As of the third quarter of 2021, the world remains in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic and the end is not yet in sight. Academic institutions thus need to fully embrace new ways of “doing” if they are to continue nurturing student learning experiences and to safeguard schooling outcomes in the current crisis.
Fortunately, Far Eastern University (FEU) had the foresight to start its digitalization initiatives early, investing extensively not only in IT infrastructure and systems as well as education technology, but also in complementary faculty training that would optimize the utilization and effectiveness of the new resources.
As a consequence of this institutional transformation journey, FEU was better prepared to continue its education mission despite the problems caused by Covid-19 for education.
“Online learning has been an integral part of how we teach in FEU. We have been using the Canvas Learning Management System since 2016, and this facility has helped our teachers achieve the objectives and target competencies of each course for School Year 2020″’2021,” asserts FEU president Dr. Michael Alba.
Due to this, FEU’s readiness to meet the demands of an ever-changing world was again recognized by the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI), placing 79th in the Global Top 100 Innovative Universities, improving its standing from last year’s 91st spot.
“This recognition strengthens FEU’s academic reputation. Being included in the rankings list provides information on the university’s position vis-í -vis other educational institutions in the national and global arena,” Vice-President for Academic Development Dr. Myrna Quinto explains.
Among the several projects that contributed to FEU’s improved rankings in WURI 2021 were the Tams TeleWellBeing, IAS VASE, and FEU-IARFA IHOJT programs.
Tams TeleWellBeing is a program launched by the Guidance and Counseling Office to respond to the needs of students who experience stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns caused by the prolonged community lockdowns and the remote learning setup.
The program integrates a diverse set of online programs and services to facilitate the referral of counselors, assess confidential psychological data, manage interventions, and develop training programs.
The Institute of Arts and Sciences (IAS) for its part introduced VASE (Virtual Activities Supporting Education) to complement the topics discussed in the classroom. VASE provides a platform for the wider FEU community to understand current issues and trends in the Philippine society through lectures by guest researchers, experts, and scholars.
Not to be outdone, the Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts (IARFA) developed the In-House OJT in Virtual Format (IHOJT) to meet the on-the-job training requirements of its academic programs. Students were organized under one firm or agency and assigned to a faculty OJT supervisor. The aim was to engage students by converting the theories learned in the classroom to real-life leadership experiences.
For SY 2020″’2021, the university was slated to undergo three sets of ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) program-level assessments spanning 12 undergraduate programs. Due to the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, the assessments were conducted remotely or online.
The first batch of assessments was conducted on November 9″’13, 2020, as a result of which FEU received the prestigious AUN-QA certification for the Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
On May 17, 2021, four more programs were recognized for their strengths, abilities to cope with digital trends in education, and adaptability to the new normal, namely the Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor in Secondary Education, and Bachelor in Elementary Education.
In early August 2021, the third batch of program level assessment was conducted. The programs involved were the Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Bachelor of Science in Architecture, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
