Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

All that glitters is not gold; often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold, but my outside to behold.
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Perception and Image

I would like to start first by discussing the difference between character and reputation.
Character is the main or essential nature of a person or object which exemplifies virtue or vice,
while reputation is the assessment of overall quality or character as seen or judged by people.
The two play an important factor in the establishing of the image of the organization or
institutional.

Let us apply character and reputation to a person. There is a saying that goes "First
impressions they say last." When other people feel that one’s work is poor, even though his
character is exceptional, probably due to bad timing, that impression stands. On the other hand,
a person of bad character who dresses well will be perceived to have good performance. The
same person may be perceived better when dressed professionally and a person with shoddy
presentation will be assumed inferior. Because of this, coincidence plays a part of perception.
The first of an institution, especially people from media or even bloggers can greatly affect the
image of the institution. A negative review that is presented early on, will stay seared in the
minds of the hearers long after the institution has proven its real worth.

This image perception is very subjective yet it affects decisions and estimations of real
value. A school that is perceived to be weak will have less demand for students compared to a
school that is projected by be superior. Nevertheless, in the long run, the institution or the
person’s real value will be revealed. Therefore it is important to manage reputation or image
because we cannot control time and chance but we can prepare to proactively respond when
the inevitable circumstances happen.

From the given readings on the University's Institutional Image, there are six major
programs that contribute to a positive institutional image:
1. Institutional Development,
2. Technology Generation and Dissemination
3. Performance in Government Examination

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

4. Visitor's Impression
5. Performance of Graduates and Alumni
4. Awards and Recognition.
Among these many programs, the factor I believe with the greatest impact is Institutional
Development.

Institutional Development.
An institution can be defined as “Complexes of norms and behaviors that persist over
time by serving collectively valued purposes” (Uphoff, 1986). In this case, the institution will be
focused on schools and universities.

Institutions have similarities with living organisms. They are composed of smaller units
(individuals/ departments). They make changes in response to stimulus in their environment.
They respond and adapt to their environment. They adjust to its surroundings. And as a result of
this response, they either grow or decline. Those institutions that deliberately and constantly
adapt will be stronger and those that continually do not adapt will die.

Just as living organisms must be efficient in the use of its resources, institutions must be able to
maximize its use of human and non-human resources. This requires careful planning and
alignment. The theory of evolution of Charles Darwin can be a parallel on how organisms
respond to different outside forces. Any school or university will similarly adopt to these outside
pressures in the education, technology, social factors and economic issues. According to
Darwin, there are 5 ways of adjusting to the environment:

1. Adaptation
Schools change their curriculum and syllabi and introduce change to adjust to the
environment. Schools in a certain region might probably have lower tuition, take for example,
the Philippines compared to their counterparts in North America because of the local economic
pressures that affect the Philippines.

2. Co-evolution
Schools in this form of adaptation produce highly specialized fields due to the
intense competition and refinements of an institution to have an upper hand towards its rival.
This can be shown in the rivalry of De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University.

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

3. Co-operation
Institutions can also evolve in a form of cooperation. An example of this is
international linkages between schools. Another example is sharing of research between
Centers of Technology.

4. Speciation
A college or university might consistently produce successful businessmen or
scientists and become a specialist on a specific field. For example, the University of Santo
Tomas produces the best lawyers, doctors and architects in the Philippines.

5. Extinction
A university or college that has not supported sustained itself by producing
exceptional graduates that attract parents to send their kids to school will have to close or shut
down. It is great to note that patterns of biodiversity have been shaped both by speciation and
by extinction.

Institutional Planning as Part of Development

My definition of institutional planning is that it is a process of evaluating, prioritizing,
coordinating, and implementing the activities and resources of the institution according to
available manpower and resources to be able to fulfill its goals and mission.

Karen Hinton in her booklet, A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in Higher Education
describes integrated planning as “the linking of vision, priorities, people, and the physical
institution in a flexible system of evaluation, decision-making and action. It shapes and guides
the entire organization as it evolves over time and within its community.” (Hinton, 2012)

In the past, the accreditation standards used for evaluating schools were taken from general
data on schools. These data range from the relative age of the institution, the number of faculty
and their respective degrees, and the number of volumes in the library. This broad criteria in
determining the quality of education in schools produced outputs (graduates) of varying
strengths. There was a need to arrive at specific criteria’s of assessment for institutions. Many
different methods were introduced to measure the level of competence of the outputs of
schools. The main issue was how to measure the level of learning of the students. There were

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

institutions that had sufficient libraries and faculties with masteral and doctorates but were not
producing the quality of graduates that was desired.

During the 1990s, the accrediting commissions in the US began to insist that institutions
implement a strategic plan and assessment plan to meet their requirements. Through different
application of these requirements, the institutions found themselves under serious scrutiny
during their reaccreditation processes. This led to the emphasis on strategic planning on
schools and the development of standards for assessment and learning outcomes
measurement.

Performance in Government Examination

One of the important criteria in the development of an institution’s image is the passing rate of
its graduate in the Professional Board Exams. Measuring the learning and experiences of
graduates is very subjective. Different schools can claim to have inculcated values, technical
knowledge and skills which are sometimes not measurable or quantifiable yet the passing rate
of a school is a graphic measurement of evaluating schools .

Government Examinations are standard tests that are administered across different colleges.
Comparing the quality of facilities and faculties is quite tedious but through this one test, an
output, different schools can be ranked and even quantified in terms of success rate.

Performance of Graduates and Alumni

Another visible reminder to the quality of a schools output is the amount of successful
personalities in top positions in their field, whether journalists, lawyers, businessmen, engineers,
teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses and government leaders.

The presence of successful alumna solidifies the universities position and prestige in
community.

Visitor's Impression

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

For schools of homogenous quality and success, it is hard to make qualitative decisions on
relative success. The first line of perception is through its physical environment.

Many qualities can be considered for physical environment. A school on a spacious lot with
outlying trees will be preferred for a high-rise school on a limited site. A school with historical
buildings and structures and architectural legacy will be preferred to a school built mainly to
manufacture students with expertise. The provision of facilities such as gyms, football fields, and
a large library will weigh heavily on the value of the school.

There are other factors that affect the visitor’s impression of a school. A school that promotes
itself through linkages with foreign students will disseminate information about the school faster
and to a wider audience of foreign students. Schools therefore encourage international linkage
as part of its co-evolution.

Through many online forums, it is also encouraged for schools to paint an honest picture of their
university. One thing that spreads fast is negative publicity. This negative publicity is mostly
through false promises and undelivered expectations marketed by the school to students.

A big factor that encourages a positive impression is having services that allow students to
voice their concern and feel that they are heard and acknowledged. Having friendly staff and
administrative workers contribute to quality of overall student's experience.

Awards and Recognition

Related to the amount of visible personality assimilated in successful positions in the
community, is the visibility of these same people in awards in society. Through different
competitions, institutions can provide venues to be visible outside the school. It is through
competitions that schools extend their influence.

Schools that produce winners in literature, arts, dance and sports gain prestige and honor to the
school.

Technology Generation and Dissemination

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

Last, institutions can also provide an avenue for specialization. While this is one of the most
costly, through strategic planning, an institution can create a system of consistently producing
research over long periods of time. This quantity of output will soon produce breakthrough
discoveries that bring distinction to the school. For many years, it was the teachers that provide
the learning to students while they themselves stop growing through personal research. While
students are required to produce output, the teachers wait for students to keep up to their
knowledge. Then institutions discovered that faculties that do research provide the environment
of academic growth. Schools that require their faculties to produce new research will have an
environment of learning not just for the students but also for the teachers and eventually the
whole school.

Many schools with specializations in science and business have international linkages with
other schools to learn from each other. Through different cultures and language, research has
been verified, friendships are strengthened and knowledge is shared.

Educational Institutions
Institutions are invaluable to society. They provide services for the people, sometimes with
limited resources, that no other groups can provide. Educational institutions are the backbone of
professionals in any country. The value that they provide go far beyond any financial
compensation. No monetary value can compare for the pleasure of learning, or the moment of
discovery to a student and the elevation of art and culture. However, institutions must sustain
itself financially to survive. It must not only offer its services but also justify its value to their
stakeholders: parents, students and the community, so they must build their institutional image.

Conclusion

Institutional Images are the sum total of the school or university’s past, present and expected
performance. The school’s brand or image must be built, cultivated and protected to keep the
value that the school is really worth. In this paper, I have started with a thought from William
Shakespeare, yet no school or university is actually worth less than its assessment. Because,
how can precious, knowledge, skills and attitude be worth the money spent to learn. The
teachers who give their heart and service for others to grow and learn are the real treasures in
our institutions, their worth not in gold but probably in diamonds!

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School

Curriculum Development – Arch Jonathan Manalad Arch Ian Jay Bantilan

Bibliography.

Uphoff, Norman Thomas (1986) Local Institutional Development: An Analytical Sourcebook with
Cases. Kumarian Press, 1986

Darwin, Charles (1859). On the Origin of Species (1st ed.). London: John Murray.

Hinton, Karen E. (2012) A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in Higher Education, Society for
College and University Planning.

Master in Architecture Education Mapua Institute of Technology – Graduate School