Silliman Leaders Issue ‘Statement of Concern’

Members of the University Leadership Council (ULC) issued a “Statement of Concern” in light of the revelations of Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., former president of the Philippine Forest Corporation, on anomalies involving the aborted NBN-ZTE deal.

The statement, which has gathered close to 500 signatures, called on both citizens and those in government to “act according to the dictates of one’s conscience.”

“While the University and its constituency seek to uphold the rule of law, we call on all concerned to adhere to what is enshrined in the Philippine constitution that ‘public office is a public trust’....”

According to the statement, citizens must always require accountability from government leaders…“and those in government whose integrity may have been sullied to relinquish office immediately in order to protect the sanctity of the same.”

To reinforce the call in the statement, the SU Justice and Peace Center organized a “Prayer Rally and Vigil for Truth Telling and Call for Accountability” on February 22 at the SU Church.

“As a Christian institution of higher learning, Silliman University is constantly conscious of its duty to promote what is morally right and just,” the statement stressed.

As a “conscience center” and a “moral agent,” the members of the ULC said in the press statement, “Silliman University cannot allow the erosion and total disregard of the tenets of transparency and morality in national governance to go unnoticed.”

In the statement, members of the ULC expressed their common concern over the state of the country.

“We are simply disgusted and utterly disappointed in the state of our national affairs at this time, which is a far cry from our expectations of what the Filipino people deserve,” the statement said.

The ULC is a policy discussion group, coordinating collective vetting and collective governance. It is a transparency (information sharing and dissemination), decision flattening mechanism which discusses and recommends guidelines and approaches for executing and shaping policies. It is composed of Administrators of the University, headed by the University President, and representatives from the Silliman University Student Government, the campus publication, the Weekly Sillimanian, and faculty and staff unions.
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The two-day 7th Psychology Regional Forum, themed: “Psychology: Fostering Societal Well-being,” starts today at Silliman University.

Hosted by the Psychology Department of Silliman University, the forum features workshops and fora on trends and developments in intervention, applications and advocacies in psychology, particularly in the areas of Forensic Psychology, Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Health Psychology and Social Psychology.

Three simultaneous workshops are being held today: “Therapy with Difficult Clients: Using the Precursors Model” by SU College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Dr. Margaret Helen Alvarez, “Trainor Train Yourself” by SU Psychology Department’s Prof. Michele Joan Valbuena, and “Counseling: Assessment and Intervention for Suicidal Clients/Students” by Negros Oriental State University Prof. Noel Yasi.

Participants in this forum are practicing professionals, teachers and graduate students of psychology.
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The new Nursing Education Building (NEB) 1, one of three planned buildings to comprise the nursing education complex, was inaugurated early this month.

In the opening of the second semester of this school year, the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences has already started to occupy the first two floors of the three-storey building.

NEB 1 features 12 lecture-laboratory rooms, and cost around P20 million. Silliman Nursing alumni and friends of the University helped fund the construction of the building.

Silliman University is a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. It is one of only two universities in the country offering the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing.
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The Dumaguete National Writers’ Workshop is now accepting applications to the 47th National Writers’ Workshop to be held on May 5 to 23 in Dumaguete City.

This summer writers’ workshop is offering fifteen fellowship slots to promising young writers who would like to hone their craft and refine their style. Fellows will be given airfare, housing, and a modest stipend.

To be accepted, applicants should submit their manuscripts in English on or before April 5, 2008 (seven to ten poems; or three to five short stories; or three to five creative non-fiction essays). Manuscripts should be submitted in hard copy and on CD, preferably in MS Word, together with a resume, a recommendation letter from a literature professor or a writer of national standing, a certification that the works are original, and two 2X2 ID pictures.

Send all applications and/or requests for information to the Department of English & Literature, attention of Prof. A.G. Soluta, Chair, Silliman University, Dumaguete City.
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