A Call for Vigilance: Mondays or Wednesdays?

Let us remain vigilant.

The new Academic Calendar has been approved. The peculiar thing is, the usual Wednesdays-off has been changed. Now, Monday is our official day off, aside from the weekends.

On February 4, 2008, the Board of Regents, approved the resolution submitted by UPD Chancellor Sergio Cao recommended by the UPD Executive Committee, observing Mondays-off. This is in line with RA 9492, an Act rationalizing of national holidays amending for the purpose Section 26, Chapter 7, Book 1 of Executive Order No. 292, as amended, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987” or the holiday economics. The resolution states that, “due to the enactment of RA 9492, most holidays, except those of religious significance will be shifted to the nearest Monday, the academic calendar will now observe Mondays off to avoid interruption of classes that fall on Monday. (UPD Executive Committee, January 24, 2008)”.

After the enactment, Chancellor Cao called upon the colleges to conduct consultations for the said shift. However, resolutions of such consultations have failed devastatingly to represent the sentiments of most students.

Constant vigilance is not for its own sake. Same efforts have been seen in the case of the UP Visayas for instance. So that after implementing the same policy, students and the faculty members have successfully brought back the Wednesday-off Academic Calendar. This same call of constant vigilance goes to all UP students.

It is in this regard that the University Student Council emphasizes that such policies, albeit left entirely on the discretion of the Chancellors, directly affect students and faculty members alike. Having said that, we call that such changes be studied further where students and faculty members are involved and consulted accordingly. It is our resolve that any measure or policy be truly reflective of the student’s, as well as the UPD community’s, interest.

This statement was prepared by the USC Academic Concerns Committee.