DEE future-proofs Curricular Programs in 3-Day Workshop

As DEE ventures into the next 25 years, a three-day workshop and writeshop was held from August 24 to 26, 2022, at Elijah Sea Breeze Beach Resort, Calatagan, Batangas. The event was entitled, “A Workshop on Strengthening the Department of Electrical Engineering through Graduate Curriculum Development and Undergraduate Curriculum Review and Course Revision”, that aims to align with Chancellor Camacho’s future-proofing endeavors. Faculty members participated in this significant milestone in the department, with the assistance of some members of the staff.

The workshop focused on the department’s curricula for its undergraduate and graduate programs. The first part of the program was a message and opening remarks by CEAT Dean, Dr. Rossana Marie C. Amongo, who joined the activity virtually. Following the opening remarks was a talk by Dr. Marion Lux Y. Castro, CEAT’s Associate Dean and Co-chair of the ERDT-UPLB Graduate Program Committee, presenting an overview of the graduate program proposal development. After the overview, the graduate program design was discussed virtually by Asst. Prof. Kathleen L. Baldoz, former Department Chair of the Industrial Engineering Department, and currently the Co-chair of the CEAT Curriculum Committee.

One of the main highlights of the workshop is the presentation of the graduate curricular proposal for the Master of Engineering and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering by the DEE Graduate Curriculum Committee, spearheaded by the Committee Chair, Asst. Prof. John Paolo A. Ramoso. As the curricular proposal is near its completion, the committee presented the courses to be included for comments of the body. The undergraduate curriculum was also reviewed next by the department, especially the courses under blended delivery modes including some face-to-face components for the next academic year. Faculty members in charge of these courses presented their plans to implement the said courses this coming academic year, alongside contingency plans, should there be stricter IATF rules to be released as the semester progresses. Asst. Prof. Genev Yesiree Rodriguez-Garcia facilitated this part of the program. The workshop for the undergraduate curricular review further included an inventory of topics in the course redesign created for AY 2022-2023 vis-a-vis the BOR approved curriculum in 2018 to check course consistency. Finally, the last part of the workshop included a look at where the department is in terms of its Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Internal Academic Assessment Development System (iAADS), identifying points where it can further improve and ways forward to increase the department’s rating.

Through the workshop that transpired, the department has a clearer view of its goals and aims for the next years to come until it reaches its golden anniversary, 25 years from now. With the support of the administration, hopefully all the plans and goals of the department will come to fruition. | Annie Pintor, August 2022