The College Faculty News Letter of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila.

Is the previous version of The Scholastican Journal. 

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: General Articles, Reports, Book Reviews.

Is an annual publication that features the best research papers produced by thesis writers from the different undergraduate courses offered at St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. The journal aims to provide exemplars of good research writing to current thesis writers, their thesis advisers, as well as students of Methods of Research. At the same time, it also aims to serve as a forum where students can share with the larger research community the valuable contribution they have made to research in their respective fields.

The journal is published by the Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila in coordination with the Journal of Student Research (JSR) Editorial Board.

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: Abridged Version of Chosen Undergraduate Theses, one per department

Is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes creative work articles of the faculty members of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. The journal aim to provide a forum for faculty members to share their expertise, professional practices and innovations in the creative discipline. 

The journal is published annually by the Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila in coordination with The Journal of Creative Works (JCW) Editorial Department. 

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: Creative work articles, Critique Papers, Art Reviews.

Is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that publishes action research projects of Grade School, High School, and College faculty members and of the members of the academic support cluster of the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. This journal serves as a venue for sharing of discussions and/or reflections on concrete and practical issues concerning academic and administrative practices which makes use of inquiry as a tool in improving effectiveness of these practices.

The journal is published by the Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office. The IRAD Office in coordination with the Editorial Board oversees the editing, compiling, and printing of the journal. 

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: Action Research, Short Reports (Profile Reports), Classroom-based Research (any form of inquiry done with the intent that the research will inform, improve, and/or change practices in the future)

Is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes the scholarly papers of the faculty members of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. The journal aims to provide a forum for faculty members to share their expertise, professional practices and innovations in their respective fields. It seeks to sustain crucial discourse across academic disciplines in order to contribute to the vitality and effectiveness of teaching, learning, and research/scholarship.

The journal is published annually by the Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office of St. Scholastica’s College-Manila in coordination with The Scholastican Journal (TSJ) Editorial Department. 

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: General Articles, Reports, Book Reviews.

Research Technical Committee

The Research Technical Committee is constituted to approve the merit of research proposals. The IRAD Director sits as the Chair of this committee. It is divided into two subcommittees – the Subcommittee on Empirical Research Works and Subcommittee on Creative Research Works. 

Each subcommittee is composed of (2) two members. However, in order to more competently rate the scholarly work submitted, a third evaluator is invited to join the committee in rating the rate output. The third evaluator must have a background and professional knowledge of the nature of the scholarly work to be evaluated. Hence, the third evaluator varies in each of the work evaluated.

The results of the evaluation of the submitted proposals will be communicated to the IRAD Director. The IRAD Director endorses and approves the budget to carry out the research based on the recommendations of this committee. It is the responsibility of the IRAD Office to inform in writing the proponents on the status of submitted research proposals. The members of the committee will receive an honorarium per reading of research proposals submitted.

Specific Functions:

1. Evaluate the merit of research proposals submitted by faculty members. An “Evaluation Guide for Submitted Empirical Research     Proposals” form will be used for the evaluation of research projects empirical in nature, while an “Evaluation Guide for Submitted Creative Works Proposals” form will be used for the evaluation of creative works submitted for funding.

2. Recommend ways on how proposals can be improved, if the initial readings of such proposals are not meritorious.

3. Communicate with the IRAD Director regarding the status of submitted research proposals.

Research Evaluation Committee

The primary function of the Research Evaluation Committee is to score submitted scholarly works using the grid on “Classification of Scholarly Work and Their Respective Maximum Points”. Evaluated works receive credit points for research which are used in the application for promotion of faculty. The IRAD Assistant Director chairs this committee. It is divided into two subcommittees – the Subcommittee on Empirical Research Works and Subcommittee on Creative Research Works.

Each subcommittee is composed of (2) two members. However, in order to more competently rate the scholarly work submitted, a third evaluator is invited to join the committee in rating the output. The third evaluator must have a background and professional knowledge of the nature of the scholarly work to be evaluated. Hence, the third evaluator varies in each of the work evaluated. 

Scholarly works submitted for promotion are objectively assessed as a major or minor work based on an instrument or scale which was constructed for this purpose. The instrument is based on a 5 point scale. The response choices range from Very Great Extent, Great Extent, Moderate Extent, Low Extent, and Not at All with scores ranging from four (4) to zero (0) respectively. The scale contains 10 items that describe a major research output. Hence, scholarly works earning scores ranging from 35 to 40 are classified as a major work. Scholarly works earning a score of 34 and below are classified as a minor work. Members of this committee receive honoraria for scoring submitted scholarly works.

Specific Functions:

1. Classify scholarly works according to the different genre of research as stipulated in the “Description of Various Scholary Works.”
2. Score the different submitted scholarly works using the grid on “Classification of Scholarly Work and Their Respective Maximum Points.”

Deliberate on the Best Empirical Research and Best Creative Research Works for the school year.

The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board is constituted as a support arm of the IRAD Office in the dissemination of research findings through the publication of scholarly works in The Scholastican Journal (TSJ), the Journal of Creative Works (JCW), and the Journal of Student Research (JSR). It is composed of the editor-in-chief, the associate editor, and the managing editor. The members are appointed by the IRAD Director with a fixed term of one year. The board is also responsible in the publication of the College Unit’s official newsletter, Insight.

Specific Functions:

1. The Editor-in Chief

• The Editor-in-Chief has the overall editorial responsibilities for the publication of the Journals in coordination with the IRAD Director.

• The Editor-in-Chief, assisted by the rest of the editorial staff, solicits research papers for the journals and invites colleagues to contribute to the journal.

• S/he initially receives the submitted manuscript for publishing, reviews them, and assesses their quality. S/he may recommend acceptance, resubmission or rejection of the documents.

• S/he delegates the editing work to the rest of the editorial staff when a manuscript is accepted for publishing. After the authors complete their required revisions on their papers according to the external reviewers and editorial team recommendations, the manuscripts are submitted back to the Editor-in-Chief who finally reads, edits and approves them for printing.

• The main concern of the Editor-in-Chief is the content of the manuscript. S/he edits these, when necessary, to improve their written quality. S/he cross-checks the data within the manuscript and ensures that the data are authentic, accurate and complete. S/he also checks the content flow, writing style, grammar, spelling, and conformity of citations and references to the APA style before s/he approves them for printing.

• S/he is in charge of coordination with the authors of the documents in matters of substantial editing. S/he also discusses and resolves with the authors any potential ethical or legal problems found in the manuscript, such as libelous or defamatory statements or breach of copyright.

• S/he, together with the Managing Editor, sets the publishing schedule, and ensures that the entire publishing process runs smoothly and within schedule.

• S/he organizes the editorial staff meetings to set editorial goals in accordance with the institute’s policies, to develop action plans and to review the work progress.

• S/he represents the journal at meetings and conferences.

• At any time the Editor-in-Chief may delegate part of his/her tasks to the Managing Editor and the other editors as he deems appropriate or necessary.

2. Associate Editor

• The Associate Editor primarily reviews and edits research documents for publication from the original to the final form. S/he works collaboratively in the other aspects of production to ensure a well written journal and its timely completion.

• S/he assists the Editor-in-Chief in reviewing and evaluating the submitted documents and in coordinating with the authors in matters of content and major editing.

• S/he works with the Managing Editor on the editing process and the journal layout.

• S/he assists the Copy Editor/Proofreader in checking the facts within the documents for potential legal issues and for consistency, accuracy and completeness. They work closely in copy editing and proofreading the documents in accordance with the APA style.

• The Associate Editor assists in the proofreading of the final proofs, including general layout, paging, text alignment, spacing of the lines, the font style consistency, and other elements of proofreading, prior to the final printing of the journal.

3. Managing Editor

• The Managing Editor is responsible for managing the operations of the journal.

• S/he assists the Editor-in-Chief in ensuring a smooth work flow and a scholarly quality of the journal.

• S/he oversees the initial editing process and ensures that all documents conform to the APA style. Thereafter, s/he submits all copy-edited documents to the Editor-in-Chief.

• The Managing Editor, in collaboration with the Editor-in-Chief, decides the arrangement and compilation of the documents in the journal. S/he is in charge of lay outing the documents in journal form. S/he is in charge of preparing the Table of Contents and the Preface, and assigning the page numbers of the journal.

• The Managing Editor and the Editor-in-Chief jointly prepare the publication schedule. The Managing Editor implements the schedule. S/he coordinates and oversees all phases of the production and the printing process, and ensures the completion and distribution of the journal in a timely manner.

• The Managing Editor, assisted by the Associate Editor and the Copy Editor, proofreads the final proofs, including general layout, order of pages, text alignment, spacing of the lines, the font style consistency, and other elements of proofreading, prior to the final printing of the journal.

• The Managing Editor enforces the journal’s policies and procedures, consistent with the policies of the institute, regarding publication and printing of the journal. S/he manages the contract with the printing press, security of the documents, copyrights, anti-plagiarism, legal concerns and other similar issues.

• S/he handles stipend payments for authors and reviewers outside the Editorial Board whose specialization may be needed, and temporary personnel who may be hired for specific purposes.

• S/he attends the Editorial Board meetings and keeps the editorial staff informed of production and printing status.

• S/he reports directly to the Editor-in-Chief. In his/her absence the Managing Editor undertakes the duties of the Editor-in-Chief in an acting capacity.

The Scholarly and Creative Works Committee

Is tasked to evaluate the scholarly and creative works submitted by the grade school and high school faculty using the various evaluation tools created for this purpose.

A committee composed of 5 faculty members appointed by the Grade School Unit office unit evaluates the scholarly and creative outputs submitted by the faculty from from the Grade School Unit. Likewise, a committee composed of 5 faculty members appointed by the High School Unit Office evaluates the works submitted by the faculty from the High School unit. The committee members hold a term of office for one school year. Evaluated works receive credit points for research which are used in the application for promotion of faculty. The IRAD Assistant Director chairs this committee.

Specific Functions:

1. Classification of scholarly work based on genre

2. Classifies the scholarly work as a major or minor work.

3. Evaluates research work using the appropriate evaluation tools. (Please see evaluation instruments in the appendices of IRAD  manual.)

4. Submits data to the Promotions Board. (Please refer to the Promotion Scheme of the Grade School and High School units.)

The Journal of Action Research Editorial Board is constituted as a support arm of the IRAD Office in the dissemination of research findings of the faculty members of the Grade School, High School, and College Units and members of the VPAA Academic Support Cluster doing action research or classroom-based research through the publication of these works in The Journal of Action Research(JAR). It is composed of the editor-in-chief, the associate editor, and the managing editor. The members shall come from three units (GS, HS, College) and are appointed by the IRAD Director with a fixed term of one year. (For the specific functions of the members of the JAR Editorial Board, please refer to specific functions of the members of the editorial board of the College Unit.)

Conducting research is one of the functions of an institution of higher learning. It is a very important activity that it should not be taken simply as a requirement particularly in the tertiary level or of any accrediting agency for the basic education level. Rather, it is an opportunity to learn, improve practices and even policies when necessary. It is an opportunity to grow, to learn from each other, and to keep ourselves updated. It is in learning unceasingly that we can impart knowledge and hone the skills of the students more effectively. It is in the implementation of educational researches that improvement both of pedagogical practices and student learning is achieved (Stafford, 2006).

As we continuously build the culture of research in St. Scholastica’s College, Manila across all units, we aim to have more researches in the areas of transformative leadership, peace education, curricular improvement and/or development, women and children advocacies, as well as environmental protection and preservation or ecological activism.

Transformative Leadership

The job of a leader today is not to create followers but to create leaders (Ralph Nader).

This kind of leadership is what we want all our leaders to imbibe. Transformative leadership (also known as transformational leadership) refers to the process whereby an individual engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the followers. It is about providing supportive climate, communicating high expectations, inspiring others that they may become committed to the realization of goals of the organization; it is about stimulating others to be more creative and innovative. It values both people and results, commitment, service, dedication, perseverance, giving of oneself, collaboration and empowerment; it is about walking with the people being led towards one direction and arriving at the same desired results. It is a kind of leadership that brings about change not only for the organization but for the larger community and the society as a whole.

With all these considered, transformative leaders then, see the need for a change and makes sure that such change will happen. They do not settle for mediocrity but excellence; for what has been in place for a long time but innovativeness and creativity.

Peace Education

If we are to identify what has not been achieved yet by our country and the world it would be peace. Conflicts, disagreements, division and the like have never been resolved. There is war over a piece of land, power and beliefs; injustices and violence seem to prevail. All these can never be addressed at an instance. Peace talks, winning over wars, and other peace initiatives and processes may just be addressing the issues of peace on a surface level. Peace and peace building has to start from within; it has to be imbibed and lived by every individual; and as Benedictine educators we continue to seek peace and pursue peace.

In the academe where we belong we can help create a culture of peace through peace education initiatives and programs. We can make curricular reforms where peace education is made part of lessons, discussions, and activities, which involve the process of acquiring the values, the knowledge and developing the attitudes, skills, and behaviors to live in harmony with oneself, with others, and with the natural environment. It is about “teaching encounters” that would enhance students’ desire for peace, of loving non-violent acts and deeds, of learning how to manage conflicts and most especially putting premium to justice and equality. (Harris and Synott, 2012), it is a kind of education that provides opportunity in learning to know about the real meaning of peace, learning to do and work for peace, learning to be a person for peace, and learning the tools to transform society (UNESCO Report in Promoting Quality Education, 2003).

Peace education is not limited to anti-nuclear activities or projects, it likewise addresses gender equality, environmental responsibility and stewardship, efforts to address communication gap, conflict management, establishing good relationships, understanding and respecting the integrity of God’s creation.

Curricular Improvement

We are a dynamic and a progressive teaching school. We offer what is relevant and what would make our students equipped, competent and ready to face the challenges ahead; not so much in content but more so in values and character formation. We can only realize this by having a very good curriculum implemented by competent faculty and administrators. Curriculum does not only speak of the subject areas or content to be covered, not only those that are written but the hidden curriculum as well. It would also include improvement and evaluation of existing practices especially in as far as instructional delivery and quality of learning outcomes are concerned across educational levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary). Curricular improvement encompasses as well various involvement of students in activities that provide significant learning experiences in school like co-curricular activities and extra-curricular activities.

Women and Children Advocacies

The emergence of globalization as believed to have been the answer to national development, even worsen the state of women in the country – peasant women were displaced, a significant percentage of women in the workforce remained unemployed or underemployed, privatization of maternal clinic that service marginalized women would no longer be affordable for a lot of them, women trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse. These are but a few and the latter are even true for children.

A women college as we are and at the same time an institution that has been proactive in helping the poor and the marginalized sectors of society, would like to continue with its mission of evangelization – of bringing Christ to everyone especially the less fortunate. With the various programs that we have and those that are yet to be in place or conceptualized, there can still be areas to be explored or to look into.

With the given situation, it is likewise and therefore on the helm of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila to produce responsive women leaders of the country. Women leaders, who understand the plight of the poor and the marginalized and therefore have the courage to take action. Women, who would continue taking the lead on pursuing peace, and making a difference in this world.

Environmental Stewardship

We are all aware of the degrading condition of our environment. The worsening state of our environment continuously creates an ecological imbalance. We have been experiencing the effects of global warming, resulting to the so-called “natural catastrophe” but is actually man-made if we are going to trace the real cause.

St. Scholastica’s College, Manila has been unceasingly trying to respond to the call of saving mother earth. Various programs and projects have been in place; some were realized, some were not. Environmental awareness has been made part of the curriculum particularly in the fields of science and technology subjects. Co-curricular and extra-curricular organizations and activities likewise include projects and programs related to environmental protection.

However, there is still much to be desired and since stewardship is one Benedictine value that we want each and every member of the community to imbibe, we will continuously respond to protecting and preserving mother earth… we will untiringly value the integrity of God’s creation . . . for it is one of the so many ways to be true co-creator of God.

Poverty Alleviation

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 2007) defines poverty as the inability to afford basic food and non-food items as what was seen in the four countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland and South Africa (UNEP, 2007). Poverty is also a major concern in other areas of the world including the Philippines. It is actually a global concern. In the Philippines for example, data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) in February 2011 showed that poverty level in the country has improved from 2006-2009 in terms of subsistence incidence or proportion of food but one may have doubts about the credibility (NCSB, 2011)

John Daniel said that the road to poverty alleviation is through quality education. This is anchored and responsive to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), whose first target is a call to reduce the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day to half the 1990 level by 2015, this is to say from 28.3% of all people in low and middle-income economies to 14.2% (UNESCO, 2006). If poverty will not be arrested the poor will become even poorer. They would remain inferior, low, powerless and hopeless, jobless, and will continue to experience unfair labor practices. All these would lead to the birth of malnourish and undernourished children, homelessness, criminal victimization, depression, parents that are punitive and at times family death.

There is also the so-called feminist perspective on poverty or “feminization of poverty”. This is brought about by the increasing number of single women, particularly single mothers and elderly women who experience or live in poverty (Cliffs Notes, 2012).

Conclusion

Benedictine education is value-laden and responsive to the call of the times. It is Christ-centered and values community, stewardship, a balance between prayer and work, service, and discipline to name a few. It is transformative and is anchored on its social orientation thrust. It believes in justice and advocates peace. Benedictine education creates leaders who can be God’s instruments in bringing about change in the society. It is through this kind of education that we become educational leaders who are sent for a mission; who never get tired of learning, so that in all things God may be glorified.

Mission

The Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office, as a conduit of the VPAA Office, is committed to ensuring that structures and mechanisms are in place so that research capability, productivity, and utility are established, developed, and sustained.

Vision

The Institutional Research and Academic Development (IRAD) Office envisions an academic community whose members share a set of beliefs, assumptions, values, and practices with respect to research activities with the end goal of developing and sustaining a culture of research.

Contact Us

INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
St. Scholastica’s College 
2560 Leon Guinto Street 
Malate, Metro Manila 
Philippines / P.O. Box 3153

Phone: (632) 8567 – 7686 local 8291