Enrolment Status
Financial assistance was provided to academically excellent students, financially-challenged but qualified students, talented student athletes, and students who render cultural service through the scholarship program of the University. Nearly 5,000 scholarship slots were given to deserving students.
The total number of scholars is around 3,500 which represent about 13% of the student population (around 26,000) for the academic year 2015-2016.
More than half of the total number of scholars received merit grants (61%) which include Teachers Scholarship Program and entrance and academic scholarship. Nearly half (42%) of the scholarship budget was allocated to the merit grant.
Under student development, 60 accredited student organizations implemented a total of 279 projects, in which the majority (35%) was on topical discussions of industry-related issues and trends. This includes discussion on stock trading, sensory integration intervention, human trafficking, creative therapy, magic realism, neo- political activism, financial wellness, civic rights of the LGBT community, cultural heritage, Philippine indigenous culture, Pacioli Rules, and others.
The student welfare program of the University helps promote the student well-being through the services provided by the Guidance and Counseling unit and the Student Discipline office. The Tams Guidance Program offers 14 guidance services and 11 dynamic and responsive programs together with the TAP programs designed for specific target groups and support the students’ holistic development. About 64% of the students availed the Guidance Program.
Students who achieved academic excellence over the duration of their entire undergraduate studies are given recognition through the Latin Honors program. About 10% of the graduating class has Latin honors and 94% of these students were scholars of FEU and external benefactors. Out of the total number of scholars who graduated with The Institute of Arts and Sciences remains the
largest academic college for the undergraduate students. Due to the strong partnership with Far East University (FEU) Korea, the number of Korean students remains to be the highest in the population of foreign students. Other foreign students enrolled in FEU include Afghan, Bangladeshi, British, Canadian, Colombian, Dutch, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Equitorial Guiean, Greek, Indonesian, Iranian, Japanese, Maldivian, New Zealander, Pakistan, Papuan, Singaporean, South African, Taiwanese, and Thai.
Student development program for foreign students enrolled in FEU include INTensive English
LAnguage Course (INTELAC), which is delivered by the FEU Language Learning Center (LLC). The center was formerly known as the Center for English Language Studies (CELS). From June 2015 to May 2016, LLC provided INTELAC to over 60 students.
Library Services is another unit that offers student services which continuously keeps up with its role as an academic and research library. A total of 2,470 volumes of books were purchased, and the academic utilization of the library increased compared to last
FEU. The Institute of Arts and Science (IAS) has the highest percentage (12%) of students with honors. In terms of Academic Program, Accountancy produced the highest percentage of students (62%) with honors.
Distribution of Latin Honors
Beyond the academic excellence is the goal of the University to be the leader in sport performance.
FEU teams won a total of four University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Championships for Season 78 which includes Men’s Basketball, Juniors Football, Juniors Chess, and Men’s Track and Field. Moreover, FEU garnered five 1st runner-up awards in Women’s Chess, Women’s Beach Volleyball, Women’s Track and Field, Women’s Table Tennis, Boys Taekwondo, and Boys Judo and five 2nd runner-up awards in Men’s Table Tennis, Juniors Taekwondo, Boys Volleyball, Boys Fencing, and Girls Fencing.
FEU also produced notable students who are recognized by external award-giving bodies. Among the student achievers who garnered prestigious award were Maria Stephanie Gaña who is one of the 2015 Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) and Roland Titus Tagaan
who was recognized as one of the Ten Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines. These types of award honor young role models of the country and outstanding students of the nation because of their academic excellence, exemplary leadership, and deep sense of social responsibility anchored on good moral values. The social responsibility of the University is reflected in the various community service projects which include FEU’s Eco-waste Advocacy on Segregation of Trash (FEAST Project), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Livelihood Program, Save the Tamaraws Project, and Gawad Kalinga Pabahay Project.
The initiative of Alumni Relations and Placement Services (ARPS) has resulted in an upward trend in the number of industries who have partnered with FEU for work placement. There was an increase in the job placement partnership with different companies which reached 87% of its target. A remarkable increase (88.5%) in the alumni card application was also noteworthy.
Academic managers from Academic Services were elected as officers in their respective professional organizations. The Director of Guidance and Counseling, Dr. Sheila Marie Hocson, was elected as the National Secretary of Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association. In the same academic service unit, three guidance counselors were also elected: Miguelito Relente as Secretary of the Career Development Association of the Philippines, Jomelyn Lopez as Vice-Chairperson of Philippine Association for Counselor Education, Research
& Supervision, and Danilo Talusan as President of the Peer Organization of the Philippines.
Moreover, three Academic Services directors
were also elected in various posts: Dr. Marcon R.
Espino, ARPS Director, is one of the directors of the Association of Placement Practitioners of Colleges and Universities, Inc. (APPCUI); Atty. Rosalie Dela Cruz-Cada, Director of the Student Discipline, as the National Executive Director and Chief of Staff of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP); and Joeven R. Castro, Director of Student Development, was elected as Vice-President of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE).
Issues and Concerns
The Admissions and Financial Assistance (AFA) faces the challenges brought about by the impact of K-12. The number of enrollees for freshmen will drop significantly which can be compensated with the recruitment of foreign students. It is foreseen that there will be an increase in the population of foreign students in the Philippines as the result of the enhanced student mobility in ASEAN countries brought about by the impending ASEAN integration.
AFA has implemented activities in accordance to its core competencies with the quality objectives set for the SY 2015-2016 serving as its guide. AFA accomplished tasks, in spite of the limitations, related to development, monitoring and
improvement of policies and processes; student recruitment, administration of admissions test, and financial assistance; and identified issues and concerns that will be addressed in the coming school year.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Development, Monitoring
and Improvement of Policies and Processes The admissions page in FEU website is constantly updated with the assistance of Marketing and Communications Office (MCO) to ensure accurate information on degree programs offerings, requirements and procedures on admissions and enrollment. Proper dissemination of changes in the policies and procedures are enhanced by posting
in bulletin boards and provision of materials to respective institutes. Admission Manual for SY 2015- 2016 was set for review and update. For the SY 2015- 2016, AFA has implemented a 100% online application.
AFA aspires to have a stream line application and admission process that would embrace the principles of speed, process and consistency.
Student Recruitment
Student recruitment this year was tempered by the fact that a great number of schools do not have graduating high school students. As opportunity came for invites for articulation, AFA conducted activities the traditional way which included among many, room-to-room campaign, career talks, and career fair in schools in NCR and nearby provinces.
For this year, AFA has only conducted a total of nine (10) career talks & fairs. As for the covered year, AFA visited 318 schools in the NCR and nearby provinces, specifically in Bulacan and Cavite delivering the AFA kit to school Principals and Guidance Counsellors.
A total of 73 packages were sent to our testing center partners and selected feeder schools.