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Top 10 Reasons for Leaving

10. The university requires (for 2 consecutive years) alumni and teachers to sell at least 2 Alumni raffle tickets for PhP500 each.  As a faculty, I was not even asked if I can sell those tickets.  Nabigla na lang ako sa announcement sa bulletin board at the English department: "Inform the office how you want the tickets be paid, cash or through salary deduction."  Wow, magbabayad na kami, hindi pa kami na-consult. This is only one of the times we had to pay for something pala, na di kami na-consult if we're willing to deduct any amount during the payout. 

9. Kapag late for more than 10 minutes, salary deduction, for every minute late.  Kapag overtime dahil sa mga activities, no pay at all.

8. Chalk is given out for free, thank you!  But that's all.  The faculty members even have to spend their own money to buy drinking water from the university's cooperative. 

7. Salary increase is not significant, minsan, wala pa, although tuition fees keep increasing.

6. After more than 11 years, ang Christmas bonus ko, PhP2,000.  I used to appreciate this amount, yes, even if we have to queue at the accounting office for this amount after the Xmas party,  because this is the only thing we get after at least one year of service.  But when I had  a Xmas bonus of 125% of my salary in the new company, I realized, PhP2,000 is really very low. Well, it isn't the amount that's important, but the feeling that the company values its people and gives significant incentives or bonus.  I believe every employee understands this. 

5. The Dean is not willing to hire practitioners with no Master's degree because the college would like to stick to the record of having 100% of faculty with Master's degree.  As a consequence, Communication students end up either having a teacher with non-Comm Bachelor's degree (but with MA, though not also related to Comm.) or having no teacher at all.

4. In one occasion (Parents Orientation), an official justified tuition fee increase by announcing that the increase is also meant for teachers' salary increases.  Ooppss... not true.   Tuition increases by the thousands.  Teachers' salary increases are sometimes pegged at PhP300, usually PhP500.

3.  Academic environment is not competitive.  Teachers with higher degrees (Ph.D.'s) get higher compensation compared with those without Ph.D.'s.   Also, the faculty from the college making the most money get higher income.  Even if you perform better, do more research, introduce more significant innovations, go extra mile assisting students, there is no way you can get ahead in terms of compensation/incentive. Ah, yes they have Performance Bonus, that if you get high score, you get at most PhP2,000. Still not significant for the best performers, I believe. Minsan, you will see, those with Ph.D.'s are just not as hard-working as those with only Master's degrees.  And if you ask the students, the degree is not always equivalent to better learning.  To top it all, some teachers with Ph.D.'s are not even adept in research, compared with those with only Master's degrees. 

2. Communication students are not well-recognized.  Sometimes, the students get recognized outside the university, but gets nothing from their own school.  Many of my former students, including those who won national awards in documentary filmmaking competition in 2006, and my former Korean student who was able to present his thesis in an international conference in New Delhi know exactly what I am saying here.

1. Teachers are not valued by the top official.  A top official once said during a general teachers meeting at the auditorium, something like: "If you're not happy, bukas ang dalawang pinto.  If you want, I can even request the brass band to bring you out."  Ouch... That says it all: teachers are not valued so the top official is not willing to listen to find out why some seem unhappy.  This is number one in my list, and I won't forget this statement.  

I have more on my list, actually, but I'd like to keep the list to 10.  These are just my opinion, based on my experience, my senses, observations, and feelings while I was still there.  Other teachers might have different views, and I respect them.  

Personally, I have so many dreams, hopes, not only for myself, but for my students, but there is no one to help me attain those dreams and hopes.  So hard to get support from the environment, idk why, so the "fire" that used to drive me to improve on the quality of the Comm. department, nawawala na lang, nang hindi natutupad.  Dreams just die, and it feels really bad.  

Well, the school is lucky for having great employees: maraming masipag, di nagbibilang ng oras, maraming di nagrereklamo, maraming hard-working people, definitely.  

But at the end of the day, they would also want to find something more fulfilling, a company that would

In fairness with the university, it also offers some good things, e.g. 100% discount on tuition fees for the education of the employees and their kids (which is a big thing for parents  like me), I finished my MA degree through study-now-pay-later plan with the help of the former Dean, and opportunities to work with great people. These are the reasons I am grateful, as well. 


Comments

Lainey Magboo said…
Hi Ma'am Virgie,

I do not know why, but after reading your post, naiyak nalang po ako ng bigla. Siguro na-feel ko po yung mga panghihinayang "sana" mas naipakita pa namin kung ano po talagang mayroon kami (Batch 2011). But then again, ang masaya lang po talaga ay yung dito po namin kayo nakilala at nakasama; at ito po ang pinakamahalaga sa lahat. Thank you Ma'am for being our best Comm mentor. Much love.:)


Elaine Mariel (Batch 2011)
Anonymous said…
Hello mam, if you only know how terrible the education is in auf now. Grabe. Basura na. Last sem, we had your student visit us. Wont name names po. He took the board, made discussions nung lessons from you. Lead, body etc. He was good and we asked him to teach. Sabi niya not allowed po. No m.a. pero maam yung comm chair andun lang nakikinig sakanya at nag take notes pa. Di nalang po namin sinabi na everything your student thought us plus activity ay ginaya nung chair namin on her next class. Kadiri noh maam?
Balik ka na maam.

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