Establishing the whole-of-the-institution approach to bolstering institutional services, top and middle managers from across the executive, academic, finance, administrative, digital transformation, and sports, culture, and arts divisions of Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) convened for the institutional assessment and strategic planning at the Natura Verde Farm and Resort, Daet, Camarines Norte.
From June 2 to June 4, Mr. Mario C. Villanueva, NCF President, summoned the members of the academic council, program chairpersons, assistant principals, and other academic support staff to discuss comprehensive performance from basic to higher educationโencompassing quality instruction, student development, research productivity, internationalization, professional development, community linkages, among others.
Key areas and plans that emerged were the preparation for the universityhood application, integration of micro-credentials and agricultural entrepreneurship into the curriculum, quality assurance mechanisms, enhancement of professional and educational assessments, and new program offerings.
Before the assessment and planning for the academic division, Ms. Tracy Ann Briggs, a faculty member of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), facilitated a series of team development and group dynamics activitiesโfocusing on resource management and sustainabilityโto build channels, strengthen relationships, promote interdependence, and initiate cross-functional understanding.
The senior and junior management of the executive, finance, administrative, digital transformation, and sports, culture, and arts divisions, on the other hand, gathered from June 9 to June 11 for a separate institutional assessment and strategic planning.
Mr. Raymond Borja, President of RAYZE Training and Personal Development, graced the institutional conference and moderated the synergy-building exercises emphasizing capacity planning and solution development to fortify collaborative ecosystem development, strategic alignment initiatives, integrated workflow optimization, and institutional-wide engagement.
According to Mr. Borja, the principal barrier to progress is mindset. Hence, he encouraged the participants to “communicate with each other instead of communicate to each other.”
Mr. Borja argued that the former “builds hierarchy,” while the latter “fosters harmony.”
Following the collaborative sessions, top representatives from executive, finance, administrative, digital transformation, and sports, culture, and arts divisions shared the significant milestones and achievements of their respective divisions and identified areas for improvement.
Additionally, on the part of these divisions, the strategic roadmap highlighted several critical areas, such as ongoing operational digitization, expedited process efficiencies, increased research productivity among non-teaching personnel, and expanded benchmarking and internationalization efforts.ย
Meanwhile, with an intent to track stakeholders’ sentiments and translate this feedback into action-oriented insights, Mr. Nico A. Ogarte, Assistant Vice President for Research, Innovation, Extension, and Sustainability (RIES), unveiled the results of his three-month study on the institution’s multiple performance metricsโCustomer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Happiness Index.
The Graduate Studies and the colleges of Criminal Justice Education and Teacher Education excelled among the nine academic departments and “set benchmark for academic distinction,” while the Learning Resource Center (LRC), Campus Facilities Management Office (CFMO), and Security and Safety Office (SSO) topped among the academic support units.
Capping off the assessment and strategic planning, President Villanueva rendered an institutional recapitulation of his nine-year stint (2015-2024)โtransforming NCF to becoming an institution where quality education meets the power of innovation by intensifying its curriculum and facilities, laying the foundations of partnerships with global institutions, fortifying information technology infrastructures, forging hubs for digital innovation and lifelong education, and optimizing homegrown potentials for global knowledge transfer.
Furthermore, President Villanueva institutionalized ‘Semper Fidelis’ (We Shall Keep the Faith) as the new business philosophy of NCF, which he employed as a challenge to the academic and administrative leaders for shared purpose and values, resilience, proactive problem-solving, innovation and creativity, accountability, and trust in leadership.