Green vs Blue
RONALD S. GOSECO
In my last column, I described how FINEX recently conducted a step-back to re-examine its purpose with the assistance of our partner institute—the Institute of Corporate Directors.
We felt it was timely to review our charter as we celebrated our 50th year foundation.
I was fortunate to have been recently tasked to do the same thing for a private college in Guagua, Pampanga that was established a hundred years ago.
The Guagua National Colleges (GNC) was founded by the parish priest of Guagua, Father Nicanor Banzali with influential and well educated members of the local community.
My grandmother, Feliza David Goseco, was the lone female in the group which constituted the board of trustees. She also became the first elementary school principal.
The institution, rooting its objective to inculcate love of God, country, and wisdom in the minds of the youth started its function on June 18, 1918, with the approval of the Archbishop of Manila, His Grace Mons. Michael O’Doherty.
It has developed over the past 100 years into a college that offered not just primary education but also other courses including graduate programs to cater to the changing requirements of not just the town, but the entire western Pampanga region reaching up to Bataan.
It has seen its ups and downs but in its centennial year, it is now facing a critical juncture in its history.
The school was conceived with the idea of founding an educational institute to satisfy the needs of the local parishioners with focus on the poor.
As it evolved into an institution of higher learning, it had to offer more courses to a growing market of students with varying needs.
The environment also changed with more private schools being established in the vicinity, as well as state colleges which now offer free tuition.
The faculty resources have also become scarce and competitive. Public school salaries have (finally) caught up with the best private school rates.
The limited number of professional and experienced academicians could hardly cope with the requirements of the new colleges, both private and public.
The school has to remain relevant and sustainable in this volatile, uncertain, changing and ambiguous (VUCA) times. It has to thrive or perish.
GNC wants to understand what other successful private schools are envisioning in these VUCA times. This led it to a comparative review of their mission statements.
We initially took at look at two of our more successful neighboring universities in Angeles City. The first one was the Angeles University Foundation which had for its vision: “Inspired by the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, the Angeles University Foundation envisions to emerge as a center of excellence in instruction, research and community extension services in the region and in the global community.”
It’s mission statement was: “To realise its vision, the Angeles University Foundation is committed to the total development of man for God and Humanity.”
The second school, Holy Angel University, has for its vision “To become a role model catalyst for countryside development and one of the most influential and best managed Catholic universities in the Asia Pacific region.”
It’s mission was “To offer accessible quality education that transforms students into persons of conscience, competence and compassion, all for the glory of God.”
We also looked at the principal rivals in Manila hence the title of this article.
We checked out De La Salle University. It starts with a preamble: “De La Salle University is an internationally recognized Catholic University in the Philippines established by the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1911.
Inspired by the charism of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the University community together and by association, provides quality human and Christian education by teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives.
This university has a brisk Vision-Mission: “A leading learner-centred and research university bridging faith and scholarship, attuned to a sustainable earth, and in the service of Church and society, specially the poor and marginalized.”
The Ateneo de Manila University also starts with a preamble: “Rooted in the spirit of being lux in Domino, the light in the Lord, the Ateneo seeks to train men and women for others. In a document prepared by former president Fr. Nebres, S.J., he wrote: “While many schools and apostolate aspire to form leaders, the Ignatian vision as embodied in the dynamics of the spiritual exercises, seeks to form people to develop their talents to the utmost and challenge them to highest levels of service. Not just to seek the good, but the greater good. The magis. It thus has a tendency to form an elite- but its desire has been to form an apostolic elite, an elite for service. This helps foster a deeper appreciation of the Ateneo de Manila Vision Mission statement.”
The vision mission statement of Ateneo is the longest that we’ve read:
“As a university, the Ateneo de Manila, seeks to preserve, extend and communicate truth and apply it to human development and the preservation of the environment.
As a Filipino university, the Ateneo de Manila seeks to identify and enrich Philippine culture and make its own.
Through the education of the whole person and the formation of needed professionals and through various corporate activities, the University aims to contribute to the development goals of the nation.
As a Catholic university, the Ateneo de Manila seeks to form persons who following the teachings and example of Christ will devote their lives to the service of others and through the promotion of justice, serve specially those who are most in need of help, the poor and the powerless.
Loyal to the teachings of the Catholic Church, the university seeks to serve the faith and to interpret its teachings to modern Philippine society.
As a Jesuit university, the Ateneo de Manila seeks the goals of Jesuit liberal education through the harmonious development of moral and intellectual virtues. Imbued with the Ignatian spirit, the University aims to lead its students to see God in all things and to strive for the greater glory of God and the greater service of mankind.
The University seeks all these, as an academic community, through the exercise of the functions proper to a university, that is through teaching, research and service to the community.”
This process of discovery and comparative review of the vision and mission statements of some of the leading schools in the country have shown some similarities, and yet the subtle differences are what distinguish them from all the rest.
We will consider the similarities but have to examine the differences to chart the course of GNC for the next 100 yeas.
Ronald Goseco is currently EVP of the Financial Executives institute of the Philippines
The post Green vs Blue appeared first on The Manila Times Online.