What it takes to be Center of Development?

By: Rhea Pascua

A center of excellence demonstrates excellent performances in the areas of instructions, research and publications, extension and linkages and institutional qualification. It may also be known as competency center or a capability center. It is may also be aimed at revitalizing stalled initiatives. On the other hand, a Center of Development, signifies that a course has been improved its performance on educational disciplines than of the previous year. It provides institutional leaderships in all aspects of development in specific area providing arrangements ensuring accelerated development of Higher Education Institutions in given respective area. Center of Excellence and Center of Development has been chosen and given to the universities, both public and private, which have shown the highest level of standards in the fields namely instructions, research, as well as extensions of particular courses. To be considered as center of excellence and a center of development, is the real fight among universities, both in public and private, for being awarded as one means that a certain program of a college has shown performances beating the others in line. The Department of Journalism of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, which is one of the schools holding a legacy for years in the country, has fortunately been awarded as Center of Development in 2013. Along with the Departments of Journalism and Broadcast Communication of the leading school, University of the Philippines as Centers of Excellence and the Department of Journalism of the University of Sto. Tomas as Center of Development as well, respectively. But the Journalism program of our Sintang Paaralan seems to lose its track in line. As year 2014 started and up to the present time, we have lost our title as Center of Development while our opponents remained wearing the crown. The reasons to our unfortunate luck is truly undeniable. We are aware of the causes on why the degree program that we are in, is no longer admissible to be on top in the rank scale. We obviously lack of the professors who are capable of teaching us the knowledge to be future journalists. And the other is the facilities that our department is not having to be able to perform certain tasks related to our course. How can we even practice news broadcasting without a functioning news room? How can we excel in our writing career if we don’t have computers and printers providing help in our job? And how can the students learn without the practioners qualified enough to do their job in the media industry?