MSU–GenSan now conducts 7 PM classes; eyes 9 PM courses as university adds degree programs

by LOURENZ JAY LOREGAS

photo by Ashley Loyloy

“Ang rationale behind bakit in-open natin ‘yung time available, towards 7:00 PM, kasi nga, kinukulang tayo ng classroom.”

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA), Dr. Mishell D. Lawas, explained in an interview that the reason for the extension of class hours until 7:00 PM for certain courses at the MSU-GenSan is due to the insufficient number of classrooms, aggravated by the university's expansion of degree programs.

The VCAA disclosed that because of the university’s growth in student population, the opening of ten new programs that are already pipelined, and the absence of ongoing construction for academic buildings, necessitated the adoption of evening classes from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, aligning with the practices of other tertiary institutions. 

“We have ten programs to be offered. So along that line, pag mag develop tayo, automatic talaga na balik niyan is ‘do we have availabale faculty?’ ‘do we have available classrooms?’ Two basic talaga ‘yan siya na kailangan natin. With the number of faculty and the profile and ‘yung faculty natin, may 150 plantilla positions tayo ngayon granted by the DBM, so with that, we can really expand,” the VCAA said.

Additionally, Dr. Lawas shared that there is a possibility that classes would even reach until 9:00 PM as the university continues to expand its offering of degree programs.

“Eventually, after the 7:00 PM, aabot pa tayo ng 9:00 PM pag talagang mag e-expand at mag e-expand ang MSU-GenSan. Kung hindi tayo nag expand, hindi tayo nag open ng other degree programs, igo rato [the classrooms will be sufficient] kay mao mani for the longest time. But for now, ‘yung gi-allow natin is only up to 7:00 PM,” the VCAA further discussed.

Safety of students, readiness of the university amid night classes

The VCAA assures the security of students and the preparedness of classrooms for the night classes and said that the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (VCPD) and the Property Plant Division (PPD) are diligently enhancing classroom conditions, emphasizing factors such as lighting, while urging heightened visibility of security personnel within designated buildings.

“The management as well, we are so sure that we can ensure the safety of our students even during night time. Nakikita naman natin ‘yung mga students natin are all adults, they can take good care of themselves. But during their presence of course on the campus, we have security guards assigned to that specific building na may classes,” the VCAA assured.

On another note, the VCAA revealed that the original intention was to designate the College of Education (COEd) building for the 5:30 to 7:00 PM classes, leveraging its well-lit ambiance and attractive structure ideal for evening sessions; however, this plan wasn’t materialized as certain colleges expressed a preference for conducting classes within their own college buildings, so long as the classrooms are well-lit and the availability of faculty for the designated time slot is ensured.

Utilization of online classes as an alternative

When asked about the potential alternatives to the extension of class hours until 7:00 PM, such as exploring online classes, the VCAA clarified that while their office's proposal to shift from face-to-face to online classes has received approval, its implementation is reserved for situations where conducting face-to-face classes becomes impractical, citing a specific example which is the recent executive orders from the local government unit, where classes are suspended due to inclement weather conditions.

However, the VCAA emphasized that this modality shift won't be enacted under normal circumstances, recognizing its inconvenience for students attending face-to-face classes and then transitioning to online classes.

 “Pwede naman talaga online, pero, tinitingnan kasi natin ‘yung viability ng ganoong klaseng right-away switching. Kasi ‘yung mga students natin, kung titingnan mo yung demographics, gusto nila ng face to face. Kasi for example, for 7:30 AM class nandito sila for a face-to-face class, then the next class biglang mag shi-shift to online, but the campus is not yet a smart campus. We cannot provide enough strong internet for you to join the online class. We can employ the online [class] from time to time, but it’s a switch mode lang talaga if the face-to-face class is not possible. Pero, we are also encouraged by the government that as much as possible, we have to do it face to face ‘yung klase natin,” the VCAA clarified.