Translating the Edecolepmentalism Philosophy into a University’s Vision, Goals, and Program Objectives

This article discusses how the philosophy of “edecolepmentalism” can be translated into a university’s vision, mission, goal and program objectives. Read on how a new philosophy based on current events can guide a university’s direction.

Educators nowadays particularly those who are in the top management are fully aware of the importance of accrediting their academic programs. They work hard for it in order not to be left behind.

The first area in accreditation is the vision and mission of the university, and its college or institute’s goal and program objectives. The mission and vision of the university focuses the university’s resources to realize specific desired outcomes.

Before a university could decide for its own vision, the top management or administrators should determine first which educational philosophy they should adopt as their basis. Some of the educational philosophies that are commonly used in schools are perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, and reconstructionism. Perennialism focuses on personal development; essentialism on important skills; progressivism on advances in science, technology, economic development, and social organization that can improve human condition; and reconstructionism on reconstructing society by instilling habits and values to students that are useful to the greater community.

However, many changes take place in education nowadays and I believe that there is no single philosophy that can capture the phenomena in the 21st century. Thus, I humbly offer my personal philosophy in higher education based on current educational trends. I call this edecolepmentalism.

Briefly, edecolepmentalism can be illustrated in the following table:

Aim of EducationRole of EducationFocus in the CurriculumCurriculum Trends
  • To educate a global community of learners thru transnational education.
  • To help students connect with other learners in a global community thru internet or blended learning.
  • To improve one’s economy by educating and training its graduates through research and innovation
  • The use of varied pedagogical approaches and assessment tools appropriate for the 21st century.
  • Involvement of global audience or readers through the use of an online platform for students work or accomplishment.
  • To have access to global education.
  • To initiate and implement reforms in university policies in order to be globally recognized as institution.
  • To offer curricular programs recognized by accrediting body or ISO.

Using this table, this philosophy can be translated into a university’s vision, mission, goal and program objectives:

The Vision

If the administrators have foresight of being world-class, they should locate first in a map where they want to be known in a particular year.  “World class” status cannot be done overnight. Careful planning and well-thought strategies are required in order to reach that dream.

In effective strategic planning, a university must have a medium-term or long-term development plan. For example, the key personnel of the university guided by the president will plan what they want to achieve specifically in the next 5 or 10 years. They should identify which part of the world they want their university to be known geographically. For example, the vision can be written as “One of the Top Universities in Southeast Asia”.

The Mission

The mission statement contains the university’s commitment to its stakeholders and the community it serves. It also contains the functions of a university such as instruction, research, extension and production. And lastly, it contains ways on how to achieve its mission. For example, it can be attained through transnational collaborations, research and innovations.

An example of a university that has an Edecolepmentalism philosophy is the Palawan State University (PSU) headed by Dr. Jeter S. Sespeñe, my university president. Please check out the PSU website to see how the vision and mission were formulated based on this philosophy.

Since a university is composed of colleges and institutes, every college must have its own set of goals and program objectives.

The Goal

The goal is the purpose of the college or institute. It can be written as _________ (the name of the college or institute) aims to improve or upgrade the quality of __________ (the nature or the mandate of your college or institute) through _________ (the functions of the university) relevant to _______ (the idea being conveyed). Below is an example of the goal of the College of Education of the Palawan Sate University:

The College of Teacher Education aims to upgrade the quality of basic education in the country by providing excellent instruction, research, extension, and production services relevant to pre-service teacher education.

The Program Objectives

A college is composed of different programs. Each program or course must have its own objectives that are aligned with its college’s goals. The objectives must be specific. It contains what should be developed among the students in order to be at par with other graduates in the world.

Here are the examples of the program objectives of the College of Teacher Education at the Palawan State University:

Program Objectives for Doctor of Education

  • To enhance the competence of educational professionals in the efficient and effective management of resources to attain educational goals and objectives; and
  • To stimulate, encourage, and sustain productive research leading to innovations of educational practices and systems.

Program Objectives for Master of Arts in Education

  • To develop competent teachers in all levels of education by upgrading their knowledge and honing their skills along the different areas of specialization; and
  • To produce school administrators who are competent and creative in managing educational institutions through advanced research and training.

So, if you are a school administrator or a school owner and you want to adopt my philosophy, you may pattern your VMGOs from that of Palawan State University. I’m sure my University President, would be glad to help and establish network with you through transnational collaborations and linkages.

© 2014 October 26 M. G. Alvior

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