Monday, 06 September 2021, marks the first day of SY 2021-2022 for the College-level students of Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU). To ensure a smooth start to their scholarly life, new students and their parents have been invited to an orientation program to get an overall perspective on OLFU. The sessions make up a series of orientations where each college is given a dedicated time slot within September 6 to 18, 2021.
The September 6th kick-starter orientation began with a Holy Mass celebrated by University Chaplain, Fr. Nicanor Lalog II. In his homily, he advocated for always seeking truth and knowledge while maintaining one’s humanity and humility.
During the program proper, University President, Dr. Caroline Marian S. Enriquez called upon the students to rise up to the challenges of life, and learn how to blend in with adversities, instead, so as to make the current situation better. She demonstrated this through a story on the carrot, the egg and the coffee beans; explaining that each reacts differently when immersed in boiling water— one will soften against “adversity”, the other will harden, while another will create a rich, flavorful blend out of the experience. As she closed, Dr. Enriquez also advocated for COVID-19 vaccination; encouraging students to get vaccinated once the opportunity presents itself for their own sake, their families, their friends, and their communities.
Then, being cornerstones in their OLFU learning journey, the OLFU Administrators, Deans, Principals and Department Heads were introduced. Information about the College followed, thereafter, where details such as values, program outcomes, and expected deliverables were discussed. University highlights were likewise presented in terms of OLFU’s campuses, achievements, and facilities.
Introduced also was the Fatima Learning Experience or FLEX which basically guarantees the capability of OLFU to seamlessly mesh the different learning modalities in synch with the demands of any given situation: online-offline, synchronous-asynchronous, modular and, even, face-to-face learning when health conditions permit. As the most salient cog on FLEX’s wheel, the globally-renown Canvas Learning Management System was unveiled— the very same used by premier educational institutions around the world. Canvas is managed by the University’s Education, Learning, Innovation and Technology Advancement (ELITE) Center.
Academic policies on achieving the Dean’s List and the Latin Awards came into focus, as well. Then, proper decorum and behavior during online synchronous classes were tackled, along with social media etiquette, and some examples of exemplary conduct vis a vis conduct unbecoming of a Fatimanian.
Finally, OLFU’s Student Services took front-and-center to demonstrate how OLFU takes care of its students and parents throughout the academic journey: Career Guidance Services (CGS) for moral support, career directions and placement; the Learning Resource Center for a fertile expanse of information/research materials, online library services, and world-class knowledge platforms; and, Student Financial Services for a flexible range of installment plans and student loans that would “fit the pocket” of any Juan.
Hoping to achieve its goal, the Orientation Programs, led by CGS and the ELITE Teams, aim to get OLFU’s newbies to a smashing start!
