Yesterday, Ma’am Olive Lim received a text message from one of the 4th year student nurses about a very disturbing event that happened in their classroom. I wanted to write about it hora mismo but decided to delay it a bit. I need to check on the veracity of the text message. I need to get to the bottom of the story. Just moments ago, I met some students. I asked them if the story was true. They related to me what transpired. Satisfied that I have gathered enough facts, I have decided that I needed to go to the nearest internet shop and write something about it. Yesterday around 8:00 am, two sections of 4th year student nurses were at the auditorium for their Competency Appraisal class with the Dr. Ruby M. Uy, the dean of nursing, as their teacher. Supposedly, these sections were to be separate and taught by separate teachers as having 2 sections in one class is not conducive to learning. The dean of nursing gave the students an orientation about the CA class. What she initially did was standard stuff. Nothing special. What initially was an innocuous meeting became a very disturbing, alarming, distressing one. The dean, having heard and seen the news that some students were at the strike camp and expressing their support to the striking CI’s, put the students to undue pressure. Wanting to know where the students’ loyalty lie, she first asked the students who support the CI’s to stand up. Nobody did. She then asked the students who love the Brokenshire College to stand up. Everyone did. I pity her if she really believes that she still has the mandate of the students to lead the nursing department. The condition, that the students were in at the time, is questionable. They were coerced to withdraw their support to the CI’s. Dr. Uy, baring her fangs of power and influence as the dean, created an atmosphere that does not promote freedom to express. The dean unfairly presented the choices. The dean is telling the students that to love Brokenshire College is not to support the CI’s cause. Can’t the students love Brokenshire College while supporting the CI’s cause? If the dean just wants the students to report to classes, she may say so. The dean should never force the students to go against what they think is right or wrong. What the dean has done to the students was unfair, unprofessional, and unbecoming of the dean. We, the CI’s, have not forced the students to go to class. We physically did not stop them to enter the campus. The students can attest to that. We submit to the students’ wisdom to decide on things. It is disgusting that the dean has resorted to this lowly act. The union and the management are still hopeful that the labor dispute be resolved. But the dean’s actions could make it more difficult. I wonder if the top management knows about it. by: Rodolfo Daguio Jr
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 05:42:08 +0000