VIRAC, Catanduanes — Catanduanes State University (CatSU) President Dr. Gemma G. Acedo described the university’s five-day commencement exercises as an “overwhelming success,” expressing gratitude to the entire CatSU community for the successful graduation of more than 4,000 graduates this year.
In an interview, Acedo said she was deeply thankful to the Office of the Academic and Related Services (OARS), faculty members, and university personnel for the smooth flow of the graduation rites.
“We are so happy, the CatSU community, in behalf of OARS and the faculty, because the five-day graduation was successful,” Acedo said.
The university president also admitted that she did not expect the overwhelmingly positive reception to the new abaca-made graduation sash, a product proudly associated with Catanduanes.
It can be recalled that the new sash design initially received mixed reactions and criticism before the graduation ceremonies, particularly when its prototype was first presented to the public.
However, according to Acedo, public perception changed after people saw the actual sash worn by the graduates during the ceremonies.
“Maybe the first model shown was not that appealing, but when the actual sash was seen, the vibrant colors looked beautiful and matched well with the barongs and dresses,” she explained.
Acedo added that all the hard work during the five-day event was “worth it” after seeing the happiness and pride of both parents and graduates.
“We were happy despite the exhaustion because this was for the parents and the students,” she added.
Another milestone celebrated by the administration was the distribution of diplomas on the same day as the graduation ceremony — a long-standing request from many students and parents.
Dr. Acedo also revealed that the administration aims to include the release of the Transcript of Records (TOR) together with the diploma in future graduation ceremonies to prevent graduates from experiencing delays in securing important academic documents.
For years, delayed processing and release of TORs had been among the common complaints of graduates, often becoming an obstacle in job applications and further studies.
According to Acedo, the university has implemented measures to speed up the processing of major academic documents through digitalization and the hiring of information technology experts.
She said digital transformation remains one of the priorities of her administration, including providing students online access to their grades from first year through fourth year.
Before becoming university president, Dr. Acedo served as a faculty member and had a professional background in Information Technology, which she now uses in pushing for the modernization of CatSU’s institutional systems.
The recently concluded commencement exercises marked Acedo’s first graduation rites as the 8th president of Catanduanes State University.
| via Francis Benedict | Bicol Peryodiko Integrated News |
