Local college and university presidents in Central Visayas are set to examine Mandaue City College’s “Degree Behind Bars” program as they explore initiatives that could be adapted by other local higher education institutions in the region.
The Association of Local Colleges and Universities in Region 7 (ALCU-7) will visit MCC on Wednesday, Sept. 16, as part of its 13th quarterly meeting being held in Mandaue City on Sept. 15 and 16.
ALCU-7 Chairman Dr. Richel N. Bacaltos of Talisay City College said the group will look into how MCC implements its higher education program for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
The “Degree Behind Bars” program allows PDLs to pursue higher education while serving their sentences, giving them an opportunity to continue their studies while incarcerated.
Bacaltos said the association wants to understand how the program operates and determine whether lessons from MCC’s experience could be applied to other local colleges.
“Mao na ang among tan-awon dinhi og giunsa nila… tingali ma-apply namo ang among nakat-unan sa pagbisita sa Mandaue City College,” Bacaltos said.
Around 21 presidents of local colleges and universities from Cebu and Bohol are participating in the quarterly meeting. Eight of the participants are from Cebu and 13 are from Bohol.
The two-day gathering focuses on sharing practices, establishing partnerships and discussing challenges commonly faced by local colleges and universities.
Bacaltos said benchmarking allows institutions to learn from one another and identify practices that could be adapted to their respective schools.
“We establish partnership, ingon ani benchmarking aron sa usa’g usa makakat-on mi,” he said.
He said local colleges also face common concerns, including financial limitations and the need to comply with standards and requirements of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“These are all challenges nga atong giatubang sa mga local colleges,” Bacaltos said.
The meeting’s agenda also includes discussions on micro-credentialing, with CHED expected to participate, as well as other initiatives related to student development.
The ALCU-7 delegation also visited Mandaue City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 15, where the participating college and university presidents met with Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano.
The MCC visit is expected to form part of the association’s continuing effort to share practices and strengthen cooperation among local higher education institutions in Central Visayas.
Comments