ALONG WITH the goal of educating young minds, the University’s faculty in the Higher Education Cluster (HEC) largely toil for research. Their role in the advancement of new knowledge is manifested in the Ateneo’s ranking feats, with research taking up 59% of the criteria in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
As balancing both research and pedagogical responsibilities is not an easy task, Atenean educators remain embattled with numerous challenges at work. The HEC faculty’s open letter last August details only a few of their several long-standing issues, such as their salary woes and the administration’s top-down policymaking, which have plagued them since the pandemic.
This reality begs questions on how the University provides the faculty with the proper benefits and environment to thrive in both their professional and academic pursuits.
An arduous routine
Currently taking up a master’s degree, Development Studies instructor Erron Medina is among the many HEC faculty who juggle the demands of both teaching and research work. After unloading from the usual six units in intersession, Medina shares that he feels the burden of simultaneously being a student and a full-time faculty member, especially with an extra three units in his current teaching load.
Although their priorities mostly lie in teaching, faculty members also perform in other facets of work. Medina discusses that these responsibilities include research—which teachers are given incentives for—and outreach as the faculty’s way to be of service to society outside of the University.
As someone passionate about comparative politics and democracy, Medina expresses his profound interest in contributing to knowledge development, yet he laments the time restrictions brought about by the faculty’s teaching loads.
Echoing the same sentiment, Political Science Assistant Professor Arjan Aguirre, MA, MSc says that he is only able to actively engage in research after classes, thus limiting his research productivity. Even his free days are still preoccupied with work as he participates in a pro-bono consultancy initiative.
Having this dynamic, Aguirre makes sure to prioritize rest and sleep, emphasizing that just like many Atenean teachers, he barely has time for it anymore. “[Students] may think that [teachers] always have free time and we have other extracurriculars, but no—we’re always busy,” he clarifies.
With all these expectations, both novice and seasoned faculty members find their work-life balance to be manageable but difficult. However, both Medina and Aguirre agree that life had been way harder for them when classes were held remotely online.
Aside from the lack of distinction between work and rest, several teachers had to constantly burn the midnight oil to check papers and meet University-imposed deadlines. This recurring practice was due to their overloaded units from the hiring freeze, a global cost-cutting practice in many universities.
Aguirre believes that the pandemic has not only affected everyone’s disposition but also their habits. He specifies that it had encouraged everyone to care more for one another. “I [now] always think about the situation that my students are in. […] I ask questions [about well-being] that I [didn’t] really ask before,” he explains.
While educators like Medina and Aguirre ensure students’ well-being, the question of how they are cared for in return is left not fully resolved.
Division in discourse
Even after a school year has passed, the faculty’s transition to the onsite setup has been less than smooth, further exacerbated by safeguards for their health and welfare that remain lacking.
In response to the faculty’s open letter, the University administration held a town hall discussion last September 6. It established a space for open dialogue regarding the issues raised, especially since the previous Faculty Day did not provide an opportunity for the teachers to air their sentiments.
For Aguirre, however, the demands for policy improvements and amendments can only be addressed if the faculty is given a rightful seat at the table. While he acknowledges the action taken, he notes that initiatives like the discussion are “not enough” and still “one-way.”
Considering the pandemic’s irreversible impacts, Medina also finds it critical for their health benefits to improve. While the Ateneo has its own Health Maintenance Organization that advocates for the faculty’s well-being, other issues such as mental health concerns and the need for medication subsidies receive little to no attention.
Along with those concerns listed in the letter, some of the faculty’s problems have long stood even before the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Aguirre shares that the faculty are not usually consulted nor has their input been requested for most academic matters.
Another persistent issue they face is the common delay of salaries and benefits, which are most often less competitive than other universities in the country. Aguirre disclosed that during the pandemic, he once received his wage for a semestral overload only at the end of the school year.
Compelled to care
With these issues continuing to affect the faculty, the challenge of balancing both quality research and education becomes an even more challenging undertaking.
According to Assistant Vice President for Research, Creative Work, and Innovation Filomeno V. Aguilar, Jr., PhD, the University continues to provide monetary assistance to faculty members when attending international and local conferences. Research grants and monetary support are also awarded to the best proposals submitted to his office.
To further promote opportunities in pursuing research proposals and ideas, faculty members are allowed to deload to allot more time on their research. Former Associate Dean for Research and Creative Work Jayeel Cornelio, PhD shares that new grant schemes were also inaugurated to encourage younger faculty to conduct research. These include the Ateneo-Bolipata-Santos Writer-in-Residence Grant Scheme and the Ateneo Public Engagement Scheme.
As these initiatives are put in place, Cornelio believes in the younger faculty’s research potential. To build their confidence in research and creative work, he suggests that the University provide mentorship opportunities, encourage them to take part in public engagements, and increase their participation in conferences and open-access publishing.
When asked about the issues raised by the faculty, Aguilar agrees that the salary structure has been a longstanding issue. However, he says that the Office of Human Resource Management and Organization Development is in the process of responding with a new structural classification of positions.
Just the beginning
While the faculty is driven by their mission of honing minds and transforming lives, their predicaments only show that they are just as human as any member of the Ateneo community, and their professional growth heavily lies in the University’s consideration and compassion.
Moving forward, Cornelio emphasizes the need for the University to lessen the focus of its research support on the rankings but on the studies’ tangible effects outside the academe. “The true worth of our research and creative work is in terms of the impact that we make on and in partnership with different communities,” he asserts.
Similarly, Medina adds that while not all kinds of research will necessarily contribute to University rankings, many of them can still greatly benefit the lives of the Filipino people.
With the current discussions and deliberations held to address the issues of the HEC faculty, Aguirre hopes that the University will make the necessary changes for their overall well-being. He emphasizes that when a platform for dialogue is established, it should be formalized as an official avenue for them to express their concerns.
In the end, the Ateneo is challenged to provide a healthy and conducive space not just for students, but for those who continue to carry its torch of teaching and research excellence. Without the faculty, the quality of education it takes pride in will cease to exist.
