The Higher Education Review

Dr. Sunita Mukhi, now a board member of the South Asian Women's Creative Collective and the Associate Dean, Culture & Arts Cluster, School of Design and Arts of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Manila, was just one among the thousands of students who had entered the St. Scholastica's College with tons of dreams. Belonging to the 1978 batch of the College, today Dr. Mukhi has emerged as a successful cultural producer, theater/performance artist, and an interdisciplinary performance scholar. It is said high schooling education plays a significant role in one's life and this is what the faculty members of the St. Scholastica's Colleges (SSC) did. The early foundation that Dr. Mukhi received in the college helped her to get through the challenges that life threw at her later. Comprising 40 percent of the international student population, the Indian students at SSC are assured to render a holistic development and skills that are imperative in the changing world.

"The flow of knowledge at SSC happens in the most effective manner where every member can prosper equally"

A Catholic Benedictine academic institution chiefly for women and commenced in the year 1906, SSC aims the integral formation of the total person; combining academic excellence with social responsibility, enabling its graduates to develop into "contributive members of society" and "agents of social change." "We at SSC are determined to inculcate core values, character, integrity and social responsibility in our students. As these factors

largely impact how an individual grow and sustain. We strive to create leaders for social transformation," proudly says Dr. Virginia Fornias, Vice-President, SSC. Being primarily a Liberal Arts College, SSC offers a range of courses in the Humanities, Science, and Arts. Anyhow, the professional programme that the College conducts includes Accountancy, Education, Business Administration, Psychology, Mass Communication, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Nutrition and Dietetics, Biology, Music, Hospitality Management and many more. Dr. Fornias pinpoints, "Our Music program has been recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Center of Excellence while the Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Accountancy and Education programs have been granted Level III Re-Accredited Status by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP)." The teaching-learning system of the college is also quite impressive which allows the students to express their beliefs without any hesitation and render the right to challenge their teachers' views without fear of reprisal. The flow of knowledge at SSC happens in the most effective manner where every member can prosper equally. An environment has been created inside the campus, which is extremely empowering and positive thus letting the women of next generation conquer the world with their competencies.

Granting Fulfilling Lives

According to numerous reports, in the Philippines around 37,000 Filipinos speak English as a first language and a little over 92 percent of the population can speak it as a second language. And situated in the capital city of Philippines, Manila, SSC's international students never feels any communication issues and being an intimate College, SSC lets every foreign student feel like they are at another home away from their own homeland. "Benedictine hospitality is something that we pride on. We ensure that every member in the community is given psycho-social support that one would need in a new environment," states Dr. Fornias.

An Indian, Nareena Mansukhani, who completed her BS HRM from SSC in 2008, sharing her experience, says, “Taking up the call of studying at SSC was by far one of the better decisions I have made. We were blessed to have an exemplary group of professors, supportive laboratory staff and amazing batch mates. I am thankful for the academic and life lessons I gained from this college.” Hosting good number of Indian students in the campus, the courses in the tertiary level that has over the years emerged into favorites among them, includes BS Hotel and Restaurant Management, AB Mass Communication, BS in Business Administration, and Bachelor in Music Performance.

Dr. Fornias shares, "The learning approach that we preach at SSC is problem-based learning (PBL), which is the methodology used in Synthesis - the integrating subject of the liberal arts foundation of the different degree and diploma programs." Through adopting PBL, the faculty members of the College fosters in the students' varied abilities such as problem-solving, social and communication skills, a brief idea regarding the workplace demands, while equipping them for life-long learning. "The different needs of foreign students are attended by the Registrar's Office, the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs and the assigned Guidance Counselor," says Dr. Fornias. At SSC, thus the international students are guaranteed for complete support coupled with providing excellent curricular and co-curricular programs with social relevance.

Carrying forward the 112 years history and excellence of Benedictine education, the college is popular in the education arena for giving the young women the voice and purpose which will later serve for the betterment of the society and world at large. "SSC boast of being endowed with a gender-fair school environment, where women are provided the freedom to explore their strengths and potentials. In the long run, we envision our students to be able to apply their knowledge in real life and achieve recognizable status in the professional world," concludes Dr. Fornias.