Planning PROCESS Narrative

The Department of English today has been the product of strategic planning and re-organization over the years. With only one curricular program offered in 1978-1979, the Bachelor of Arts in English (AB English), the department now offers four (4) degree programs: two (2) baccalaureate and two (2) graduate programs, namely: Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (BAELS), Bachelor of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies (BALCS), Master of Arts in English Language Studies (MAELS), and the Doctor of Philosophy in English Language Studies.

The department holds its annual strategic planning that aims at visiting and revisiting the program objectives, research thrusts, extension projects, faculty development program, among others. In addition, pertinent issues are identified and discussed based on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) framework. The planning activities are generally held in a participatory and workshop-based mode. At the end of the department planning, a Terminal Report is submitted to the administration. Moreover, the department’s actions and directions are anchored upon the College Planning and the Institute’s Planning- its thrust and directions, policies, and implementing rules and regulations that are approved by the Mindanao State University Board of Regents (BOR).

To support the faculty members, the Department of English outlines a Faculty Development Program to encourage its faculty members to further their academic qualifications through a systematic process of deliberation by the department chairperson and the whole department during a meeting. As for the hiring of faculty members or lecturers, the department pursues and follows the Standard Hiring Processes to ensure that the most qualified, the best, and talented individuals will be added to the present faculty roster. Faculty members are motivated to continuously improve their craft in the teaching profession by attending seminars and training, present research papers in international conferences, and publish their research outputs.

More faculty members are now encouraged to publish their research outputs in MSU-IIT’s in-house journals and other refereed journals which can also be linked to the Research Incentives awarded to them.

Furthermore, the faculty members are also incessant in enhancing their respective teaching-learning processes by regularly creating new Instructional materials (IMs) for the use of the students in the Institute, at other campuses under the MSU System, and other schools.

Noting that the department can not and will not exist on its own, the faculty members are nowhere near to being stagnant in their quest for quality delivery of service; thus, the need for international linkages and collaboration with partner universities and organizations. To date, the Department of English has inked more than several Memoranda of Understanding and Memoranda of Agreement for research and extension projects that have benefitted MSU-IIT and the partner institutions.

Along this line of support to faculty, the MSU-IIT administration has supported all faculty members who are due for promotion, as evidenced by the Faculty Profile, on a regular basis through issuing a memo instructing department chairpersons to submit a possible Reclassification of Academic Ranks, an action that reminds and encourages those qualified for promotion to prepare their Institute Academic Promotion Panel (IAPP) forms and evidences, and submit these documents to the members of the said panel.

Meanwhile, support for the students is given more priority with the creation of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Services in 2019 which provides services to support academic instruction and facilitate holistic and well-rounded student development. At the department level, the students in the BAELS program are supported through the approval of their paper presentations in national and international conferences, training and seminars, and even in in-house reviews for wider dissemination of their research outputs. A Special Order is then issued to students for their paper presentations and are given financial assistance for the registration fees. Additionally, the Department has an organizational structure that shows the responsible persons for the program offering as well as the Year Level Advisers. The Year Level advisers are committed to ensuring that the students will graduate on time by following the Program of Study for each student and that a yearly evaluation through the Academic Program Advising Progress Report is submitted to this effect.

The program’s success can be probed through the performance of the graduates of this undergraduate program, whereby students have become successful in their respective career pathways. Some job niches of the BAELS program include being in the teaching profession, careers involving writing and speaking, industrial secretaries, managing assistants, and some further their studies through taking up law studies. Students are also enjoined to participate in some extension projects that are aligned with skills capacitation and knowledge application.

In terms of administration of the department, upon turn-over of the responsibilities to the next chairperson, the chair submits a Department Accomplishment Report annually or depending upon his/her term of office. The report will be collated at the Dean’s office of the CASS and will be synthesized by the Dean and to be submitted to the administration.