Article List

• 'Hindi ka nag-iisa'
• SocSci building to undergo face-lift
• Sanggu, students analyze Satinitigan ouster
• Theology teachers recognized for research
• UAAP ref caught taking videos of players in shower
• Pets go to school for a day
• Nobel laureate talks about economics, peace
• Students vote for one course rep per batch
• Comm Dept. dissects media and politics
• Gabay holds 1st Scholars' Congress
• Ateneans abroad: Proudly Atenean, Proudly Pinoy
• Euro Studies majors unite in summit
• ASLA promotes everyday leadership
• SOSS challenges Ateneans to be new heroes
• SOSE Week goes Sesame Street
• Talks, exhibits, and parade mark Humanities festival
• AJMA holds marketing seminar
• Atenean Voice: What are your views on the change in the House Speakership?
• On the Record

SocSci building to undergo face-lift: Admin announces other LS developments

THE SOCIAL Sciences Build­ing will be renovated to be the new home of departments and offices, said Vice Presi­dent for the Loyola Schools Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D. Cuyegkeng revealed the SocSci Building’s changes for next school year at the Mag­tanong sa VP at mga Dekano forum held on February 8 at the John Gokongwei School of Management. “The Education and Com­munication Departments are moving closer to the Leong Hall as they will now occupy the third floor of the Social Sciences Building,” said Cuyegkeng. The Education Depart­ment is currently at Bellar­mine Hall while the Com­munication Department is near the College Covered Courts. Cuyegkeng said that the two departments will share the third floor with the Kon­rad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism, the Center for Communication Research and Training Multimedia In­formation Resource Labora­tory, and the Communication Studio. “The Guidance and the Placement offices will also move to the second floor of the Social Sciences Building,” said Cuyegkeng. The said offices are now at the ground floor of Ber­chmans Hall. “They will be moved because [Berchmans] had the best classrooms be­fore they were converted to offices. Berchmans was the hall for philosophy classes,” she said. The second floor of the SocSci Building will still have classrooms and conference rooms. The ground floor, mean­while, will house the Regis­trar’s Office, which is now at Bellarmine Hall. “We want the Registrar’s Office to be closer to the students,” said Cuyegkeng. Also on the ground floor would be the Loyola Schools Health Services, an improved version of the College Infir­mary, in partnership with the Guidance Office. “We are trying to expand the services of the Infirmary that’s why we are looking at the possibility of making the LS Health Services not just to address acute sickness, but also have health education and health awareness,” said Cuyegkeng.

Aside from the changes for the Social Sciences Building, Cuyegkeng also announced the Loyola School’s newest course offering for June under the Biology Department. “We are going to have BS Life Sciences with mi­crobiology, molecular biol­ogy and biotechnology, and biomedical sciences,” said Cuyegkeng. Cuyegkeng added that the new University Dormi­tory, which can accommodate 600 dormers as compared to the old dorms’ 372, will be fin­ished by next school year. Asked for updates on the possible implementation of an LS-wide dress code, Cuyegkeng said that there is no final decision yet as the surveys from the parents, alumni, and faculty have not yet been completed.

In the forum, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rene San Andres said that random drug testing can be conducted anytime in the Ateneo in compliance with Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. “We are not making any comments on the time [for conducting the test] because it can be any time,” said San Andres. He added that the pro­cedure for the drug test is subject to the Commission on Higher Education guide­lines. “The selection is random. The [Management Informa­tion Systems] Office will make a software that selects students randomly based on their ID numbers and sched­ules,” he said. San Andres added that student, parent, and faculty representatives will witness the selection process to ensure that it is done ran­domly. “The sample is annually 25% of the population, so theoretically, at least once in your Ateneo life, you will have the chance to be tested,” he said. The actual testing, mean­while, will be done at a drug testing center. The results are confidential, to be known only by San Andres, the student, and the family. San Andres emphasized that if a student tests posi­tively, he or she will not be prosecuted. “The person will be given assistance like coun­seling and rehabilitation, and this will be done in collabora­tion with the family.”