Choosing UPLB's chancellor

The election of the chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) for the 2008-2011 term is sending the academic community and observers in a dither. There are three nominees for the position, and the ones making the news, or made to make the news, are the incumbent chancellor Ray Velasco and the dean of the college of agriculture, Candida B. Adalla.

The race for the post is understandably exciting, but I join many readers in nixing the demolition job on one candidate over another obviously in an attempt to put the latter in a good light, and get her elected by the UP Board of Regents (BOR). Being a woman, I like the idea of having Dean “Ayds” Adalla become the next chancellor, and Velasco is a personal friend, too, but I don’t like the idea of Adalla’s supporters bombasting Velasco in the media with general allegations of misuse of power, his policies being designed to humiliate faculty members and curtail students’ rights, for creating an impasse on faculty and academic personnel’s promotions, non-granting of salary increases, and of Velasco’s fraternity “brods” on the BOR possibly voting for an extension of his term.

Velasco was appointed by the BOR as the seventh UPLB chancellor in 2006. He was born in 1956, attended UP Diliman for his elementary and high school education, obtained his bachelor’s and masters degrees in agriculture, both majoring in entomology, and his Ph.D. in entomology at the University of Queensland in Australia. He served as UPLB dean of agriculture from 1999-2001, director for four years of the National Crop Protection Center, UPLB-College of Agriculture, and visiting scientist for four years at the International Rice Research Institute.

He was in Bangkok when the demolition job came out in a newspaper. The university press relations office, in consultation with him by telephone, made a quick reply, a copy of which was sent to me by Velasco’s supporters. In a meeting with this columnist the chancellor confirmed the veracity of the disclaimer.

The disclaimer denied the charge of the chancellor’s transforming UPLB “from an institution of learning and research into an armed garrison.” It said Velasco is “a staunch supporter of T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) governance” who has worked “closely with his team towards transforming UPLB into a national center of excellence in agriculture, the environment and biotechnology, and a center for language and culture in the Southern Tagalog Region.”

 For example, by May 2008, all 59 curricula proposals to streamline program offerings — involving revision of curricula and institution of new courses which were approved by the UP president. Fifteen large lecture halls were refurbished and equipped with audio-visual equipment to pilot test large classes.

A publications-mentoring program helps tenure-track faculty members publish their scholarly work in reputable journals and given study load credits so they can complete their graduate degrees within the prescribed time even as they work at the university. By 2007, intellectual productivity in terms of publications increased in number by 143 percent from 2006.

*UPLB gained 100 percent approval of 58 academic, administrative and research-related proposal submitted to the UP Board of Regents — “a proof of the soundness and integrity of UPLB’s proposals.”

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On issues raised: On the promotions impasse, UPLB personnel have been consulted on the promotions criteria with Chancellor Velasco hewing to a policy of openness, transparency and consultation. On housing rental rates increases this has not been implemented yet. Nor has there been an increase in student dormitory fees.

On the delay of student elections, the chancellor says all the students need to do is follow the procedures set by the Constitution of the Student Council and the UP Code.

On the much-awaited 10 percent salary increases, this is a matter beyond the chancellor. UP President Roman has been negotiating with the Department of Budget and Management for the promotions money to be released to the UP system.

On misuse of funds and conflict of interest — these remain “hollow and baseless,” as the transactions entered into by the chancellor involving the resources of the university have “always been marked by transparency and high regard for the rule of law.” My comment here is that if the chancellor has misused funds, no one has filed charges of misuse and conflict of interest with the Ombudsman, has there?

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I’m sure the BOR has been reading up on the accomplishments of the nominees, so I wonder if demolition jobs by media in this particular case will ever help the regents decide on who is better fit for the job. If it should serve any purpose, publicity would inform — or disinform — the public, not influence the regents in their choice.

Sally Magat, senior vice-president of Development Bank of the Philippines, and member of the UP Sigma Alpha Sorority, a sorority of scholars and honor students, gave me some materials, including the CV and accomplishments, of “sister” Ayds. “I’m giving you these materials on Ayds, but nothing negative about Ray,” she told me.

Ayds, 58, obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture, and Ph.D. in entomology, major in host plant resistance, minor in plant breeding and biochemistry, all at UPLB.

As college of agriculture dean, she led for six years the clustering of units of the college and succeeded in implementing the reorganization plans of two previous deans; she conceptualized, implemented and managed the CA AgriPark, the first-of-its kind one-stop shop for publications and services; spearheaded the revision of the BS Food Technology curriculum to make it more relevant and responsive to globalization; updated the BSA major in landscape horticulture with the institution of four additional major courses and completed the development of a new curriculum, the BS AgriBiotech. As director of Student Affairs, she established and registered with the SEC the emergency student fund and set up a dorm dedicated for new freshmen.

Personally I am torn between Velasco and Adalla and will welcome the BOR’s choice of the chancellor for 2008-2011.

The BOR I believe will decide on the merits of the nominees, not because of allegations of unproven charges of those who had not been pleased with Velasco’s decisions.

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My e-mail: [email protected]