As a vital mechanism to navigate change, align strategies, and drive growth and innovation, Saint Louis University (SLU) conducted the second phase of the Annual Management Review (AMR) for AY 2023-2024 from 8 to 9 August 2024 at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall, SLU Main Campus.
Organized through the Office of Institutional Development and Quality Assurance (OIDQA), the said AMR gathered the heads of offices of the Academic, Administration, Audit, Finance, Hospital, and Mission and Identity clusters, unified by their commitment toward continuous improvement, innovation and quality service as a higher education institution.
Mr. Hector L. Martin, Director of OIDQA, set the program direction and officially opened the podium for unit heads to give their presentations on the status of actions from the previous management review.
The cluster reports addressed various institutional aspects such as review of SLU’s Statements of Purpose, QMS Status, and OFI; customer satisfaction, internal pre-assessment audit results, performance of external providers, presentation of Annual Quality Objectives Monitoring results, a review on Institutional Performance, and the Budget Performance Report for AY 2023-2024.
Upon completion of the presentations, University President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD, commended those who made revisions to the SLU Core Values, including Engr. Jeffrey Des B. Binwag, Chair of the University Instruction Development Committee (UIDC) and Dean of the School of Engineering and Architecture for how clearly the report was presented, highlighting the recalibrations and alignments done within the SLU’s Graduate Core Values, Institutional Cornerstone Functions, Strategic Goals, and the CICM Graduate Attributes.
The Finance Office was also congratulated for managing the University’s resources “very well” and for giving a “very clear financial report.” Further, the Academic Cluster was commended for the improvements done on the curricula, processes, and procedures among and within the different Schools. Now with more course offerings, accelerated programs, and new microcredential certificate programs, SLU has modernized its offerings. “This is a very good direction we took,” Fr. Gilbert expressed.
As to future institutional directions, Mr. Martin urged office heads to continue supporting the University’s initiatives and to prioritize the innovation, feasibility, and replicability in nominating programs for ranking reviews, while also considering the project’s impact.
Putting a close to the two-day program, a Eucharistic celebration was held acknowledging the Lord’s divine sovereignty with the approved proposed resolutions tackled in the AMR. In his homily, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD, reminded the heads of offices that as we embark on the new Academic Year, we remember “our shared responsibility to execute the plans and evaluations we diligently prepared.”
The Annual Management Review marks the beginning of this new academic year, motivating us to strive for excellence. It encourages us to share, collaborate, and relentlessly pursue the University’s Mission and Excellence.
Day 1: Review, Status Actions, and Annual QOM Results Presentations
The day began with morning prayers to seek wisdom and guidance facilitated by the MI cluster. Right after, Engr. Binwag began with a brief presentation on the Status of Statements of Purpose, QMS Status, OFI, and needs for changes in the QMS. This report included proposed revisions to SLU’s four Core Values, including recalibrations on graduate attributes. The said revisions made now establishes a clear alignment between SLU’s Core Values, Core Functions, Goals, and CICM Graduate Attributes.
Mr. Martin then proceeded with a report on QMS Issues and Concerns, followed by the Status of QMS Documents and Records by Ms. Triceayn Marie D. Prestousa, Director of the Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS).
Dr. Richel L. Lamadrid, Director of the University Research and Innovation Center (UNRIC), presented the report of the Customer Satisfaction and Feedback Form from relevant interested parties as of 30 June 2024. It included the General Satisfaction Survey Results (AY 2023-2024) and Actions Taken as of 30 June 2024, as well as feedback from external partners (HTEs, IABs, Employers, and Government Agencies) and suppliers/external providers.
Ms. Delia C. Latawan, Internal Auditor of SLU, gave a status report on the Request for Actions and Results of Internal Pre-Assessment Audit from the audit conducted on 25 to 26 June 2024.
Presentations of the Results of the Annual Quality Objectives Monitoring (Full Cycle) by the cluster representatives then commenced. The cluster representatives were the following: VP MI Cluster Head and Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Emery Mwako, CICM; Sunflower Child and Youth Wellness Center Head, Jennifer M. Garcia; SLU Sacred Heart Medical Center Hospital Administrator, Dr. Paul Adlai Quitiqui; Internal Audit Head, Delia C. Latawan; Assistant Treasurer, Allan Frank Silva; Center for Counseling and Wellness (CCW) Director Marie Ellami F. Refuerzo; and Technology Management and Development Department (TMDD) Head, Dr. Cecilia A. Mercado.
Afterward, the Academic Cluster proceeded with their own presentations on the Annual QOM Results: Mr. Alejandro P. Pablico, Principal of the Basic Education School; Dean Glory I. Dela Peña of the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing and Information Studies (SAMCIS); Dean Faridah Kristi C. Wetherick, PhD, of the School of Advanced Studies (SAS); Engr. Binwag, Dean of the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA); Atty. Yasmine Lee R. Tadeo, Dean of the School of Law (SOL); Dr. John Anthony A. Domantay, Dean of the School of Medicine (SOM); Dean Ann P. Opiña of the School of Nursing, Allied Health, and Biological Sciences (SONAHBS), Dean Mary Pauline E. Namoca, PhD, of the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA); and Dr. Andrew S. Macalma of the Academic Support Units.
Before closing Day 1 of the Annual Management Review, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Scholars from Myanmar were presented to the heads of offices, especially to their respective deans in SLU.
AMR Day 2: Institutional Performance Review, Budget Performance, and Approval of Proposed Resolutions
After the morning praise, Day 2 of the AMR commenced beginning with the performance review on Institutional Programs, Accreditation, and Assessment by Dr. Geraldine S. Wakat, Chair of Institutional and Program Assessment and Accreditation. She presented comprehensive data on licensure examination performances of the different Schools of SLU as well as the accreditation status of the University with Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).
On behalf of Dr. Stephenie O. Busbus, Institutional Reputation and Recognitions Chair, Mr. Martin reported on salient points on the metrics and performance of SLU on International Rankings and Ratings, namely, World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), UI GreenMetric, Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings, AppliedHE, QS Asia University Rankings, and QS Stars.
SLU’s best practices in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including its efforts in curriculum development, integration, and alignment, were significant in the University’s international rankings.
In relation to this, Dr. Joselito P. Gutierrez, the Executive Assistant to the President and the Head of the SLU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Binnadang Center, shared the University’s SDG plans, activities, and programs. Updates on SLU’s Laudato si’ programs were also highlighted. For future institutional directions, the focus on enhancing research publications and citations aligned with the SDGs was stressed.
Dr. Roberto M. Arguelles, Vice President for Finance, proceeded with the Budget Performance Report for AY 2023-2024. The data shows that there has been significant improvement with the University’s budget and utilization compared to the previous academic year. “At the end of the day,” Dr. Arguelles said,” we have the commitment to produce results. As a team, we can work together and have a very effective implementation, output, time implementation of our activities.. Let us continue to communicate, let us continue to follow, observe the university guidelines and policies. Let us all be accountable to what has been given to us.”
