by Office of the Campus Secretary  | Dec 12 2024
THE ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Board of Regents (BOR) has recently approved the appointment of 58 new faculty members at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT, significantly strengthening its academic staff. In addition, the Board endorsed the promotion of 36 existing ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT faculty members, thereby further elevating the institution's educational quality.
This initiative is part of the university's efforts to fill 100 Assistant Professor IV positions allocated by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in September.
Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan stated that, at this year-end meeting of the Board, ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT successfully filled 61 of the allocated Assistant Professor IV positions.
"This will notably enhance the university's ability to fulfill its mandates and uphold its stature as one of the leading universities in the country," claimed Ditucalan.
In addition to these faculty appointments, the Board also ratified the hiring and promotion of 12 administrative staff members.
Significant approvals from the final ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Board of Regents meeting for the year, which took place on December 9, 2024, at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Quezon City, include the following:
To acknowledge the exemplary service and contributions of its distinguished leaders, ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT proposed the creation of an honorary title for its former Chancellors. The Board expanded this recognition to also include former Presidents of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø System and other campus leaders.
Consequently, the Board ratified the creation of the President/Chancellor Emeritus Title to preserve the legacy of these esteemed leaders. Additionally, the Board granted the Professor Emeritus rank to Prof. Cesar G. Demayo, a respected member of the Biological Sciences Department and the university's former Grand Marshal and Mace Bearer, who retired in September.
The Board of Regents endorsed the implementation of a Collaborative Teaching initiative to maintain the tradition of hosting international faculty for university lectures. This initiative involves structured team teaching between ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT faculty members and professors from partner universities abroad, aiming to formalize these partnerships while addressing specific institutional needs and reinforcing academic connections.
To ensure efficient and correct operational procedures, ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT secured the Board's endorsement for the implementation of various policies and guidelines. These include the Policies and Guidelines for Food Services, the Operations Manual of the University Library, the Standard Operating Procedure for Ethics Review, and the Administrative Disciplinary Procedure for Sexual Harassment Cases. The latter underscores ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT’s commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment.
The Standard Operating Procedure for Ethics Review details the submission, review, and approval processes for research proposals, defining the roles of researchers, the University Ethics Review Board, and the institution itself, hence promoting ethical research practices and safeguarding the rights and welfare of human research participants.
Furthermore, the Board approved guidelines for allocating and utilizing administrative overhead costs from externally-funded projects, providing a structured financial model for such funds.
The ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø BOR also acknowledged ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT’s Innovation and Enterprise Ecosystem, a strategic framework designed to drive innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development in Mindanao. By tackling the region’s unique challenges, this ecosystem integrates curriculum, research, and enterprise initiatives, transforming academic outputs into practical, industry-strengthening solutions.
Additionally, the Board approved the establishment of ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø-IIT’s Halal Science-Based Laboratory at the Center for Integrative Health (CIH) under the PRISM program. This laboratory will utilize advanced technologies like High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC) to conduct precise Halal testing, ensuring its sustainability through a blend of external funding and income from certification services.
The fourth quarter meeting of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø BOR concluded with the swearing-in of three new sectoral regents: Hon. Edriane Shane M. Casipong as Student Regent; Prof. Norhaynah Eryll D. Madale-Unte as Faculty Regent; and Engr. Samuel B. Sabenecio as Alumni Regent.
It also saw the debut of the new Secretary of the University and of the Board of Regents, Atty. Nur-Elias P. Yusoph.