FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[AUSTIN – July 21, 2021] — The Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC) is pleased to launch the next phase of the Continuity of Education collaboration with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The goal of the project is to build the capacity of universities and colleges across the Philippines to deliver quality online and flexible learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
TIEC led the first phase of the collaboration during the fall of 2020 with the support of the U.S. Embassy’s EducationUSA office in Manila and CHED. TIEC guided faculty to assess their campus needs, provided training on academic integrity and student engagement, and explored ways to humanize online teaching and learning. Phase 1 included 175 faculty members from 42 higher education institutions (HEIs) across the Philippines, many of whom went on to train other faculty at their own institutions, encompassing approximately 2,000 additional faculty members. Phase 2 provided training on the development of institutional policies and procedures surrounding flexible learning.
For Phase 3 of the project, 96 faculty and administrators from 30 Filipino HEIs will focus on course planning and design, as well as building the capacity of participants to train their colleagues on the development of high-quality online and flexible learning courses. Phase 4 will focus on cascading this knowledge throughout the participating HEIs.
A second cohort comprising the remaining Phase 1 HEI participants who committed to finishing the full program is expected to begin Phase 3 later this year.
“The work has only just begun, and the remaining phases will not be easy. But we believe in your capacity as our champions, that you can guide us until the wider Filipino community benefits from your leadership and actions,” Atty. Lily Freida C. Macabangun-Milla, OIC, Office of the Deputy Executive Director IV, Director III, International Affairs Staff, said of the participants moving into the final phases.
“TIEC is honored to continue our partnership with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education to support flexible teaching and learning across the Philippines,” said TIEC’s Chief Learning Officer Heather Farmakis, Ph.D. “Our participants from the first two phases of this program were such an inspiration, and we look forward to welcoming back the initial cohort for the final phases of this collaboration.”
TIEC assembled a team of higher education professionals and online learning experts, including the Online Learning Consortium, to train these faculty and administrators. All share the goal of promoting vibrant and sustainable flexible learning programs that provide access to higher education for millions of students in the Philippines, contributing to greater accessibility, increased student satisfaction, and more robust learning outcomes throughout the country’s HEIs.
“The flexible learning project had a great impact on me as a teacher and to my institution, West Visayas State University,” said Dr. Candy Celeste, Dean of Instruction at West Visayas State University – Calinog Campus and a participant in the first phases of the project. “It also made me realize that I had a great role in this transition when I received positive responses from our 140 fellow faculty with whom we shared everything we learned about flexible learning.”
To learn more about programs to support the transition to online and flexible learning for higher education institutions, visit tiec.org/curriculum-services.
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About the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC):
The Texas International Education Consortium is a 33-member university consortium, representing world-class programs from all six systems of higher education and private institutions in the state of Texas, collectively serving over 700,000 students. TIEC facilitates and fosters international education programs and partnerships by, with, and for its university members. This model of cooperation provides access to over 50,000 faculty, broad research, and a wide array of cutting-edge educational resources and methods. Since its founding in 1985, TIEC has provided educational assistance and consulting services for governments and institutions in over 40 countries, across five continents. TIEC is a recognized expert with extensive experience working with governments and institutions of education to improve course and degree program quality and responsiveness and to foster equity and inclusion.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Anna Charnitski, Texas International Education Consortium
anna@tiec.org, (512) 600-6066