KASAMA AT KASAPI: 2025 CAS Execom StratPlan lays foundation for college’s roadmap for the next three years
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) recently held its 2025 Strategic Planning Workshop which took place at Hotel Kimberly, Manila on March 13-14, 2025. The two-day event brought together all key stakeholders, faculty leaders, and administrators to craft a clear and actionable roadmap for CAS in the next three years. The event focused on the theme, “KASAMA at KASAPI” which emphasized on creating a culture of excellence and inclusion, in alignment with University of the Philippines Manila’s (UPM) flagship program, “Education with a Soul.”
CAS Dean Dr. Ma. Teresa G. De Guzman delivered the Welcome Remarks. Present during the first day were UPM Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Dr. Johanna Patricia A. Cañal, UPM Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Bernadette Heizel D. Manapat, and UPM Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development Dr. Jose V. Tecson III who presented key institutional priorities. This was followed by an expert speaker session with the special guest, Dr. Lilian de las Llagas, a Professor at UPM College of Public Health (CPH), a former Secretary to the University of the Philippines (UP), and former Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Dr. de las Llagas’ spoke about “Advancing Quality Assurance for Global Competitiveness in the Knowledge Economy”, which offered profound exploration of how institutions can enhance their quality assurance mechanisms to stay competitive in the global arena. She highlighted the importance of identifying the pillars of the strategic framework and suggested using the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a guide.
The afternoon session of the first day gave the opportunity to the former CAS’ Deans to share the difficulties and successes they faced during their term and their powerful insights for future use. The rest of the afternoon focused on group work where each group was tasked to identify strategic priorities in the following areas: academic excellence, community engagement, and faculty, staff, and student development, while keeping in mind Puso, Husay at Dangal as guiding principles.
Meanwhile, the second day of the event focused on translating the set strategies into actions. UP Manila officials were present during the second day including UPM Chancellor Dr. Michael L. Tee, who addressed pressing concerns of the college. Information Management Service (IMS) Director Assistant Professor Marbert C. Marasigan provided updates and future plans on the digital transformation of the college and university.
The CAS EXECOM Strategic Planning Workshop underscored the importance of collaboration among various departments and disciplines. With this strengthened unity, the college is better positioned to navigate the challenges of the future and to provide students with an education that is both relevant and transformative. This will also help in ensuring that the college remains at the forefront of higher education, not only locally but also globally.
