The College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) of Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) hosted a meeting for the OLFU-Academe Industry Linkages and Pathways (AILP) Advisory Board (Ad-Board) last 15 June 2016 at the Novotel Hotel and Resorts Manila, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.
The AILP Ad-Board is comprised of representatives from the business and accountancy industries, academe, OLFU alumni and other stakeholders. Aside from the presence of the advisory board members, other salient players also attended the event, such as: University President Caroline Marian S. Enriquez, CBA Dean Ignacio Cordova, Jr., Supervised Work Experience Program (SWEP) Coordinator Roman P. Buyson and the Program and Practicum Coordinators from the various OLFU Campuses.
CBA launched its AILP in September 2012 to enjoin members of the Ad-Board to collaborate towards business education, and act as Consultants in the areas of curriculum, educational services, internship/OJT, research, student and faculty development and more.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Enriquez recognized the importance of learning; that change is coming in order to meet the demands of the industry. She then expressed her trust that the AILP will carry that torch, and will commit to delivering the highest quality standards in producing higher quality students.
During the meeting, the board members shared insights that an adaptive business plan must be developed and the syllabus further improved so as to enrich the communication skills of students, both in written and oral form. They suggested that the course subjects must be both technical and practical to create a pipeline of skills development in the areas of behavioural, emotional and leadership. The group went further as to say that these courses must be made available starting at the 2nd year of college.
Another discussion tackled how to build up job-ready and nearly-hired graduates through programs such as:
- Curriculum Review and Enhancement
- Syllabus and Co-Authorship
- Best Practices for Students’ Skills Development
- Internship Program
- Leadership Training Program
In closing, AILP President Mr. Jesse Francis Rebustillo said that the agenda for the next meeting would be how to enhance the SWEP by integrating the three core competencies: initiative, communication and critical thinking.
