Usep-IC’s 1st industry advisory council meet
THE Institute of Computing (IC) of the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) held its first consultative assembly meeting on November 17, 2017 at the Engineering Board Room of the University’s main campus in Iñigo St., Bo. Obrero, Davao City.
Presided by Dr. Tamara Cher Mercado, Dean of the Institute of Computing, the consultative meeting, which was attended by selected prominent IT industry players in Davao region, provided an avenue for the IC to present its proposed revised curriculum to its industry partners and to incite relevant feedback and discussion amongst them. The IC is on the final stages of revising its curriculum set to be implemented in the academic year 2018-2019.
Among the 10 partners who attended the IC’s Industry Advisory Council (IC-IAC) were Engr. Lemuel Bon Quilos, AVP for Information System Development Group, Davao Light Power Corporation; Engr. Aladino Bong Borja, AVP for Information Services, Davao Light Power Corporation; Mr. Greg Candelario, Hospital Information System Project Manager, Southern Philippines Medical Center; Ms. Rhea Mae Beron, Branch Officer-in-Charge, Eversun Software Philippines, Inc.; Mr. Eric Clark Su, Chief Product Officer, Satoshi Citadel Industries; Mr. Edward Arawiran, Head of Internet Services Division, DCTECH; Engr. Luther Moscoso, IT Department Head, Park Inn By Radisson Hotel; and Mr. Jefford Ray Mamacus, Training Head, Ingenuity. The council appointed Ms. Rhea Mae Beron as its first official chairperson.
Representatives from academic organizations, together with Mr. Eugene Iglesias, President of the Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators (PSITE) Region 11; Fr. Charlie Cenzon, President of the Council of Deans in IT Education in Region 11; and Mr. John Mark Dumanig, Education Supervisor II from the Commission on Higher Education, also participated in the consultative assembly.
Prior to the event, the IC has conducted industry visits around the region and held a similar consultative meeting with its alumni stakeholders, all for the ultimate objective of crafting a strong and relevant IT curriculum aligned with the Usep’s strategic direction and the needs of the industry.
Moreover, Dr. Mercado said that for the IC to realize its dream of not just producing globally competitive graduates but also having internationally accredited academic programs, it must strengthen its ties with the industry given that the Information Technology landscape is very dynamic and rapidly evolving. The Seoul Accord, the international accreditation body for Information Technology Education (ITE) programs, lists as one of its accreditation criteria the regular interaction of an IT academic program with industry leaders. The IC intends to have internationally accredited programs in the next five years.
According to Dr. Mercado, the constitution of an industry advisory council would greatly help facilitate the cooperation and communication between the IC and the IT industry in the region. The IC expects the linkage the event has fostered would bode well for both parties and for the entire IT community. (PR/Michael Anthony R. Jandayan)