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BSU students want professor sanctioned for academic negligence

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Mar. 3 ) — Fourth year students of the Benguet State University’s (BSU) College of Forestry decried unbecoming practices from its faculty when they petitioned for a corresponding sanction for For. Rodolfo Espada Jr. for academic neglect. Several letters were forwarded to the university’s administration since November 2004, yet proper action has not been accorded, the students said.

In a letter to BSU President Rogelio Colting, on Nov. 11, 2004, FRM 44 (Environmental Management) students stated that Espada was “always absent”, that as a result he was always unavailable for consultations and proper guidance in class projects. Due to his absenteeism, he would rush lectures when he was around, not bothering to discuss the topics thoroughly, and simply read the transparencies.

Quizzes and exams were not returned in time and laboratory exercises, especially its methodologies, were not properly explained, the students claimed.

Worst, Espada’s grading system was questioned when he failed more than half of the class in For 11 (Introduction to Forestry) on SY 2003-2004. This course is taken up by freshmen on their first semester. Based on the grade sheet obtained by Nordis, only five students out of 33 passed the course, with grades ranging from 2.25 to 3. In another section of the same course in the same school year, only two passed out of 20 students. Still on SY 2003-2004, students enrolled in FR 23 (Forest Protection), a two-year course were all failed.

Environmental science students also wrote to Colting on Nov. 9, 2004, airing similar complaints. They included that Espada “is not considerate. Mataas po ang standard. (Di po kami UP students, BSU students lang po kami).

When confronted on the consistent failing of grades Espada allegedly said that “that is quality education, those are UP standards”. Espada has gone as far as using “academic freedom” to justify the complaints against him. Espada is a graduate of the College of Forestry in UP Los Baños.

Taste of ‘academic freedom’

In an interview with fourth year students who requested anonymity, they relayed that Espada was always absent. “But even if he was absent that day, we would see his name logged in for that day”, they said. They added that last school year, the results of their midterm examination was given only after the finals.

“So we couldn’t review, and we did not know our standing”, they said.

“Even if we went to see him for our exam and laboratory results, he would ask us to come back the next day… pinapabalik-balik kami. Busy raw siya”, another interviewee said.

In their FRM 44 class, only three out of 18 students passed. “Less than half of the class, we don’t understand his grading system. Yet he told us that that is academic freedom”, they said.

The students feel that the purpose of the yearly faculty evaluation is defeated since “students’ comments have no effect on the instructors”.

Another student, who also asked not be named, said that some teachers even facilitated their own evaluation and read the comments the class after. “There is no more confidentiality as there should be”, this student said.

Espada allegedly announced his resignation after these petitions on Dec. 22, 2004, but students were surprised that he still taught the course this January. In a memorandum dated December 7, 2004 College of Forestry Dean Marissa Parao already asked another instructor, Baby Jhane Clemeno, to take over the course.

Forestry students also complained of other faculty members—Engr. Dante Chicioco, For. Prescila Salcedo, and For. Melecio Balangen, also for absenteeism.

Some members of the faculty, including the alumni, supported the forestry students in their petition. Several faculty-related issues also need attention, said one instructor. Letters regarding such were also forwarded to the president, but still without action.

University Vice President III Dr. Franco Bawang, who heads the investigation team in these issues, said the concerns go back as far as 1997.

“If these were addressed before, then it didn’t have to pile up like this”, he said. A consultation will take place this week to gather data on the issues, he said. “Hopefully we can resolve some issues during the consultation, but personal matters will not be tackled their, of course,” he added.

One of three students who passed FRM 44 this semester said “ all we demand is corresponding sanction for the issues we raised, for we are not just doing this for us. It is also for the future students in the college.” # Abi Taguba Bengwayan for NORDIS

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