Transitions and Connections (OVPLS Memo)

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” - Rumi

As you know, the University is going through a process of restructuring that has led to the organizational relocation of various offices of the Loyola Schools.  We are in a state of transitions and connections!  I would like for us to think of these movements as points for growth and greater opportunities.

While this restructuring process is not new to us, I would like, nevertheless, to summarize what this means in terms of the organizational relocation of offices from LS to central administration under specific VPs clusters.

1. The Loyola Schools Quality Assurance (LSQA) Office no longer exists as it is but the work in that office as well as its personnel are now integrated with the Strategy and Quality Management Office (SQMO) and are supervised from that level. Their mandate has widened in scope, depth, and breadth to include the entire university. While they will continue to help the Loyola Schools in accreditation and assessment activities, we are also creating teams in the LS schools that can drive internal quality assurance processes on an ongoing basis.
2. The transfer of various offices that are part of the Student and Administrative Services (ADSAS) to various functional clusters:
   
   1. Ms. Marie Joy Salita, Associate Dean for Student and Administrative Services, has been appointed Assistant Vice-President for Student Activities and    Leadership under the Office of the Vice President for Mission Integration (VPMI) cluster.
   2. The personnel of the Office of the Associate Dean for Student and Administrative Services (OADSAS) will be transferred to the office of the Assistant Vice-President unless other plans are in place.
   3. The Office of the Associate Dean for Student and Administrative Services (OADSAS) is dissolved effective 1 September 2022.
   4. Based on the August 1, 2022 memo of our University President, the following will take effect on September 1, 2022: The Office of Guidance and Counseling and the Office of Health Services will now report to the Assistant Vice-President for Health, Care, and Well-being under the VPMI cluster.
   5. OFS has been transferred to the VP for Administration Cluster; a new structure was created to reflect the clustering of units according to functions e.g. Construction and Building Care, Housekeeping and Custodial Management, etc.
   6. OMIS has been transferred to the VP for Digital and Information Technology Services cluster
   7. LS Bookstore and Cafeteria Management will be within the purview of the University Business Affairs Office under the VPA cluster
   8. Campus Events Management will likely be under the UMCO. 
3. The transfer of various offices that are part of the Student Formation (ADSF) to various functional clusters:
   
   1. Dr. Leland Joseph R. Dela Cruz, Associate Dean for Student Formation, has been appointed Assistant Vice-President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement under the VPMI cluster.   
   2. The personnel of the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation (OADSF) will be transferred to the office of the Assistant Vice-President unless stated otherwise in (d) below.
   3. The Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation (OADSF) is dissolved effective 1 September 2022.
   4. The transfer of offices to the VPMI cluster, based on the August 1, 2022 memo of our University President, will take effect on September 1, 2022:
      
      1. The Office of Campus Ministry (OCM) will now report to the Assistant Vice-President for Ignatian Spiritual Formation
      2. The Office of Student Activities (OSA), the Office of Placement and Career Services (OPCS), and the Office of College Athletics (OCA) will now report to the Assistant Vice-President for Student Activities and Leadership Formation
      3. The Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI), the Coordinators for Faculty Social Involvement, the National Service Training Program Coordinator, and the ROTC Coordinator, will now report to the Assistant Vice-President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement
4. The remaining offices and functions supervised by the OADSF and the OADSAS that have not been transferred to the OVPMI will be transitioned as follows:
   
   1. The Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Tradition (INTACT) Program which was supervised by the OADSF will now be supervised by the Office of the Associate Dean for the Core Curriculum.
   2. The Physical Education Program, which was supervised by the OADSF will be temporarily supervised by the Office of the Associate Dean for the Core Curriculum while a more permanent home within a school can be found for them.
   3. The Discipline Office (OSD) will now report administratively to the Vice-President for the Loyola Schools. Dr. Dela Cruz will retain his title as Associate Dean for Student Formation and make decisions on discipline cases based on the recommendations of the Discipline Committee until such time when a more permanent structure can be put in place.
   4. The Office of Student Services (OSS) which was formerly supervised by the Associate Dean for Student and Administrative Services will report administratively to the Vice-President for the Loyola Schools until such time when a more permanent structure can be put in place.
5. The LS HR Services have gradually been transitioning to the VPHR cluster.^[1]
   
   1. The HR services for professionals, staff, maintenance, and non-academic administrators are now directly handled from the VPHR cluster.
   2. The HR services for faculty and academic administrators remain in the LS as handled by Ms. Jessica Laroya and her team under the office of the VPLS and in close consultation/coordination with the VPHR. The processes are being streamlined for better efficiency. 
   3. In effect, the LS HR Services office is dissolved.  The LS coordinator for professionals and staff/maintenance now reports to VPHR but with upgraded functions. The Admin Assistant in charge of LS NTS development and spiritual programs at the LS HR Services office is transitioned to the VPMI cluster.
   4. During this transition, Mr. John Glenn Advincula and Mr. Mark Lugtu will continue to perform the work they have been doing for the LS while starting    to assume their new roles under the HR cluster. This temporary setup is in place until the HR cluster transition is finalized.

On behalf of the Loyola Schools, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all these men and women who have served the LS with excellence and pride. We wish them good graces as they continue to serve the university in greater capacities.  I’m sure that they will always be there for the LS when we need them. And need them we surely will! I know that they will not fail us!

While the general layout of these transitions has been described, that doesn’t mean that the details have already been worked out. There are ongoing conversations in the Loyola Schools to try to see how we shall shape our operations in tandem with the other Central Admin clusters.  These processes also entail higher-level conversations among VPLS, VPMI, VPA, VPHR, VPDITS, VPFT, and other bodies.

Pray for wisdom and resilience as we navigate through these changes in our academic community. Patience is a big virtue here.  And I beg all of us to have that virtue tucked in our sleeves so that these transitions will also forge connections.

_{^[1]A separate announcement for the restructuring of the HR cluster will be released soon. It will reflect the changes in LS HR Services, among others.}