by Rex Godinez Ortega
Prof. Marie Joy Digamon Banawa of the Department of Filipino and Other Languages becomes the first person to head the newly-created Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Services or OVCSS.
Prof. Banawa begins her term as the new Vice Chancellor for Student Services only a day after her second term as Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences ended on June 30, 2019.
She is hand-picked by Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol to lead the OVCSS for her collaborative leadership style and dependable, student-friendly service.
Prof. Banawa is a native of Oroquieta in Misamis Occidental who went to college at MSU-Marawi. She holds a Masters in Education in Filipino from Xavier University and a PhD in Filipino from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
The OVCSS is one of the offices created under Resolution No. 50, Series of 2019 that the MSU Board of Regents issued in January 2019.
It is a creation resulting from the promulgation of CHED Memorandum Order No. 9, Series of 2013 that mandates higher education institutions to “provide a set of student-centered activities and services in support of academic instruction.”
Such activities and services, according to CMO No. 9, S. 2013, “are intended to facilitate holistic and well-rounded student development for active involvement as future responsible citizens and leaders.”
The OVCSS has several other offices directly under its control. These offices are the following:
- Office of Student Development Services (formerly Department of Student Affairs);
- Office of Residential and Food Services (new office);
- Office of Medical, Dental, and Health Services (formerly Medical and Dental, Health Services Division);
- Office of Guidance Counseling (formerly Guidance and Counseling Center); and
- Office of Sports Development (formerly Sports Development Office).
The OVCSS is created to oversee all concerns pertaining to students and student services.
These matters include, but are not limited to the following – scholarships, learning assistance and tutorials, guidance and counseling, student complaints, student housing (dormitories), student organizations, student discipline, food services, and health services.
Prof. Banawa says that the OVCSS was created so that MSU-IIT can give proper attention to the growing needs related to the concerns mentioned above.
“Students are in good hands with the OVCSS!” she adds with a smile.