When it rains...

...it pours - in sweeping deluge.
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by PAM


Indeed, when it rains, it does pour!  And this week is one for the books for us in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) as blessings poured in, making a complete deluge of joy.  Our hearts were full... and it felt incredible.  Thanks be to God!  

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Quality... in action, and in effect

This week, our university was visited by the ASEAN University Network - Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) for Institutional Assessment (IA).  It was a week-long onsite visit to verify what we submitted in a Self-Assessment Report (SAR), showing how we are satisfying the twenty-five (25) criteria of AUN-QA on Strategic QA, Systemic QA, Functional QA and the Results.  Ours is just the 8th university in the ASEAN region, and only the second university in the Philippines, to undergo IA by the AUN-QA.  

The whole week was a grueling five days of showing evidences that, indeed, we satisfactorily comply with the criteria, and that, as a university that spouses excellence, we even exceed the expectations that define 'quality' in the four areas of criteria

mentioned above.  The Faculty of Engineering - the college that I lead, was chosen by the AUN-QA Visiting Team to be the six (6) out of the 16 colleges/faculties (19, including the Ecclesiastical Faculties) in the university to be visited on the third day of the Team's onsite visit. Therefore, the preparations made our schedule extremely hectic for the past three weeks as we juggle AUN-QA and the on-going online preliminary accreditation process of our six Programs by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), and all our already brimming cup of daily tasks.  And yet, the Faculty of Engineering went on 'business as usual' in spite the fact that the officials have been sleeping less and less over the past month, myself included... maybe, myself... uhm,  mostly?  But God is good... and He took care of us over the past week, and the weeks before that.  Hence, we are still standing! #UnendingGrace

Today, in the morning, we heard very positive review by the AUN-QA IA Visiting Team as they issued their Exit Meeting with us, discussing the result of their assessment.  And so, we were all overjoyed... all the challenges of the past how many weeks that culminated to this day were worth all our combined efforts, and we are very grateful.

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Receiving 'a gift'

Our Mechanical Engineering (ME) Class of 2019 did very well in the Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination, administered by the Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) of ME for the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) of the Philippine government last August 2019.  This afternoon, the Licensure Exam passers all over the country took their Oath as

Receiving an exquisite 'gift'... what a joy!

mechanical engineers, which is again administered by the ME PRB at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).  

As our ME Class of 2019 afforded us the recognition as the fourth Top Performing School in the said Licensure Examination, we received the Plaque and the Certificate of Recognition.  It was their 'gift' to the Faculty of Engineering and to UST... and, to receive it on behalf of the Faculty and the University, it was, indeed, an incredible joy!  Words are not enough to express how proud we are of them... and how happy we are for them and their parents.  

It's moments like this that make us, 'soldiers' of the teaching profession, feel emboldened to keep pursuing excellence, and showing our students the way to the starting point of their own journey of pursuing excellence and happiness... in joyful service of others and of God.  It's too beautiful for words... and it makes us hopeful that, perhaps, our offerings to God, He does appreciate.  And, He shows His appreciation by answering our collective prayer. 

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Another answered prayer

Just when our hearts have become so stout of pure happiness, we received these wonderful pieces of good news just before the work day ended...

Defining excellence... the UST Electronics Engineering way!

...and the Roque Ruaño Building was swept in a massive deluge of indescribable joy!  I was speechless for a few seconds... until I got back down to earth from 'Cloud 9'.  Still, it was impossible to express happiness in words, so the tears made their way out in an attempt for eloquence.  Indeed, they expressed the happiness that was impossible to articulate albeit quite embarrassing!

We are, indeed, very proud of our Department of Electronics Engineering (ECE) and our ECE Class of 2019 for this incredible achievement!  We salute the topnotchers, #1 Neil Kenneth T. Mendoza (ECE Class of 2019, magna cum laude) and #10 Jay Patrick M. Nieles (ECE Class of 2019, magna cum laude).  I will not forget this incredible year for these kids and for our ECE Department.  As Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and a true believer of our faculty members and students' excellence, I am amazed beyond words and truly humbled... and I thank God with all the gratefulness that I am capable of for another answered prayer.  These are all for His greater glory!

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