By YVONNE T. CHUA
THE University of the Philippines-Diliman approved today a proposal to change the start of the academic calendar from June to August starting this 2014-15 schoolyear.
The University Council voted 284-164 in favor of the change. Eight abstained.
UP students held a protest action during the deliberation of the council presided by the new UPD Chancellor, anthropology professor Michael Tan.
The council is the highest policymaking body at UP Diliman, the flagship of the UP system. In early February, the UP Board of Regents approved the new academic calendars for UP Los Banos, Baguio, Visayas, Cebu, Mindanao, and its Open University.
Other major schools like the University of Sto. Tomas and the Ateneo de Manila University have earlier approved the school calendar change.
The proposal to revise the UP calendar was made last year to synchronize it with those of other universities in the world, especially in light of the forthcoming integration of Asean economies under Asean 2015.
The Philippines is the only country in Asean where the academic year begins in June. School starts in July in Myanmar and in October in Cambodia.
The position taken by the UC today is contrary to the initial stand many faculty members took in its Dec. 2 meeting. Seventy-three or nearly half of 149 present in that meeting voted against the proposal to change the calendar from the current June-May to August-July.
But the council, which consists of assistant professors, associate professors and professors, agreed at the time to study further the proposal.
Three surveys conducted since then among Diliman’s constituents found that majority favored more info an August school opening.
A survey of assistant professors, associate professors and professors showed 646 of 930 respondents in favor of the change. Faculty members who opposed the proposal came mostly from the College of Arts and Letters and College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, of which Tan was the dean before he was appointed chancellor.
Another survey, this time of instructors, showed 370 out of 454 also in favor.
A survey done by the University Student Council in March likewise found that 67 percent of the 2,728 students polled from 21 colleges supported the move to revise the school calendar.
The University Council’s decision today will be submitted to the BOR for approval.
In changing its academic calendar, the university will have to address a range of concerns, including academic (internships, entrance exams, board exams), logistical (the hot weather during which classes will now be held) and organizational problems (events planned such as the university’s own anniversary which falls in June).
Students opposing the change in calendar said UP and other universities should focus instead on improving education and making it accessible.