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Filtered By: Opinion

OPINION
Trimester vs semester and comparing universities: A fallacy
Published January 25, 2014 4:43pm
By ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS
“Which one is better: a semestral or a trimestral system?”

When the editors of GMA News Online requested me to do a piece on this topic, I was actually
challenged by its simplicity. How can I come up with an erudite discourse about such an issue, in
the same league of how I addressed the issue of whistle-blowing, or of competing notions of
citizenship? I wrote about both in my recent articles

I have to dig deep into my consciousness. Sometimes, indeed, when we are so used to, or as critics
would say, drowning in, our familiar spaces of intellectualization, even if in layman’s terms, being
confronted by a very simple, direct to the point issue can be so destabilizing.

Why can’t I just write about the classic rivalry between the Archers and the Blue Eagles, instead,
and intellectualize it in the context of the commoditization of institutional brands, now exploding
into an orgy called the UAAP, which has infected other Universities and schools, which now has
transformed what used to be the collegiate version of the high school intramurals into a profit-
making venture of “millionic” proportions. Where betting becomes institutionalized, and where
rumors of selling games are as pervasive as the money that flows from wealthy alumni to finance
the teams of their alma mater, instead of financing academic programs and student scholarships,
and where getting a ticket to a DLSU-Ateneo game is a desperate game of chance, or of privilege.

Whenever I am confronted by the unknown, I always refer to the familiar to provide me a reliable
bearing. I will address this issue of semestral vs trimestral systems in the context of the fallacy of
comparing academic systems on the assumption that one is better over another.

But first, let me begin with a story of how I felt when my daughter attended a review class in
preparation for taking her college admission test.

My daughter, the firebrand

I am an alumnus of the UPLB, and I was a member of its Faculty for eighteen years. I live in Los
Banos, whose life is very much associated with the University which it hosts, to a point that
sometimes people could be misled to think that it is the other way around, that is, it is Los Banos
that is hosted by UPLB.

The image of the oblation is nearly hegemonic in the myths, rituals and representations of this
idyllic town at the slopes of Mt. Makiling.
This near hegemonic presence has pervaded the review classes for college entrance tests held by
several groups, the proliferation of which is in fact evidence of how these tests have become a
serious, big enterprise, considering that in my youth, attending a review class to pass a college
entrance test was simply as non-existent as an IPad.

In LB, it is assumed that when you attend a review class, it is for the UPCAT. The teachers in the
review class were all programming the attendees of that law-like reality—“if you are here, then
you must be taking the UPCAT.” Or so they would say.

Thus, the whole review class suffered dissonance when my daughter proudly announced that she
was attending the review class with La Salle as her priority school, and not UP.

It was plain heresy. And I loved it.

LA Revilla kisses his medal while on the shoulders of teammate Arnold Van Opstal, as the De La
Salle University Green Archers celebrated being crowned men's seniors division basketball
champions of UAAP Season 76 in 2013. (Photo: KC Cruz)

In a culture where passing the UPCAT is a big deal, and where high schools proudly announce in
tarpaulins those who passed it, the courage of my daughter was actually an “up yours!” moment I
cherished. She had my genes, after all.

Many of my friends, including some of my relatives, have on several occasions wondered why my
children are all taking their courses either in DLS-College of St. Benilde, or in DLSU Manila,
where I am now a member of the faculty.

Such queries are framed as in a “How could you?!” tone, almost accusing me of betraying my UP
education. It also somewhat makes me feel that I am a bad parent, for allowing my kids to go to a
“lesser” University.

The other premise – which they would not dare say – is that my children simply failed the
UPCAT. I find this discomforting.

Two schools in one man

Now, let me get this straight: I am proud of my UP education, and I am a loyal UP alumnus. I
display a figurine of the Oblation in my office at DLSU, and a UP jacket is prominently shown
hanging on the backrest of my office chair.

I do not sing the Alma Mater song of DLSU during commencement exercises, not even during the
time that I was Dean of the College of Liberal Arts when I was seated on stage. I feel it is just
improper. I am not an Alumnus of La Salle, and to sing its Alma Mater song is an infringement of
the right of those who labored so hard to have a legitimate claim to such status and, more
importantly, it would betray my own Alma Mater. “UP Naming Mahal” will always be in my
mind.

This whole “UP and others” mentality is simply childish to me. Being an adherent of critical
theory, I find this discourse of treating other schools, including La Salle, as just an “other” of UP
as contrary to the progressive nature of the politics which UP has long stood for. It is the state
university for the people, after all.

I find it incoherent and inauthentic for people to adhere to the metaphor of the “Iskolar ng Bayan”
when, in the same breath, they subsist on an arrogant and exclusionary discourse of elitism of an
exulted “self” (i.e. UP) and its demeaned “others” (i.e. all the rest of the Universities and schools)
that effectively tears that “Bayan” asunder and sets its “Iskolars” as elites above the rest.

My inquisitors almost always assume that, since I am now working in La Salle, my decision to let
my children study there is to simply take advantage of the tuition-waiver privileges I enjoy for
them.

To accept this is simply to admit wrongly that such is a “no-choice” scenario juxtaposing a
mercenary attitude on my part. It is almost like the same logic behind what others would assume
as the reason why I left UP and moved to La Salle; which is to take advantage of the higher salary
package.

The undertone is that money compensates for the sacrifice in quality. These assumptions are far
from the truth.

A mercenary decision?

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My leaving UP and moving to La Salle is a long story. Something which I would not rather
disclose in public, even if it is well-known to my friends and colleagues, and those in the know
would readily affirm that the reason was far from monetary.

While our decision to let our children study at CSB and DLSU was, indeed, to take advantage of
the opportunity which is now available to me, it was a rare privilege to send my children to study
at schools that are equally as competent, and evidently with better facilities, and for which I could
not have afforded with a UP salary – and even with my DLSU salary, if I will pay the full tuition
fee.

Hence, it was a privileged choice and not a mercenary decision.

Indeed, there are differences between UP and La Salle, but these differences are not to be casted as
polarities where quality is possessed by one and not by the other. What I found out is that,
whatever differences they have, these are just different manifestations of quality. One may be
better in one aspect, but the other may have an edge in another.
For example: the relative density of faculty of PhDs in UP who are mostly UP alumni is matched
by a more diverse one for La Salle, where alumni from different universities converge to learn
from each other.

The perception of a superior faculty in UP is matched by a perception of a superior infrastructure

and facilities for La Salle. And since these are just perceptions, the fact is that each one is trying to
catch up with the other in terms of correcting the perceived handicap to become better. La Salle
continually and actively beefs up its faculty ranks, and UP tries to address the challenges of
improving its infrastructure and facilities despite limited funds provided by the state.

And, of course, while La Salle may have a champion basketball team, UP has always shone at
cheer dance competitions. But, recently, the National University (NU) has provided a strong
challenge to both and even dethroned UP as Champion in the latter. Perhaps this is as a reminder
to both UP and La Salle?

It's true, not only in sports, but even in academics, that the talent in human capital needs to be
matched by a well-oiled funding machinery, which Henry Sy provided for NU in its athletics
program.

It is in this context now that I will address one major difference between UP and La Salle – both of
which I had the pleasure of experiencing – that the former has a semestral system, while the latter
is in a trimestral mode.

Time in classroom vs money

One semester in UP requires students to attend classes for 16 weeks. This entails shorter class
periods, but longer term breaks – and also a longer summer session for those who opt to take such.

One trimester in La Salle has 14 weeks, that already includes one-week of exams. The result is
longer class periods and shorter term breaks (only a week in some cases) and also a shorter
summer session (only about two to three weeks).

In terms of degree completion, the semestral system would require four years of eight semesters
before a student can graduate, while a trimestral system would normally require three years of
nine semesters.

At the outset, it is fairly settled that the pedagogical legitimacy of a trimestral system is no longer
an issue, considering that DLSU has been allowed by CHED to adopt such a system. The
presumption here is that any questions about the minimum requirements for learning that a
graduate would possess have already been addressed, and the associated minimum standards
would have been effectively complied with by the trimestral system.
One of the objective measures to make a distinction would simply be the financial side, with those
students in the trimestral system having to pay more miscellaneous fees with nine semesters of
enrolment compared to only eight for the semestral system.

However, this is outweighed by the fact that students in the trimestral system are expected to have
a shorter stay in college, thereby having less overhead for their parents, and are expected to earn
earlier – assuming they are employed after graduation.

On the part of Administration, the trimestral system presumably yields higher revenues given a
fixed time. Consider: for one academic year, students get to pay their fees only twice in the
semestral system, while the school gets to collect student fees three times for the same duration in
the case of the trimestral system. This may be better for enabling the university to have more
revenues to invest, not only in faculty and staff salaries, but also in infrastructures and facilities.

The length of the term (longer for a semestral system) and of breaks (shorter for a trimestral) may
prove advantageous to students and faculty in the semestral system, not only in terms of the
spacing of learning but also in the rest time provided in between classes and terms.

However, what I found out in my personal experience is this: this is all relative to the student and
the teacher. I am somewhat of an A-personality, and I am on a high if I am on the go, so the
trimestral system fits me well.

On the matter of the time allocated for actual classroom interactions, indeed it is true that the
semestral system provides a longer time. However, at the tertiary level, pedagogical strategies now
enhanced by more recent learning technologies such as the internet have provided virtual
alternatives to face-to-face instruction seen in on-line teaching. Learning activities may not
necessarily be designed as purely inside the classroom.

Innovate or die like dinosaurs

Thus, the bottom-line is that whatever difference semestral and trimestral systems have, this will
now all depend on the learner and the enabler of that learning to take advantage of and adapt to. I
personally miss the slower pace of the semestral system of UP, but I am now very comfortable
with the trimestral system of La Salle.

Having a shorter academic duration has challenged me to innovate. I see that such innovations are
enabling my students to learn what they have to learn in order for them to finish their courses, and
eventually their degrees.

So, enough of this “which is better?” debate.

In the end, it may even become irrelevant and be taken over by events when the K-12 graduates
will enter college in 2016. It is possible that the additional two years in basic education may now
simply motivate all higher learning institutions to consider shifting to trimestral mode. By then the
batch of students will now be more mature, at 19 years old, to handle integrative and independent
learning approaches. And more attractive to parents who had to spend more for basic education,
their financial burdens can be eased off by shortening college to three years instead of four, which
the trimestral system enables.

In the end – beyond the debate of which system is better, or which school is superior – it is no
longer an issue of a pissing contest based on what one has over the other, but whether one is
capable and willing to innovate; to be attuned to the demands and the opportunities of the times.

A university that rests its bragging rights on its reputation, or its current superiority, but is not
willing to innovate and is hounded by institutional inertia, often emanating from the myths of
tradition or of a false sense of dominance and invincibility, may in the end suffer the fate of
dinosaurs.

Big, fearsome, but whose weight impeded their abilities to adapt. In the end, the cumbersome
giant lizards died and became extinct. — KDM, GMA News
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