Xavier Ateneo’s Social Development cluster had its first general assembly as it enters the new school year last 16 August 2023. Attended by deans, directors and representatives from the different units and clusters of the university, the general assembly is aimed at preparing its members and partners for another year of collaborative engagements.
Members of the Social Development Cluster with Directors, Deans and Representatives of the different units, departments and offices of Xavier Ateneo.
Ms Therese Rhea Rose T Baliwag, Assistant to the VP for Social Development, presented the cluster’s key milestones and accomplisments from last school year, highlighting achieved targets as it commences the implementation of its 3-year development plan (AY 2023-2026).
Its achievements included the Service Learning Program (SLP) which exceeded its targetted academic programs for service-learning integration, has forged new partnerships with internal and external partners, and has engaged new faculty members who adopted service-learning as a teaching pedagogy. Additionally, the Student Social Formation and Advocacy Program (SIAP) has been consistent in its quick response intiatives during calamities, its feeding programs in selected communities and its student volunteer formation program. SSIAP represented the university in non-partisan electoral engagements during the 2022 National Elections. Finally, the SD office, through the Institutional Professional Societal Engagement (IPSE), has been successful in maintaining its coordination with the different SD Centers as well as its special projects and institutional partnerships with OROBEST, National Resilience Council, Department of Interior and Local Government R-10, among others.
An important part of the general assembly is the input of Fr Ismael Jose III Chan-Gonzaga SJ, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, who emphaised in his speech the role of social development in Jesuit education and apostolate. Fr Gonzaga said, “we have to understand that we have a crucial role in the very education of our students, we cannot just simply go to classrooms and teach and go home, we have to show it by our lives witnessing, we have to bridge the divide. We have a crucial role in the social development cluster and our partners to be able to bridge the two worlds— the worlds of our students and the real world out there. We have to learn to find ways that our students begin to care. How we try to do that will be difficult but it also allows for us to reimagine together”.
Fr IJ Chan-Gonzaga SJ delivers his talk on "The Role of Social Development in Jesuit Education"
One of the highlights in the general assembly is the presentation of Dr Heidi R Rabanes, Dean for Research, who articulated the university’s research agenda and priorities as well as its various grants and funding extended to faculty and students. Dr Rabanes’ presentation further supported the need for both research and social development to work cooperatively in order to fulfill the university’s research thrusts and agenda of furthering social engagement. Dr Rabanes encouraged the cluster’s faculty members to engage in research and maximize the grants and funding support which may hopefully be expanded to include formators. Dr Rabanes shared as she emphasized the significance of research in the university, “Faculty has a tri-focal function, we serve as teachers and we need to engage in research because you cannot claim a university without research”.
Dr Heidi Rabanes presents the University Research Agenda
Engr Dexter S Lo, Vice President for Social Development, presented the structure and components of the SD cluster and its 3-year development plan highlighting the seven goals which includes strengthened implementation of social formation programs for tertiary students and university personnel, multi- and trans-disciplinary service engagements with atleast two adopted communities, sustained and expanded professional societal engagements through the social development centers, socio-spiritual formation program for SD personnel, full integration of the service-learning pedadgogy in all academic programs, among others. Engr Lo also revealed that Xavier Ateneo has been enrolled as a “Laudato Si University”, a challenge posed by Pope Francis to schools, universities, religious orders, and community organizations to work towards integral ecology through program management and instruction.
Engr Dexter S Lo presents the three-year development plan of the Social Development Cluster
The program concluded with Mr Don Antonio Velez, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Higher Education, and Mr Adam Emmanuel Guanzon, President of the Central Student Government, sharing their reactions on the discussions and presentations.
The cluster’s first general assembly for the new school year served as a launch pad for partnerships and collaborative engagements fueled by the desire to create solutions to society’s pressing problems and advance a more just and humane society, all for God’s greater glory.