OVP issues memo on revised Final Examination Exemption policy By Abdel Rafi M. Lim
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n an effort to balance the current grade system with the academic standards of the University, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for Higher Education released revisions made to the current Final Examination Exemption policy through Memorandum 1819-24, on January 3. As opposed to the current provision stipulated in the 2018 Student Handbook under Basic Academic Policies, the academic requirement to be recognized as a candidate for exemption has been upped from an A- to an A. Signed by Vice President for Higher Education Fr. Rene C. Tacastacas S.J., the revision written in the Memorandum on the Provision on Final Examination Exemption is as follows: “Deserving students, whose pre-final cumulative grade is A, may be exempted
from the Final Examination. Upon exemption, the student will automatically earn a final grade of A. Exemption from the Final Examination is a privilege and not a right of the student.” As of the present, the numerical equivalent of an A grade begins at 92. “In order to be exempted, your class standing should be excellent,” explained University Registrar Verna A. Lago. “So that’s why we moved it up to A.” Since a student who acquired the minimum of 84 may secure an A under this provision, the XU Higher Education community thought to standardize a more balanced system which promotes excellence more effectively. This adjustment to the policy has many implications, one being that it will become
harder for students to attain this academic advantage. As it is based on an incentive type of system, it also aims to amplify students’ motivations. Lago remarked how the University has a number of good students, and that this will be beneficial for them, especially those “who are doing their best, who are studying hard,” as Lago believes. Although, it must be underlined that the policy still remains a privilege under the teacher’s discretion, and not a student right. “You cannot really demand,” Lago clarified. “It’s like you are a candidate for exemption.” Students do not have to apply for the exemption as it is the teacher who generally decides, making the policy more of a possibility or opportunity rather than an automatic merit for having an A.
Lago also expressed how the Memorandum is merely a much-needed update instead of a major revision. Essentially, they wanted to “revisit the policy in as much as naa tay new cohorts, that is the K-12 graduates.” The resolution was passed by the Higher Education Council on their regular session last October 2018. It was attended by the college deans, members of the Administration, and representative of the Central Student Government (CSG), and was subsequently approved by University President Fr. Roberto C. Yap S.J. on November 22 of last year. The Memorandum’s implementation will take full effect beginning A.Y. 2019-2020. C
Xavier Debate Circle topped Octofinals of the 20th National Debate Championship ERRATUM: By Andrea Felice J. Abesamis
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n December 15-22, three teams representing the Xavier Debate Circle competed in the 20th National Debate Championship (NDC) hosted by Northwestern University at Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Out of the 82 competing debate teams, two out of the three teams from the Xavier Debate Circle made it to the Octofinals before being striked out of the finals, with the debate team hailing from Ateneo de Manila University, making it to the championship. Tagged as the hardest debate championship in the Philippines, Debate Circle Prime Minister Golda Reserva (AB Lit - 4) considered this a huge feat for the Xavier Debate Circle. Three teams competed in the NDC, with each team consisting of
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two persons. Reserva and Ben Callo (BSA 4) comprised the flag team, XU-A; Eranie Beja (AB IS 4) and Mikaelo Bombeo (AB Psyc1) made up XU-B and; Zoe Madriaga (BSA 1) and Carlos Perez (BSA 1) formed XU-C. The competition itself consisted of two parts: the seven-round preliminaries and the finals series. To qualify for the finals series, teams pit against each other for points until they reach the top 32. From there, the teams compete against one another in rooms of four teams each for the Octofinals. The top two teams from each room will proceed to the Quarterfinals, and the cycle continues until one team is declared the national champion in the Grand Finals. “We may lack in members but when it comes to performance or the output-based
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activities, we’re still doing well,” Reserva mentioned. “We’re still one of the best teams in Mindanao to compete in tournaments like the regionals and the like.” The Xavier Debate Circle continues to make a name for themselves with their participation in the NDC, along with their other achievements, such as competing in the Sinulog Debate Open Grand Finals, the Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championship Semifinals, and the Mindanao Intervarsity Debate Grand Finals. Currently, the Xavier Debate Circle aims to be awarded as the Best Extra-curricular Organization in the Magis Awards 2019, their second consecutive year of hopefully achieving so.C
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Crusader Publication would like to apologize for the print error found in Upping the game: XU Library advancements on page 25 of the Super Magazine issue. The full concluding paragraph is as follows: With the advancement of the digital age, the University must be synchronized with it. Hopefully, after the renovation of the third and ground floors of the Library annex, the proposed coffee shop will be implemented by the time the second floor will be renovated. This is said to be the last phase of the project. Thus, for all we know, students will surely celebrate for this rumor is not a hoax anymore.C The