WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

By: David B. Cariaga

My experience assessing the University of Mindanao last November 22-24, 2006 was an opportunity for me to see what needs to be done in our college. I later realized that we’ve got to answer many questions too like the interviews I made at UM. Where is SCC going in the next ten years? Five years ago, we were working for the recognition of the Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education (Bible) program. Now, we have four “on going” courses already and we will be offering three more next year. We are not only ambitious to reach this level but we look forward of increasing our enrollment next school year 2007-2008.

With all of these achievements that we have reached, there are goals however for us to look upon to accomplish. These are the guidelines set by the Commission on Higher Education for us to fit through the CHED’s standard to stand par with other big and recognized learning institutions in our country. Here are the levels that we needed to reach:

1.The institution’s governance arrangement must demonstrate probity, strategic vision, accountability, awareness and management of risk, and effective monitoring of performance2. The institution’s management, financial control, and quality assurance arrangement must be sufficient to management existing operation and to respond to development and change.

3. The institution must set the objectives and learning outcomes of its programs at appropriate levels and has effective mechanisms to ensure that its programs achieve those objectives and enable student to achieve the intended outcomes.

4. The institution must have effective arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of its programs.

5. The institution must take effective action to address weakness, build on strengths, and to enhance performance by the dissemination of good practice.

6. The institution must be effective in recruiting, admitting, supporting, and graduating students, including those from indigenous groups, the handicapped, low level income groups, foreign students, and other special groups.

7. The institution must operate effective arrangements to direct scholarships and study grant grants on merit to support the most able students on programs that develop competences needed to support the Filipino economy and to enable the country to complete in global labor markets.

8. The institution must have programs for student services, to support the non-academic needs of the students.

9. The institution must offer programs that take into consideration the social, cultural, economic, and development needs of the country at local, regional, and national levels, as well as the need for the country to compete effectively in global markets.

10. The institution must be valued as a partner by other higher institutions; professional, government, and non-government organizations; and industry, within the Philippines and internationally.

11. The institution must be valued as a provider of extension programs that are responsive to the needs of the community, e.g., people empowerment and self-reliance.

12. The institution must have an adequate number of faculty members with appropriate expertise and competence to teach the courses offered by the institution.

13. The institution must make effective use of information and communications technology and learning resources to support student learning and to manage its academic affairs.

14. The institution must have a viable, sustainable and appropriate resource generation strategy to support its operations and development plans.

These are the present guidelines for us to follow and hopefully achieve it in the next ten years. Next year an additional significance to the development of our college is the “tie-up” we are working for the Graduate School programs to be offered here in SCC by the Leceo De Cagayan University. All teachers of SCC are required to upgrade their degrees if they have no doctorate degree yet. This is an opportunity for our teachers and for residents in Bonbon and other neighboring communities. With this opportunity we hope we can build our teachers to be more effective in their work and the college in many ways will also grow and fit to the CHED expectations.

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LET THE BIBLE BE OUR AUTHORITY

LET THE BIBLE BE OUR AUTHORITY

   The body of our Lord nowadays is being attacked by numerous influences of secularism, materialism, liberalism, humanism, sensationalism, emotionalism, modernism, intellectualism and many more “isms” people can ever imagine. Many do not know nor care for the harm that these “isms” can bring because what they care primarily is the idea of growing. There is nothing wrong with growing but one must realize that resorting to unbiblical, unauthorized mechanisms or deliberately violating the Biblical principles makes the work objective futile. Many of those less concern do not even know the subtle way on how the church of our Lord is penetrated designed to displace the Lord’s church with a man-made system which competes with God’s way. Others fear that someone will get turn off or run someone away so they may resort to compromise the truth.

    Yes, we wanted to grow because this is what God wants us to do! God wants us to reach out to the lost – to all mankind for He is “not willing that anyone should perish but all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) But let us be reminded that accomplishing this great work by means of achieving growth should always be in consonance to the word of God.

    As time shall pass, Christians must constantly emphasize that the only right way is for men to be in agreement with God’s word, making the Bible as our guide – as our authority. There is nothing wrong, if a church looses members and dwindles in size. It may be a good warning that “itching ears were not scratched” (2 Timothy 4:1-4). We must by no means wear out of stressing the facts that we walk by faith, 2 Corinthians 5:7; that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ, Romans 10:17; that where there is no word of Christ there can be no faith, Hebrews 7:14; and that without faith no one can be pleasing to God, Hebrews 11:6. Let us with appropriate confidence, shout out as into a wilderness of genuine people lost in sin: “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Col. 3:17).

The Peril of Technology

The Peril of Technology

By: Lito Cabaya Tadulan

We are now in the era where scientific methods are rapidly growing and new technologies are introduced. Yes, we are now in an easy-going world through the advent of technology. However, there are disadvantages of those highly innovated materials. Using cellular phones, unlawful scheme can be accelerated as people misuse them. Internet access also speeds up crimes through “cybersex” and pornographic materials in the computer. Many of the minds of our young people today are distroyed by this “technology”. Though the Department of Education aims that all schools should have advance facilities to be used to enhance the learning process of the students, the problem is they have gone so far and misused them. They misused these advance facilities to the extent of destroying their studies. Youngsters ended up cutting classes, committing absences, checking pornographic materials, or making money by indecently posing through cybersex, and worst is being involved in premarital relationships. It all started from the “cybersex!”

Parents who read this are advised to check their children because our law enforcement officials and owners of these businesses are not concern with the children and the effects that will be brought to them by these activities.

IN COMPUTER GAMES…

Sunrise Christian College is basically well-known in the city and in the other provinces as a “school of transformation” or in other way of saying it – known as “rehabilitation center”. This image does not sound safe to other good students but I can attest that the school’s rules and regulations are just well-enforced to all students whether who they may be. The school has problems and one of them are the parents who thought that their children are attending classes because they left home with complete uniforms and have asked allowance for food and for the projects to buy. With their parent’s trust, they did not know that their children went to the computer game houses to play “counterstrike, doom, or view pornographic materials”. Busy parents oftentimes are deceived because their children go home on time as if like they were coming from school. The easiest target to be blamed are often the teachers who might have missed informing immediately the parents because of their busy schedules and enormous tasks to handle. The worst is when class advisers contact the parents and would not answer their phones or might have changed their numbers without informing the school. Parents, please check your children.

FOND OF TEXTING (SMS)…

Using cellular phones during class hours is not allowed and is prohibited at all times unless emergency and approval is coming from the school principal. Some students are still violating that policy and without fear they create alibis to be justified. I was surprised when someone said that even though he has no food to eat as long as he has loads to be used in texting, everything will be alright. “Bahala na walang ulam at makain basta may load lang, bitin kasi,eh.”

As what is shown above, we can see how technology is misused and not used for the learning process of the students. Technology is not destructive at all or hindrance to anybody who aims to become successful but rather a big help to make learning effective and making work better. Their future depends on how they are committed to their studies. “Study today, lead tomorrow” is what students should know. John Maxwell says “pay now, play tomorrow.” This is the time to prepare for your bright future. Focus on your studies not on these computer games and useless expensive “texting.” Exert more effort in studying your lessons now. You still have time to decide. Remember, “ your decision now determines your destiny”