UGDO Bulletin: February-September 2021

February - September 2021

Onboarding for the Code and Rules for SY 2021 -22 Begins for New Faculty

The new school year began for the University Decorum and Investigation System with several onboarding activities for new faculty.  The first was held on August 20, 2021 through the efforts of Mr. Ariel Diccion, currently the Coordinator of the Teacher Formation Institute (TFI) of the Loyola School and the New LS School forum Chair.  The onboarding for the code and rules was part of the LS Orientation for New and Returning Faculty of the Loyola Schools.  For the section on the code and rules, Dr. Mira Ofreneo, Director of the University Gender Hub and Atty. Alma Pavia, Director of the University Office of Decorum and Investigation provided input on the Code and Rules as well as the services provided by the University Gender Hub.  

Approximately 80 faculty members attended each of the 3 morning sessions which was held online via zoom.  The presentations from UDIS were part of the 3rd morning session with resource speakers from OHRMOD and OAD for Student Formation, on Welfare of the Community.

At the school level, the new faculty of the School of Social Sciences were given a more concise look at the code and rules and how this relates to faculty decorum and working with students in classrooms, particularly in the current virtual set up. This school level onboarding was done as part of the introduction of new faculty of the School of Social Sciences to the different offices, coordinators, departments of programs of the School.  Dr. Maria Elissa Lao, Director of the University Gender and Development Office and Dr. Mira Ofreneo, Director of the University Gender Hub gave the presentations for this onboarding session.  Dr. Ofreneo focused on the LS processes and initiatives, that make the online learning more gender inclusive and a safe space for all. 

The session was held online on 25 August 2021.

LS Graduate School and ALS Freshies take time for Code and Rules Onboarding via asynchronous modules for SY 2021 – 22

Two asynchronous onboarding activities on the Code and Rules took place for (1) the LS Graduate Programs and (2) the Ateneo Law School.  Both onboarding activities were for new students of the Graduate Programs of the Loyola Schools and the Ateneo Law School. 

For the LS Graduate Programs, the onboarding was part of a module of their Graduate Student Orientation Seminar or OrSem under the module “Know your rights as students” that discussed a “Gender Inclusive, Safe, and Responsive and Safe Community.” The module utilized the Learning Management System Canvas which also had a quiz component to test the understanding of the new students who underwent the asynchronous orientation course.

For the Ateneo Law School module, onboarding videos from the University Gender and Development Office, the University Office of Decorum and Investigation and the University Gender Hub were among the required material during the month-long Introduction to Law for first year students. The module introduced the support systems and mechanisms for redress developed by the university.

Onboarding and Refresher Session for SASC Cluster to begin the School Year 2021 -22

The offices under the Student and Administrative Services Cluster (SASC)  underwent a refresher course on the Code and Rules last August 25, 2021 from 9:00 – 11:00 am.  This Cluster comprises 7 offices which were all represented at the onboarding session. There were 28 people in attendance which included office staff, Zoom services staff, computer technical staff, professionals i.e. doctors, nurses, counsellors and administrators. .  Many of the member of SASC cluster have already previously attended onboarding and GST sessions offered by the University as mandated by CHED NCR CRMs in the last school year.

The presentations made by Dr. Maria Elissa Lao (Director, UGDO), Atty. Alma Pavia (Director, UODI) and Dr. Mira Ofreneo (Director, University Gender Hub) focused on the roles that the SASC played in providing services for students and other LS stakeholders and how these front lining services can play a crucial role in making the Loyola Schools a safe space for all.

Presentation on the University Decorum and Investigation System at LS Administrative Council Meeting

The University Decorum and Investigation System was presented to  the LS Administrative Council last September 10, 2021.  The objective of the presentation was to provide the Loyola School administrators with a view of the entire system, including the new offices created and the possible interface with these offices. 

The focus of the presentations by Dr. Maria Elissa J. Lao, Dr. Mira Ofreneo and Atty. Alma Pavia were on the possible roles that administrators, particularly Chairs, Program directors and administrative offices are likely to play in the UDIS system, if and when an incidence to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior were to be reported to them. 

Reporting mechanisms, University and LS Offices and key forms were provided to assist administrators in responding to such cases.

OSA, LS Gender Hub and LS Gender Focal Point Committee presents the OSCARS (Onboarding Session on the Code and Rules for Student Organizations)

The leadership of student organizations in the Loyola Schools attended the OSCARS or the Onboarding Session on the Code and Rules for Student Organizations last 17 September 2021.  This was through the efforts of the Office of Student Activities (OSA), the University Gender Hub, The Council of Activities and the LS Gender Focal Point Committee.  In this session, the Code and Rules and the accompanying responsibilities of organizations were given focus.  A breakout session was also provided for cluster related concerns. These were facilitated by the different speakers of the OSCARs as well as members of the LS Gender Hub Community.