Centro Escolar opens in Cebu
The Centro Escolar University will initially offer Professional and Continuing Education programs here in Cebu. The first batch of program offerings are Total Quality Management: Raising the Bar of Excellence, The Art of Managing Philippine Tourism Destinations, and Authentic Assessment of Clinical Competencies.
This was emphasized in a gathering of CEU officials – Dr. Ma. Cristina Padolina, president and chief academic officer; Dr. Ricardo de Leon, executive vice president; Ms. Corazon Tiongco, board of director; Dr. Erna Yabut, vice president for research and evaluation; Dr. Milagros Borabo, PACE program director; and Dr. Leilani Paredes, administrator of CEU Cebu campus.
According to Dr. Padolina, the center seeks to address lifelong learning needs of individuals or organizations through the design and delivery of continuing professional education and training programs for individuals, organizations, and communities.
The gathering, for the launch of the Cebu campus last September 21, further gave participating school administrators insights as to how CEU-PACE fosters organizational effectiveness, personal growth, workforce and other concerns relevant to education and educational management and administration through the extension of traditional university programs with continuous learning solutions so that the programs are responsive, innovative, relevant, and results focused.
For example, Total Quality Management, which ran for two days at a cost of P5,000 participated in by college deans of private and state colleges and universities in Cebu City and the Province, was designed to equip the participants with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and mindset to implement TQM principles and practices. This is to ensure the delivery of quality products and services at the lowest reasonable time and at the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Dr. Ma. Flordeliza Anastacio, dean of the School of Accountancy and Management, and Dr. Maria Dolores dela Cruz, head of the planning and monitoring department of CEU, shared to participants on appreciating the importance of TQM and developing a quality mindset, applying different techniques of ensuring quality, utilizing the various productivity tools and techniques in the workplace, and sharing the importance of customer-focused TQM.
From October 11-13, the art of managing Philippine tourism destinations would be discussed at an investment cost of P6,000 inclusive of training materials, food, and certificates. The program is designed to enhance the competencies of the public and private agencies responsible for the management of tourism destinations and tour operation. It also carries the overall objective to increase the professionalism of persons and agencies responsible for tourist destination management and tourist product development.
Specifically, it will permit application and sharing of knowledge about current approaches in the management of tourism destinations and sustainable product development, build professional networks, motivate managers with their tourism destinations who also can inspire other people in the destinations, elicit more professional respect and industry recognition; and design a development project under the guidance of the expert resource team.
Speakers would be Dr. Marlon Padilla, college director of the Australian College of Learning and Philippine coordinator of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific, as well as former Tourism Undersecretary Ramona Ty.
On the other hand, Authentic Assessment of Clinical Competencies would be offered from October 16-17 for P5,000. This is designed to give the participants knowledge, skills, and appropriate attitudes to integrate authentic assessment in the teaching-learning process involving clinical competencies in health professions education.
This is fit for deans and faculty members of health-related programs, clinical supervisors and clinical preceptors of medical technology interns, dentistry students, nursing students, and hospital training directors and supervisors.
Dr. Teresita Barcelo, dean of the CEU College of Nursing, and Inocencia Tionko, reviewer of the Philippine Nursing Board Exam, will speak on distinguishing authentic assessment from traditional assessment, appreciating authentic assessment as an appropriate method of determining students’ clinical competencies, use the various methods and tools in authentic assessment, utilize the process of rubrics development, apply authentic assessment principles given selected clinical situations, and integrate the concept, process, and value of authentic assessment in the clinical teachinglearning process.
The campus is located at 204-A Jose R. Martinez Building, Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City.
CEU was founded in 1907 by two visionary women, Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna, with the twin philosophy Ciencia y Virtud (Science and Virtue).
It was also learned that CEU has constantly kept pace with the fast-growing scientific and technological progress by upgrading its facilities, equipment, and teaching aids for which the University has been reputed to be among the best.
Dr. Padolina pointed out that their niche programs are in the health sciences, like optometry and nursing.
As part of its robust action to be ahead continuously, CEU faculty members undergo professional trainings, alternative curricular programs are designed, and various linkages are created both national and international.
As for Dr. Paredes, CEU-PACE in Cebu is a testament of the University’s efforts to provide further training in higher learning for national development. “Teaching gives us the opportunity to give without losing. We give and give and give, and still we don’t lose any of the things we’ve given away. It’s not a be all and end all. So, we should never stop learning.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Padolina stressed, “continuing education prospers because basic education is just not enough.”