FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. The Student Social Involvement and Advocacy Program team with the Social Development Cluster coordinators and partner faculty and staff flash happy smiles at the conclusion of the meeting.

Report by Iana Edrianne M Awayan, Program Officer, Student Social Involvement and Advocacy Program (SSIAP)
Photos by Bloden Wedd Cabanacan

The 22nd of October 2019 was an auspicious day for the Social Development (SD) Cluster, through the Student Social Involvement and Advocacy Program (SSIAP), as it held the first-ever exploratory meeting with the SD coordinators, partner faculty and staff at the Berchman’s Hall of XU Magis Canteen.

The meeting was about a new initiative that the SSIAP was planning to develop, tentatively named the “Pool of Experts,” which will function as a hub that aims to “institutionalize integrated and collaborative advocacy engagements” with the multidisciplinary experts in the university – the faculty, formators, and staff from the different units and colleges.

Through this avenue, advocacy engagements will be more organized, centralized, and will provide more opportunities for involvement for the XU community members, especially the students.  

PROGRAM BACKGROUND. Iana Edrianne M Awayan, advocacy program officer, explains the background and details of the Pool of Experts.

The proposed initiative was met with responses from both ends of the spectrum. Most commented that the proposed hub was a good opportunity for faculty and even student involvement.

Kristian Sulmayor, a faculty member from the Department of History/International Studies/Political Science said in particular that the SSIAP “gives the students the chance to push for their own advocacy.”

With the positive feedback, also came the concerns. How to engage the students in the advocacy, how they can appreciate their stay in Xavier Ateneo, the program’s difference from SLP and the parameters of the program were some of the common concerns. All of these were addressed and by the end of the meeting, insightful suggestions sprung forth: (1) To offer the alternative classes to the senior students as an exit course; (2) To conduct an online survey to assess what social issues the students are interested in; (3) To create various advocacy hubs within the hub that will allow the students to choose their areas/advocacies of interest (hubs within the hub); and (4) To make the program a student-led initiative with the faculty as facilitators.

This Pool of Experts may still be a far cry from being fully realized, but the SSIAP hopes that the exploratory meeting served as the first step towards the institutionalization of a hub that will bring together faculty, formators, staff, and students into concretely becoming "persons for and with others."∎

OPEN FORUM. Nestor Banuag Jr, SSIAP director, presents the Social Development Cluster and its different modes of engagements. He also moderates the open forum.