COMMENTARY NATIONAL SITUATIONER Rules and Reason, 3 The Strong Republic, 9 As deliberations for changes in the Why has the national economy been Student Handbook begin, we analyze particularly resilient amid events like the logic--or lack of it--behind some the Makati standoff and the Batasan University policies. bombing.? BASTIONLaSall OF ISSUE-ORIENTED CRITICALia THINKINGn VOL. XlVII NO. 7 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY 13 DECEMBER 2007 Ground Zero. At least 200 heavily-armed soldiers and policemen were deployed around the Manila Peninsula during the six-hour standoff staged by Magdalo soldiers last Nov. 29. PHOTO BY FRANCIS GARRUCHO Revised THES-QS methods affect DLSU ranking BY ALLIV LORELEI SAMSON IN THE KNOW here is nothing to regain, as nothing was lost.” Examples of impacts associated with global The UN’s Final Climate “ These were the words of Jose Mari Magpayo, executive director of the Marketing Com- average temperature change Global mean annual temperature change relative to Change Report Tmunication Office (MCO), in reaction to DLSU -Manila’s monumental 127 place decline in 1980-1999 (OC) the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquarelli Symonds (THES-QS) World University In its final and most compelling report, the Rankings. After landing the 392nd spot in the 2006 edition, DLSU-Manila now finds itself at 519th R E United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on T place, far outside those considered as the world’s elite. A Climate Change (IPCC), after 19 years of study, W concluded that evidence for global warming is “unequivocal,” that human activities are largely Did something go wrong? Ranking not Rating responsible for it, and—most importantly—that the rise in temperature is “likely to lead to some Initial speculations that DLSU-Manila did not par- “We have to bear in mind that this survey is exactly M ticipate in the 2007 THES-QS rankings were dispelled what it is: a survey conducted every 12 months among E irreversible impacts.” (The IPCC and former US by Chancellor Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, who said that universities cited in the survey population. You will Vice President Al Gore were jointly awarded the SYST “the THES-QS requested some very specific data from note that the biggest weight in the ratings is reserved Nobel Peace Prize last October.) CO With global greenhouse gas emissions us, and just like our response to similar requests that for Peer Review at 40 percent. This is a top-of-mind E do not involve confidential data, we sent them what issue—do your peers know your university well enough projected to still grow over the next decades they requested.” to rate it high? This is especially critical for the lesser given current practices, the IPCC assessment is In the past, THES-QS received many criticisms for known Third World universities. As the rankings show, particularly bleak. Incidents of extreme heat and both its methodology and criteria, and so in an effort to the established ‘brands’ are out on top – Harvard, Stan- very heavy rain are expected to be more frequent. improve, these two aspects were modified to better suit ford... We should just take the survey at its face value: its D Freshwater scarcity, increased flooding, and more the way the rankings were done. Major changes were strongest survey parameter is peer review. So maybe we cases of diarrhea are predicted to plague South- FOO implemented, particularly in the primary factors taken were not as popular with our peers in 2007 as we were east Asia by the 2050s. And once global average into consideration, in order to promote stability and in 2006,” said Magpayo. warming exceeds 3.5 degrees Celsius, “significant consistency in the rankings. The direct result of these Two new major aspects of the survey have had a extinctions (40 to 70 percent of [plant and ani- changes has been to drastically differentiate this year’s significant effect on the way the rankings turned out mal] species assessed) around the globe” should STS rankings from last year’s results. In essence, it comes as this year. The shift to the normalized or z-score has occur. Nonetheless, the report states that there is “substantial economic potential” for investments no surprise that DLSU-Manila finds itself amid unfa- created a huge impact in the way scores are aggregated COA miliar academic territory. across the different criteria. In the old methodology, in alternative sources of energy, though stabiliz- the direct scaling of the scores in comparison to the ing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere could top performing school had somewhat made the score H cause a 5.5 percent decrease in global GDP. Demystifying the Survey T Knowing fully well the possible backlash of causing a rating. In effect, the weights given to the different On a related note, Dec. 14 will mark the end criteria might be superseded by the immense discrepancy EAL of the two-week UN Climate Change Conference such a stir in the World University Rankings, THES-QS H has openly published the complete set of revisions found in a particular criterion. This year’s methodology at Bali, Indonesia, where more than 180 country made in the guidelines, and even presented the viewing succeeds in making the survey comparative in nature, representatives and observers are gathered to lay as the scoring reflects only the ranking of the school in the groundwork for a future international agree- public with the rationale behind its adaptation of the Legend: new system. Further clarifications were also made as relation to others. Fixed increase in Continual increase ment to fight climate change upon the expiration temperature in temperature regards the peer review concept, which remains the Further scrutiny reveals that the other side effect of the Kyoto Protocol on 2012. Adopted from the summary report of IPCC: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/ centerpiece and most controversial aspect of the survey. of using the z-score would be to tone down the pro- assessment-report/ar4syrspm.pdf INFOGRAPHIC BY JOHNALENE BAYLON As excerpted from an article written by Ben Sowter in nounced strengths of universities that have excelled way the QS Quacquarelli Symonds’ website, “The most beyond their peers in particular fields. In rationalizing common question we receive on this matter is ‘How this change, THES-QS explained that they preferred do you identify these peers?’” this system because it would produce more stable year- A statement from the Brothers Overall, four major developments were introduced on-year rankings. In the long run, the net effect is that in this year’s rankings, namely: peer reviewers being universities would not need to reach excessively high LET US START THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE prevented from promoting their own universities, a rating standards in order to rank comparatively well. For La Salle Green Hills Retreat House switch to Scopus from Essential Science Indicators schools like DLSU-Manila that have focused more on National Heroes Day (Thomson) for citation data, the consistent usage of its relative strengths, the implication is that excellence 30 November 2007 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) data for all personnel-re- in certain fields is likely undermined by weaknesses in lated statistics, and Z-score aggregation of indicators less noticed academic areas. To all Filipinos of goodwill, to generate overall scores. In addition, changes were Changes made in the actual survey methodology in also made to the way peer review scores are computed, the peer review also have their own distinct impacts on Profoundly disturbed by recent events, we the De La Salle Brothers of the Philippines, have decided as a as the input from the past two years were also included the ranking results. Restricting reviewers from voting body to exercise our vocation as teachers and guides by raising our voices in protest at the moral degeneration in order to have a larger and more reliable reference for their own universities has both lessened the bias and that has infiltrated almost every aspect of public life since we called for a restoration of faith in democracy base. In effect, any change in the opinion of the peer somehow puts into question the survey itself, since peer in 2005. reviewers over the past year would have less impact on reviewers coming from globally recognized universities In July of that year, we and our colleagues issued a public statement in response to the crisis brought a school’s ranking and score. would only be telling the truth when they include their on by the Garcillano tapes and the ensuing controversies surrounding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. own institutions in their list of those considered excel- At that time, we spoke out as educators, charged with the moral guidance of the young and concerned with ling in their field. SEE REVISED, PAGE 10 SEE STATEMENT, PAGE 6 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 2 13 DECEMBER 2007 13 DECEMBER 2007 3 THE LASALLIAN THE LASALLIAN Political science prof calls Br. Andrew’s “unfinished court ruling ‘political’ symphony” In 1998, Br. Andrew Gonzalez— BY CARLITO REYES JR who was named DLSU President Emeritus in 2005—was appointed n a Sept. 7, 2007 Supreme Court decision, Political Science professor Victor Andres education department secretary Manhit was declared guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service” by then-President Joseph Estrada. for not following government procurement and accounting policies as former I During his almost three years with Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS, now DepEd) undersecretary for DECS, Br. Andrew was known for external affairs. He was fined an amount equivalent to six months of his salary. instituting a wide number of reforms This verdict, Manhit said, is politics at work.