Living by FU’s core values

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LAST OF TWO PARTS

Our conversation with Architect Victor Vicente “Dean” Sinco, president of Foundation University, continues in this issue as he refined his thought processes in a silo where there is enough empathy to learn from others and not feel intimidated. When asked if remote leadership is an ideal setup now as everything is virtual, Dean Sinco replied: “Since I’ve been stuck in Hawaii since March 2020, our experience with digital technology has allowed us to continue without skipping a beat. At the moment, classes are mostly online with some courses going to limited face-to-face, such as laboratory and post-graduate classes.”

Excerpts of the interview (continuation):

Negros Weekly (NW): At this point, is there a need to overhaul students’ evaluation of their class performance? Like, are grades (in the traditional educational system) the only tool to assess a learner’s performance?

Victor Vicente Sinco (VVS): Because of the CoViD-19 situation, we are using pass/fail as grades for the time being. Because of the country’s educational system, we will need to translate the successes of students into some form of a letter grade, albeit that process is counterproductive to our paradigm of mastering and implementing the learned content. We have learned that the traditional methods of utilizing grades is the most discouraging, destructive, and intimidating for students when it comes to learning at any grade level. The whole point of education is to educate, not create an environment of fear and intimidation.

NW: Can you expound on the university’s platform, the FUEL?

VVS: FUEL – that’s Foundation University Expanded Learning, which takes our level of teaching a step further. It isn’t just about Zoom classrooms. As I had mentioned earlier, we have gone from teaching to mentorship to coaching, which is an expansion of PUPA or the Program of Uncompromising Personalized Attention. Digital medium allows us flexibility to refine our methodology on the fly rather than depending on annual or semi-annual analysis of the various academic programs.

Offhand, here are to my mind some items that we intend to either change, remove, or improve on: round robin reading; teaching to learning styles; homework as the default; using interim assessments as “formative assessments;” asking, “does everybody understand?” the traditional question-and-answer; data-driven everything; publicly displayed data walls; content breadth over depth; adhering to rigid pacing guides; teaching to the test samplers; an analysis-only approach to reading; shortchanging science and social studies; ignoring curriculum experts; using behavior charts; and, withholding recess, among others.; homework as the default; using interim assessments as “formative assessments;” asking, “does everybody understand?” the traditional question-and-answer; data-driven everything; publicly displayed data walls; content breadth over depth; adhering to rigid pacing guides;teaching to the test samplers; an analysis-only approach to reading; shortchanging science and social studies; ignoring curriculum experts; using behavior charts; and, withholding recess, among others.

NW: Since Foundation University has been big on the environment ever since, what is your take/stake on the establishment of so-called “smart cities?”

VVS: Urban projects to expand any city are inevitable. Well thought out and planned urban projects are crucial not only for the community, but also for all design professionals and the economy. Because of this, city administrations must enlist the best experts in urban planning, not merely unlicensed people with a passion in urban planning. Any administration needs the trust of the community to be effective, the old paradigm of merely enlisting or depending on blind loyalty has proven to be insufficient and, unfortunately, counterproductive. The issue of trust is hard to gain, but easy to lose.

As it approaches its 73rd year this year, Foundation University goes by its core values of excellence, commitment, integrity, and service. In the words of her founder, Dr. Vicente G. Sinco, a native of Negros Oriental who was born of modest means, and who, among other achievements, became dean of the College of Law of the University of the Philippines (UP) and served as UP’s president from 1958-1962: “We want to educate men and women whose only passport is intellectual competence; whose pursuit is excellence of mind, body, and character; and whose quest is for freedom and truth.” – NWI