Article by Mikee Piscos
CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines — The final day of the 2024 University-Wide Annual Faculty Development Training (FDT) concluded with fruitful discussions along copyright laws, gender fair education, and global education on September 19, 2024 at the SSU Maceda Gymnasium, Catbalogan City, Samar.
Dr. Vivian L. Moya, SSU’s Executive Director for Extension Services and Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Business Development Office (IPTBDO), led the first session on ‘Instructional Materials Copyrighting’. Dr. Moya covered key topics on the basic principles of copyright, exceptions, and the rights of faculty members under the Philippine Intellectual Property Code. She emphasized the importance of understanding copyright when creating and using instructional materials. The session also highlighted discussions on derivative works, faculty ownership of materials, and the role of copyright in fostering creativity and protecting authors’ rights.
Following these, Ms. Charmaine R. Quiña, Director for Samar State University’s Advocacy on Gender and Women Advancement for National Development (SAGWAN), tackled ‘Gender Fair Education’ where she lectured on the importance of education in challenging gender biases and promoting equality. Drawing on frameworks of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Ms. Quiña encouraged faculty members to integrate gender-responsive pedagogy into their teaching practices. Her discussion included key concepts in gender mainstreaming, policies in gender fair curriculum, and strategies for building a gender-fair university.
The afternoon session featured Dr. Bert J. Tuga, President of Philippine Normal University (PNU), who delivered a comprehensive presentation on ‘Higher Education Institutions at the Forefront of Global Education’. Dr. Tuga shared his academic and administrative journey, emphasizing the role of universities in shaping global education policies. He also discussed the need for universities to address pressing global challenges, the importance of international collaboration in advancing education, and the trends in global education such as “glocalization”—balancing global knowledge with local context.
The three sessions concluded with an open forum followed by the awarding of certificates to the resource speakers, working committees and participants. In her closing remarks, Dr. Felisa E. Gomba, SSU’s Vice-President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), highlighted the university’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, and outlined VPAA’s plans for creating a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) and digital learning, along with the policy on digital learning tools like AI, enhancement of OBE program instructional delivery, and global education collaboration of academic programs.
The three-day training successfully equipped faculty members with the knowledge and skills to navigate modern educational challenges and foster inclusive, globally aware, and legally sound teaching practices.