DLSU-NSTP (CWTS/LTS) campus-based community engagement

• Main Author: Amistoso, Marjorie G.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Service learning; Civic and Community Engagement
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/12139
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) imposed a Moratorium of Field Trips, Education Tours and other similar activities last February 21, 2017. This is covered under CHED Memorandum Order No. 17, Series of 2012 "Policies and Guidelines on Education Tours and Field Trips of College and Graduate students". The moratorium says that in lieu of external campus activities, all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) should institute replacement activities that will serve the purpose intended by such of campus activities, preserve the objectives sought to be achieved and see to it that no student should not be negatively affected by the moratorium. The said moratorium shall remain in effect until all measures have been undertaken to effectively address the issues concerning fied trips and stringent procedures supposed to be adopted by HEIs to ensure the safety and welfare of the concerned HEI stakeholders. The said moratorium was issued last February 20, 2017 when a group of students was on their way to their National Service Training Program (NSTP) activity met an accident resulting to death of thirteen students, a teacher, and the driver dead, as well as more than 30 others injured.To comply with the said memorandum, the DLSU-NSTP Civic Welfare and Training Service and Literacy Training Service Programs (CWTS and LTS), community immersions are suspended indefinitely. Proposed projects and activities shall be implemented within the DLSU campus. To lessen the impact of the new arrangement, the NSTP-CWTS/LTS Team conducted consultation meetings with all stakeholders of the program to identify opportunities for the enhancement of program operations and mechanisms. Policies, guidelines and mechanisms were made to be able to comply with the new arrangement but notwithstanding that the objective of the DLSU-NSTP CWTS/LTS Program will still be achieved. The revisions and updates are included in the modules and other materials and guided by the NSTP-CWTS/LTS Formation Framework that seeks to provide a thorough understanding of the program.With the new arrangement, the students may not be able to experience the actual conduct of project implementation in their partner communities but the formation and experience could be deemed beneficial to students. This will encourage them to be more creative and more resourceful in doing the activities for the campus-based community engagement phase. The knowledge and skills that they will get in the new arrangement will be useful to their academic requirements as well as their organizational activities. Lastly, it is an opportunity for them to be able to contribute to the general welfare of the marginalized sectors of the society.