UP Department of Geography Department Curriculum and Personnel Development Workshop

The UP Department of Geography concluded its most recent Department Curriculum and Personnel Development Workshop at Punta de Fabian, Baras, Rizal from August 24 to 26, 2019. The three-day workshop aimed to review both its undergraduate and graduate curricula and to further discuss and enhance the department's faculty and staff development.

The first day of the workshop started with the opening remarks of Prof Darlene Occeña-Gutierrez which included reminders about the purpose of the workshop and recognition of the department's new members. This was then followed by current chairperson Prof Yany Lopez's brief review of the previous workshops and identification of goals that must be followed and maintained. The faculty soon broke off into their respective groups to present and piece together a code of ethics for the department (sourced and referenced from various trusted and credible sources such as the Missenden Code of Practice for Ethics and Accountability, American Association of Geographers, and the University College London). Following that, the body worked on the revision of the department's mission and vision led by Prof. Ma. Simeona Martinez who also presented the results of the exit interview for undergraduate students and the questionnaire for graduate students. The day ended with the new committee assignments where each committee head is tasked to facilitate a project plan to be presented the following day.

The second day began with each committee presenting the various projects they developed the day prior. Afterwards, the body held simultaneous discussions where faculty members began curriculum mapping to help determine the overall coherence of the program while staff and REPS members identified tasks distributions and laid out possible trainings and goals for each individual. 

The graduate faculty members led by Prof Joseph Palis reviewed and updated the department’s graduate curriculum proposal on the final day. The workshop concluded as both Prof Lopez and Ms. Clarissa Concepcion presented the syntheses for the curriculum mapping and the staff and REPS meeting, respectively.