Reorganization of Undergraduate Education Support Offices (HE Memo#Y2.74)

HE Memo#Y2.74
29 November 2024

I wish to inform the Higher Education community of the formal reorganization of the Undergraduate Education sub-cluster under the Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education (AVP-UEd), Dr Josefina D Hofileña.

The mandate of the Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education is to:

1. ensure the identity and integrity of Ateneo undergraduate education as a whole, an education that is meant to forge the formation of students to become Christ-centered persons of competence, conscience, compassion, and commitment: a single set of academic standards that informs admissions, retention, promotion, separation, and graduation; a common curricular framework, especially one core curriculum following the guidance of Ignatian pedagogical principles; an integrated curricular and co-curricular formation program; a wide range of student support services, and a consistent code of student conduct;
    
2. collaborate with the School Deans and department chairs/program directors in the implementation of the core and majors curricula;
    
3. coordinate with the Mission Integration Cluster in the implementation of the Integrated Ateneo formation program, or co-curriculum, which is an integral part of Ateneo undergraduate curricula;
    
4. facilitate coordination with the various University offices that deliver student services to ensure their integration with the mission and goals of Ateneo undergraduate education, thereby supporting student growth in and beyond the classroom;
    
5. assist Schools, Departments, and Programs by facilitating the onboarding and continuing formation of faculty who teach core curriculum courses and student affairs professionals who deliver the co-curriculum and assist undergraduate students in various capacities;
    
6. supervise the Academic Standards and Policies Section, which ensures the consistency of academic policies and one set of standards across the Schools through the Standards Committee and oversees undergraduate academic processes; and,
    
7. supervise the following offices:
   
   1. Office of Admission and Aid;
   2. Office of Curriculum Development and Integration; and,
   3. Office of Student Affairs and Services.

The offices that report to the AVP for Undergraduate Education are tasked with the following responsibilities:

1. Office of Admission and Aid – implements policy decisions of the School Council regarding the growth and quality of the student population; takes charge of the development and implementation of a recruitment strategy for undergraduate programs in consultation with the VPHE and the School Deans, and the selection of prospective undergraduate students, consistent with the undergraduate curricular framework and academic programs, policies, and standards. The Office is also tasked with implementing Higher Education directions regarding admission and scholarships through the Committee on Admission and Aid, evaluates applications for scholarships and financial assistance, assists in fund-raising activities for scholarships, and liaises with benefactors and feeder schools.
    
2. Office of Curriculum Development and Integration (merging the Office of the Associate Dean for the Core Curriculum with the curriculum functions of the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs) – supervises curriculum development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and revision of undergraduate programs and courses through the Curriculum Committee; oversees the overall framework, implementation, and evaluation of the core curriculum, and facilitates close coordination between core courses and the appropriate co-curricular programs housed in the Mission Integration cluster.
    
3. Office of Student Affairs and Services (merging the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Office of Student Discipline) – liaises with relevant offices to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of student services, connects students with the appropriate offices to address their academic and non-academic needs, extends support and information for immediate student concerns and inquiries, coordinates milestone events in the undergraduate students’ academic journey, and oversees the implementation of, and compliance with, the Student Code of Conduct and other applicable rules and regulations.

The Org Structure
The Undergraduate Education organizational structure, with the corresponding office and section heads, is found below. Some job titles have been updated, although the incumbents and their terms of appointment, as announced in the VPHE’s 31 May 2024 memo, Administrative Appointments in the Higher Education Cluster in School Year 2024-2025, remain unchanged.

Below is the functional chart showing the Undergraduate Education Sub-cluster’s relationship with the Schools offering undergraduate programs.

I thank Dr Josefina D Hofileña and her team for the thoughtful and well-discerned undertaking of re-organization within the sub-cluster, in collaboration with Ms Jenny See, Director of the University People, Team, and Organization Development Office under the Office of the VP for Human Resources.

The offices of the Undergraduate Education Sub-cluster look forward to a continuing fruitful working relationship with the rest of the Higher Education community.

I enjoin everyone in our community to support the efforts of the Undergraduate Education Sub-cluster in assisting the schools in making quality assurance a top priority for our academic processes.