I’m not absolutely elated writing
about what I expect this year because it sounds like making New Year’s
Resolutions and I’m not into this kind of exercise. However, there’s one certain thing that will
happen at the end of May 2013. By then,
I shall have reached 70 and my full-time appointment as Professor of
development communication at the UPOU would no longer be extended as has been
done in the last five years because Civil Service rules in this country
prohibit further extension of such appointment.
I have been partially retired the last five years because of the extension
of my appointment as professor. Effective
31 May 2013, however, I shall be (what I call) absolutely retired.
If I’m lucky, and I’ll know this toward
the end of January 2013 when the BOR meets, I might be awarded this honorific
title of Professor Emeritus. Some
friends have been telling me that they know my name is included in the list
(how they knew about it escapes me) that shall be deliberated upon by the BOR
this month, but that’s just about it as far as I am concerned.
To be awarded the honorific title of
Professor Emeritus at the University of the Philippines is a great honor for a
retired professor. The title is for
lifetime, although it doesn’t carry with it any remuneration, just the
honor. Not all Full Professors who have
retired are given such title. Theoretically,
this honorific title should really be automatic for those who have reached the
rank of Professor 12 upon retirement from UP, but the rules have made becoming
Professor Emeritus absolutely competitive, not without any bad feelings among
those not given the title, I must add.
What are the advantages of being
granted the title Professor Emeritus at UP?
Among other things, the new rules provide that only those who have
reached the rank of Professor 12 upon retirement are entitled to recommendation
for the title of Professor Emeritus.
Too, members of this “elite” group are entitled to an office space and
some logistical support if they’re undertaking teaching or research activities
for the university. I’m not sure about
the financial package, if, in fact, there is any. As far as I know, there’s no regular remuneration. Hence, I shall not comment on that one. I think that has become a thorny issue given
that the financial resources of the university are not really that much.
Retired professors, indeed, still have
the brainpower and the physical strength to continue doing what they have
always done well … teach, particularly at the graduate level, although I’d like
to argue that these retired professors should probably be given the opportunity
to teach basic undergraduate courses.
They know the content, and they have the wisdom to make such content
much more meaningful to younger learners.
Now, as most retirees would ask,
what? I have a lot of things in mind.
First, I intend to return to science
journalism, which was my favorite of years back. It will be fun writing feature articles about
science and scientific topics for magazines and the popular media. Linking up again with Zac Sarian would be
great. Too, it would be nice to join my
old friend, Louie Tabing, on radio now and then perhaps as part-time field
reporter.
Second, I’m keen on going the route of
the lecture circuit in universities talking about topics and issues many
undergraduate and graduate students are interested in, such as writing theses,
development communication, media research, and the like. Naturally, I’ll just wait for invitations.
Third, I shall, of course, continue
with my teaching activities at UPOU if they ask me to teach the courses I have
been teaching in the meantime that they have not determined who will teach
those ones now. At UPOU this means I
shall be considered as part-time professorial lecturer. The title Professor Emeritus doesn’t
automatically mean that I shall continue to teach at UPOU. In fact, the title means I am retired and not
entitled to teach unless specifically appointed to do so.
Fourth, I shall now be glad to accept
editing work. Editing dissertations and
theses have always interested me but I haven’t had enough time to go into this
in the past. I did this when I was in
graduate school at Indiana University.
Of course, editing dissertations and theses is a challenging task, but
one that I have always enjoyed doing.
Fifth, I would like to do
policy-oriented research. These are fun
research that I’d like to do. One, I’d
like to do a study on why there’s a continuing decline in the enrollments in
agriculture programs in the country.
Part of this should be an analysis of public perception about higher
education in agriculture among Filipinos.
Two, I’d like to do another fun study, correlating historical data about
graduation trends in forestry programs
and the corresponding decrease in forest cover of these islands over the
years. My hypothesis is that there is an
inverse relationship between the number of graduates in forestry programs and
the forest cover of these islands. That
is to say, the larger the number of forestry graduates, the faster the decrease
in forest cover of the islands. We could
probably hypothesize similarly in the field of agriculture. How about in other fields? One wonders.
Sixth, if all these do not come about
as quick as I’m hoping, I can always take a brief rest toward the middle of the
year before moving on again. Yes, life
can begin at 70, I dare say.
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