Big ventures, bigger responsibilities

By Ren Angelo Elevera

(Vol. XXVII No. 2, Editorial Cartoon)

Big ventures, bigger responsibilities

Five significant years have passed since the birth of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) – five significant years of continual progress and development. Within that span of time, the institution, which once started from lowly wooden classrooms, has served as a learning ground for exercising academic freedom, fairness, and equality of opportunity. Now that it has reached the pinnacle of its dreams, it keeps on striving to gradually enter the door to the higher level of global competence.

Just recently, NORSU determinedly made several ambitious ventures. Two new courses, which are the Doctor in Dental Medicine (DDM) and Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering (BSEM), were opened at the start of the semester. There was also the official opening of the NORSU-Mabinay Campus at Barangay Namangka, Poblacion, Mabinay, as one of its satellite campuses. Indeed, these are big undertakings for NORSU – undertakings which mean a start of something that has to be looked after, cultured, and improved as time passes.

These ventures obviously imply improvement for a university that sprouted from humble beginnings. Offering DDM and BSEM this semester only means that NORSU has progressed a lot in the past five years because it can now provide wider choice of better courses for its students. Besides, DDM and BSEM are two of the in-demand courses nowadays.

On the other hand, opening NORSU-Mabinay Campus is one testament that NORSU answered the needs of the community for an accessible higher education. With the development, the NORSU family was not only expanded, but also, it gives a sigh of relief to the parents and guardians of the poor but deserving students in the Municipality of Mabinay and other neighboring towns. Their sons and daughters can now avail of higher education without going to far places and without spending more.

On the other side of the coin, while looking at the ambitious ventures of the university, questions flood. Is NORSU ready to offer DDM and BSEM especially that those courses require additional facilities and equipment? If we are going to look around, it cannot be denied that some old courses in this university are left unattended while the students seemingly wait for eternity on their wanted facilities, equipment, and even instructors. Some courses in this university are yet to be improved, and now, here it is again, offering two courses that have to start from zero. It is very possible that these new courses will just fall to the row of academic programs in this university that lack equipment, facilities, and instructors.

The same thing goes for the opening of NORSU-Mabinay Campus. One cannot help but ask if the campus is already geared up in terms of instructions, facilities and equipment before its opening. Is it a relevant move? Is the university prepared? What quality of education could it offer? It was reported that the campus has a population of 271 students with only two rooms. Shouldn’t adequate rooms be built first before opening the campus?

These big ventures currently taken by NORSU definitely mean big improvements. On the other hand, it also means big risks and bigger responsibilities. By offering these new courses and opening a new campus, is NORSU making the wrong move? Now that NORSU has taken the step and has already started the program, there is no turning back.

We can only cross our fingers and hope that these ventures would not be an addition to the piling academic programs that lack facilities, instructors and equipment. There is nothing we can do but hope and pray that NORSU will be able to handle these higher steps as time passes.

Everything starts from scratch, from nothing and NORSU started from humble beginnings. Let us continue hoping that the newest programs of the university would rise from scratch to something that we can all be proud of. Do not stop to cross your fingers yet, we still have a long way to go.

Higher!

By Christian Edu Villegas
(Vol. XXVII No. 1, Editorial Cartoon)

Higher!

With the issues hounding the country today such as the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus, Hayden Kho Jr. and Katrina Halili et. al. sex scandal, Constituent Assembly, and many more, it is good to see that everything is still doing good in this side of the Philippine archipelago. After the postponement of the opening of classes as declared by the Commission on Higher Education due to the A(H1N1) virus threat, we are finally back to school ready to make another milestone in our students’ lives.

Like us, our Alma Mater, Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) is now also ready for another academic year. This school year marks the sixth academic year of NORSU in its flight as a young and flourishing university.

Looking back, the past five academic years of the university have been a period of transformation. That is indubitable. From its humble beginnings as a new university, it has risen to what it is now. It can be observed that the university had never drifted but keeps soaring higher. Its colorful history, seasoned with the splatters of success, failures, changes, lessons, struggles, and progress, could give justice to its present stature.

Doors for changes and development have been opened in the past. Significant improvements of the university in terms of upgrading its standards, instructions, facilities, equipment, and other educational tools have taken a large place. Norsunians continually reap honors and kept proving what this university can produce. All of these significant things have taken place along with NORSU’s flight as a university.

We don’t have to go far to see proofs of these transformations. Just last year, although rocked with many issues, NORSU was able to improve a lot. The Office of Security Matters was put up along with the installations of blue guards, making the university’s security tighter. There was the adoption of the E-system in the grading process of the university. More equipment and facilities were also acquired. NORSU provided Engine Room Facilities and Mock Bridge for College of Maritime Education students and a mini-hospital for College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS) students. The university gate was also restructured and the construction of the first phase of CNAHS building was started.

On achievements, Norsunians were never left behind. Engr. Bernard Duran Jr. ranked 5th in the Civil Engineering Licensure Examination; Engr. Winston Gomez and Engr. Jephunneh Paalisbo placed 2nd and 7th, respectively in the nationwide October 2008 Mechanical Engineering Licensure Examination; and Catherine Capilla, a graduate of Bachelor of Elementary Education major in Special Education, made it to the top ten of the nationwide Licensure Examination for Teachers – a first in NORSU’s history!

These were only some of the transformations and achievements in the past.

From the good things that every Norsunian is savoring now, we can indeed say that NORSU has lived up to the expectations of the people in providing quality education for the poor but deserving students. None of these good things, however, were achieved in an instant or in a blink of an eye. Of course, it took a lot of painful lessons and arduous toils before they were accomplished. It had to rise from some failures and bittersweet pains before success was finally achieved. It took a lot of guts, determination and genuine efforts before changes and progress took place.

As NORSU opens its gates for the school year 2009-2010 – marking its sixth academic year since its conversion into a university – it must continue to soar and it must go higher this time. There are still a lot of things that this university has to achieve, that is why efforts, toils and hard works must be continually exerted. There are still a lot of problems that have to be boldly faced. There are still a lot of unrealized dreams. That is why the quest to soar high must go on.

Let us all work together to give this chapter of NORSU’s history a colorful and healthy page. To quote American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, “The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” Let’s move higher. Fly high Norsunians! Soar higher NORSU!

On Sojor’s suspension

By Jick K. Iñgan
(Vol. XXVI No. 12, Editorial Cartoon)

On Sojor’s suspension

One hot issue discussed in the university for months now is the 90-day preventive suspension of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) President Henry A. Sojor.

The issue broke out earlier this school year after the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the disciplinary authority of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) over state university presidents.

Everything rooted from the three separate complaints lodged by some faculty members of the then Central Visayas Polytechnic College (now NORSU) against the university president in 2002. Complaints for dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; dishonesty, misconduct and falsification of public documents; and nepotism were the sets of complaints filed with CSC against Sojor.

While on the height of the celebration of the University Founder’s Week, the talk on the issue intensified again when CSC issued an order dated November 19, 2008, placing Sojor under preventive suspension for 90 days for the commission to proceed with the formal investigation of the charges against him. Despite the order, Sojor remained in his office attending his daily responsibilities as president of the NORSU system.

Questions from the Norsunian community started to flare. Was the university president really suspended? If so, why did he remain in his office? In an earlier interview with The NORSUnian (TN), Sojor also refrained to give official comment on the issue due to the sub judice rule, a principle in law which prohibits litigants from discussing the merits of a case in public because it may influence the result of the litigation.

The queries were finally answered when Sojor released a special memorandum circular on January 15 this year stating that “as an act of responsible leadership”, he “voluntarily submits to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Order of Preventive Suspension without prejudice to the outcome of the appeal therefrom.” Effective February 9, 2009, Sojor temporarily left his position and upon his recommendation, the NORSU Board of Regents (BOR) designated NORSU Vice President for Academic Affairs Victoria P. Dinopol as Officer-in-Charge of the university during his absence.

Looking at the issue, Sojor’s decision of submitting to CSC’s suspension order is the right action for a leader. It did not only answer all the questions thrown about his suspension and it did not only stop the various hearsays and perceptions, but it also gave him an avenue to clear his name with the allegations against him. For a leader, especially in a big university like NORSU, it is very important to continue enjoying the trust of most, if not all of the members of its community.

But of course, his submission to CSC does not make him instantly safe or cleared from the allegations against him. On the other hand, his action does not also mean that he is already guilty. Preventive suspension is not also a penalty or punishment. Let everyone be reminded that the university president is not yet proven guilty with the allegations and that the purpose of the 90-day preventive suspension is for the subject to be prevented from doing things that may influence the integrity of the probe.

For now, it’s too early to give judgment to Sojor. Let the CSC investigate first and rule over the case. If Sojor would be found guilty in the end, then let the axe of legal consequence fall on him. But if the accusers fail to prove their accusations, Sojor should continue his presidency of NORSU and the university’s journey with him until 2012 should go on.

Let us wait and let CSC do its work.