UP Faculty Regent and Former Dean of the UP Open University (UPOU) Faculty of Education, Dr. Patricia B. Arinto, along with the members of the ad hoc “Committee to Review Research Extension and Professional Staff (REPS) concerns and to Recommend Policies to Address Them,” conducted a consultation meeting with the UPOU REPS on 7 May 2018 at the UPOU Audio Visual Room in Los Baños, Laguna. This is the first of the series of consultation meetings that the Committee will hold among REPS of all UP Constituent Units.
UPOU Chancellor Melinda dela Pena Bandalaria welcomed the participants and emphasized that UPOU gives equal consideration to its REPS. She also encouraged the REPS to give due importance to their contribution to what UPOU and UP hopes to achieve.
Dr. Arinto, as Chair of the Committee, explained the task of the Ad hoc Committee and the reason for the consultation. According to her, the consultation meeting aims to determine the concerns of REPS in each CU. Some of the initiatives of the said meeting include providing an opportunity for REPS to share initiatives to address REPS concerns and discussing initial proposals of the Committee, including the organization of a Systemwide REPS conference.
The committee will review reports and other documents pertaining to REPS in the UP System and in all CUs. It will also review approved as well as proposed policies and guidelines for REPS in all of the CUs and recommend policies and guidelines for adoption and/or standardization across the UP System.
Another task of the committee is to undertake consultations with REPS, administrators and other sectors of the University, and participate as resource persons in deliberations regarding committee recommendations towards their adoption by the UP administration and approval by the UP Board of Regents.
Ms. Fides Tambalo, a REPS from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), also shared some of the initiatives of the UPLB REPS. The consultation then shifted to planning the action of the REPS in terms of the research, research dissemination, publication and public service projects.
The consultation meeting ended with the closing remarks of Dr. Melinda Lumanta, UPOU’s Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
The Committee is composed of the following: Dr. Patricia B. Arinto (UP Faculty Regent and Chair of the Committee), Ms. Arlene de la Cruz (UP NISMED), Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria (UP NSRI), Dr. Erick Vernon Dy (UPLB OSA), Dr. Ramon Guillermo (AUPAEU), Dr. Fidel Nemenzo (UPD OVCRD), Mr. Fevito Obidos (UP Manila), Ms. Aprilyn Ramos (UPLB OVCRE), Ms. Fides Tambalo (UPLB BIOTECH) and Ms. Celeste Vallejos (UPD CSWCD). (RHBulanhagui and ACLlamas with a report from JDBelen)
