Category: Linkages

To learn the best practices of WVSU in the area of culture and the arts and physical education, BukSU visited the WVSU College of Pescar took part in the exchange of knowledge about the academic affairs and curriculum under the said college.

The Department Head of Bachelor in Physical Education at BukSU, Dr. Regina B. Dumdumaya, together with some faculty members and administrators joined the said activity.

The meeting-discussion was led by Pescar Secretary Prof. Ryan Puljanan, WVSU Director for Culture and Dance, Prof. Liberty Porras, and Pescar faculty Prof. Jemuel Garcia.

To further widen WVSU’s global academic affairs and engagement, the French Embassy represented by Adam Folleas, Officer for Higher Education and Linguistics, Head of Campus France Manila – SCAC with Sylvain Lamourette, Cooperation Attaché held an info session discussing what they can offer the University.

The session included student language assistantship, language teaching courses, and academic exchange.

For officially concluding the two-week academic stay of our Indonesian exchange students at the University, WVSU ILLO led the Closing Ceremony of “Creating Opportunities: The WVSU-ITS Student Exchange”, at the Research and Extension Building, November 22, 2023.

Together with their faculty members, CBM Dean Dr. Maria Corazon M. Samorin and CICT Dean Dr. Ma. Beth S. Concepcion were present. The selected student buddies who provided company all throughout the duration of the students’ stay also graced the occasion.

The University praised the enthusiasm showed by Ghifary Muhammad, Valeska Enrona Sareeka Rianto and Muhamad Akbar Maulana, as reflected on their academic endeavors,as well as the eagerness of fully immersing themselves with the Filipino culture, traditions and cuisines.

“This may be the end of the 2023 student exchange program but definitely there’s more to this WVSU and ITS Surabaya partnership. I believe this partnership is written in the stars, it’s all meant to be. ” said WVSU ILLO Director, Edel Carmela S. Subong-Csoka, as she hints and manifests for more collaborations and partnerships with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh (ITS).

This whole day event was made possible through collaboration with various universities: King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), West Visayas State University, University of Antique, and Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology.

“Let us make our universities open to change and innovations and let us work together to make our universities truly global institutions,” said Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, WVSU President, officially commencing the event.

Ghifary Muhammad, Akbar Maulana, and Valeska Rianto, students from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh (ITS) Nopember, Surabaya also met Iloilo City councilor Miguel Treñas and the Mayor’s daughter Ms Raisa Treñas-Chu.

These students are joining the academic classes at the College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.

Gab Umadhay, City PESO manager, facilitated the courtesy call and assisted the foreign students in their introduction with the Mayor.

The students will then venture on a city tour guided by two of the WVSU-CBM Tourism Management students.

The morning sessions on November 7, still led by US Embassy’s English Language Fellow, Dr. Kirsten Dyck, began with Games for Teaching Reading, which tackles the different educational games to help students interact with stories. It was followed by Creating Your Own Materials for Teaching Reading, wherein the participants made and shared their own creative learning materials.

In the afternoon, Dr. Carleen Velez, the Regional English Language Officer (RELO) of the US Embassy, joined the remaining two sessions of the workshop: Hands-On Reading Activity Session and Roundtable Discussion – Final Thoughts and Questions.

The main topic of discussions among the chosen panelists from each WVSU campus revolved around the students’ strength in creativity must be utilized to their maximum potential, for them to learn effectively as it encourages a more engaging method of learning—either through video-making or graphics. However, the group agreed that with the careless usage of technology, today’s generation of students are equipped to use it as “source material” and “short fixes”—they no longer connect with text, which led into the conclusion that students must be immersed in reading a few minutes before the start of the class to give them “opportunities to engage with texts” on reading materials of their own choosing and discussing it later on in class.

Concerns regarding “regimented curriculum”, which unable educators to teach reading with creative liberty were also raised. An alternative was suggested by the group: adapt “uninterrupted, sustained silent reading” and as well as give the students reading materials in advance to provide them the luxury of learning it at their own pace.

Dr. Velez recognized that besides being creative, Filipinos are “amazing performing artists”. She said, “I think sometimes as teachers we don’t take that aspect into the classroom.” She emphasized how some students register or process knowledge in different ways, and what works for one student might not work for the rest of the class.

“Take the strength and creativity that Filipinos have and give them a little bit of choice on how they demonstrate their knowledge and I think your students are gonna be happier,” Dr. Velez added.

The training-workshop was in coordination with the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO.

Dr. Kirsten Dyck, English Language Fellow at Angeles University, Pampanga leads the discussion on the Student-Centered Reading Workshop among English teachers of the WVSU system.

Today’s activity is composed of four sessions: A presentation on the 10 Ways to Make Your Students Not to HATE Reading; Gallery Walk of Participants’ Favorite Reading Instruction Materials; Selecting Higher-Order Thinking Activities; and Feedback/Brainstorming Session to Work on Participants’ Reading Instruction Challenges.

This is a two-day workshop, which will end tomorrow, November 7.

The Regional English Language Officer of the United States Embassy in the Philippines, Dr. Carleen Velez, will be joining the session on the last day.

This training-workshop is sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines, in coordination with the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO .

The Indonesian students will be joining the classes at the College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.

This activity is dubbed as Creating Opportunities: The WVSU Student Exchange Program, organized by the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO , College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.

Ms. Marie Angela Cachuela, the Trade Commissioner for Agriculture and Education of the Embassy of Canada met with the West Visayas State University key people led by President Dr. Joselito Villaruz on October 20, to discuss possible opportunities for collaboration.