(APR. 13)—The UP Board of Regents (BOR), at its 1334th meeting on Apr. 6, appointed 16 new faculty members as Professors Emeriti, nine of whom are from UP Diliman (UPD).
The nine from UPD are Drs. Apolonio Chua of the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), Maria Cecilia Gastardo-Conaco of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), Flora Elena Mirano (CAL), Rene Ofreneo of the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR), Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo of the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), Norma Respicio (CAL), Michael Tan (CSSP), Corazon Villareal (CAL) and Roy Ybañez of the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business (VSB).
Of the nine new honorees, four are from CAL, two are from CSSP, and one each from SOLAIR, CSWCD and VSB.
The selection procedure for Professors Emeriti were subject to improvements during the Board of Regents’ 1241st meeting on Feb. 27, 2009, where “all retiring faculty of age 64 are automatically evaluated” and that if “at age 64/65 the faculty member qualifies as Professor Emeritus but is extended as a regular faculty after age 65, the Professor Emeritus title will already be earned but will be awarded upon actual retirement from the service.”
The appointments for Chua, Mirano, Ofreneo, Pineda-Ofreneo, Respicio and Villareal are effective upon approval (Apr. 6) except those of Gastardo-Conaco, Tan and Ybañez, who are still in active service. Their appointments become effective upon retirement.
The other new Professors Emeriti are from UP Manila (4), UP Los Baños (2) and UP Visayas (1).
Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cynthia Rose Banzon-Bautista in her letter to UP President Danilo L. Concepcion said the appointees were selected “for their exemplary service to the University as teachers, researchers and public servants” and “are the epitome of a true bred UP Faculty.”
“The University of the Philippines will be truly honored by the inclusion of their names in the roster of our Professors Emeriti,” she stated.
Professor Emeritus, a title for life, is conferred upon retired faculty members in recognition of their exceptional achievement and exemplary service to the University. They remain in the faculty roster, giving current students, junior faculty members and researchers the chance to be mentored by these esteemed teachers and scholars.
Benefits for Professors Emeriti include a one-time monetary award of P150,000, lifetime library privileges, UP Health Service privileges and free admission to cultural shows in UP, among others.