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NEWS
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Br. Victor A. Franco FSC on Being a Lasallian Administrator
On his 3rd year as DLS-CSB President, Br. Victor A. Franco FSC faces new challenges in leading the College. As a result of the College’s ongoing reorganization, not only is he instrumental in guiding the community through change, but he has also taken on the roles of Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Development and Institutional Relations.
If you were given the opportunity to help one of our government institutions, which one would you like to be involved in?
Oh, I can answer that right away—the Department of Education! As I said at my investiture, I am convinced that the only way our country can attain sustainable development is through EDUCATION. All other solutions to our problems, whether political or economic, will be short-lived if they are not grounded on a solid educational foundation for our people. Notice that I chose DepEd rather than CHED. The reason for this is that I am convinced that the early foundational years are very important for a person’s total development.
With your accomplishments, is there anything that you would still like to pursue?
I committed my life to the Lasallian mission of teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives. I believe I already have the best possible “title” to do that: “Brother”. As long as I can be a brother to the members of the Lasallian Family, it doesn’t really matter to me where I am or what responsibility I am asked to carry out.
With your years of experience as an administrator, what advice can you give to new administrators in our College so that they may be able to lead effectively?
The first, and possibly the most difficult, skill that an administrator needs to develop is the ability to listen, to truly listen. It is easy to hear. It is much more difficult to listen. Hearing requires ears; listening requires heart. Hearing is physical; listening is psychological, perhaps even spiritual.
Why do we need to listen? Basically it’s because Lasallians should always uphold the uniqueness and value of each individual, and the best way of respecting someone is by really listening to that person.
Besides, it is good to remember that there are always two sides—or more—to every issue. Life situations are rarely black or white, and they’re usually messy, so we need to be able to truly listen to what is happening.
One last piece of advice to administrators: never correct in public. When you need to correct someone, always do it in private. This, too, is in keeping with our Lasallian respect for the dignity of each person.
What good will reorganization do, especially for the staff? Why are we doing the reorganization at this time?
During the previous administration a proposal was presented to the Board of Trustees to reduce the current categories of employees in DLS-CSB to two: teaching and non-teaching. The proposal was brought about by questions of some sectors as regards HR policies related to status, benefits and work. (I cannot go into specifics here but will gladly give a more detailed response to the person who asked this question.)
Parallel to this, we realized that we needed to review the mandates of the various departments in DLS-CSB to make them more responsive to the needs of a College that was (and still is) growing in terms of programs, scope, and population. We also needed to assess the efficiency and readiness of the existing organizational setup to support our innovations and study whether individual units were properly staffed in the context of the entire organizational structure.
To address these various concerns, the College engaged the services of Watson Wyatt Worldwide for a three-phase HR study. We started the review of our organizational structure in September 2007 with the goal of ensuring the College’s long term viability as a reputable, dynamic academic institution of higher learning. The review was guided by our vision statement: “De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde…is a Catholic, dynamic and innovative learning community,” with emphasis on excellence in every aspect of our community life. We were guided by the following objectives:
- To review the existing organization in the light of the Lasallian mission and institute necessary changes to make the units more responsive to the needs of all the members of the DLS-CSB community;
- To raise the level of professionalism among the members of the DLS-CSB community;
- To pave the way in facilitating the development of a system of meritocracy in the organization.
The previous practice of resorting to agency-hired personnel for new tasks brought about by the College’s growth could not be sustained. As we determined which jobs should be in the hands of regular personnel, many opportunities were opened up for agency-hired persons to apply for regular positions.
In addition, best practices in human resource management tell us that people thrive when they experience a sense of achievement, growth, and meaning in their responsibilities. As we review the job descriptions, we hope to rekindle everyone’s spirit when they see their day-to-day tasks in relation to the bigger picture, i.e., the attainment of the Lasallian Mission in DLS-CSB.
Furthermore, in view of the announced job openings, current regular personnel now have the opportunity to re-evaluate their talents and interests in view of a possible transfer to other units/departments that they might find better suited to them.
Overall, we wish to maximize the talents that we already have and possibly infuse fresh blood into the organization, whether from within or from outside. When we review our salary structure, we hope to make our compensation package more equitable so that most, if not all, positions will be appropriately compensated. By and large, our goal is for DLS-CSB salaries to be at par, if not better, than the other colleges and universities in the country.
Where do you see the Benildean community in the near future? And what steps are you planning to make this vision a reality?
As it comes closer to its silver jubilee four years from now, Benilde can claim a laudable track record as an innovative institution. I am very excited about our three new programs—Architecture, Game Design and Development, and International Hospitality Management. All three promise to open wonderful new opportunities for students who are interested and gifted in those fields.
We need to continue being at the cutting edge of educational programs by keeping our ears to the ground as regards developments in industry and related professional fields. At the same time we must continue validating our offerings through the established national accreditation processes.
Much needs to be done in the area of campus development. In particular, we need more open space and places where students can enjoy each other’s company. And, oh yes, we also need better sports facilities for both our athletic teams as well as our P.E. classes.
We needed a little time to catch our breath after the construction of the SDA building, but I will soon be creating a Campus Development Committee to come up with a master plan to address these concerns.
The 20% full-scholarship equivalent target of De La Salle Philippines is another particularly daunting challenge. At the moment we are at around 13%.
But a special committee has already been named to explore ways by which we can achieve that target by the 2011 deadline.
To see additional questions asked of Br. Franco and his answers to them, go to http://intranet.dls-csb.edu.ph.
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