Academics

Introduction

The success of the University does not only depend on how it copes with the changing educational environment, but also on how it prepares for the challenges and opportunities that it faces in the future. It is through research that CEU can best address these two major concerns.

CEU has always fulfilled the threefold functions of a university: instruction, research, and community services. Excellence in higher education can only be accomplished by acquisition of new knowledge through research and creative activities.

Through the years, CEU continues to enrich knowledge through research, transmit knowledge through instruction and develop experts and authorities in specialized fields.

Program Objective

It aims to create a visible and robust research program for both faculty and students of the CEU academic community.

Specific Objectives

1. To develop scientific research methods and analytic approaches of international standards among faculty and students;
2. To foster basic and applied multidisciplinary and collaborative researches among students and faculty members;
3. To increase research productivity and research publication of the university through attractive research incentives offered to the faculty members;
4. To fund faculty studies, support research capability building seminars, disseminate research outputs in the annual university research forum, and expedite the completion of research projects through the various Institutional Research Committees; and
5. To inculcate values and exude attitudes in consonance with research ethics.

Research Agenda

The research agenda of the University serves as the direction for the research undertakings supported by the University. To provide the groundwork for the crafting of the CEU Research Agenda for 2018-2023, an environmental scanning was done. Inputs were sought from representatives of various funding agencies and officials of higher education institutions who presented their own research priorities and their research landscape. 

This resulted in six priority themes for multidisciplinary research that are relevant to the realities that the university and the country are now experiencing and will face in the future, namely, (1) Health and Wellness, (2) Pillar of Virtue, (3) Quality of Teaching and Learning, (4) Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship, (5) ICT for Health Sciences, Business and Education, and (6) Institutional Data Management.

Research Priority Areas

1. Health and Wellness

• Drug discovery and development
• Molecular diagnosis
• Development and use of dental biomaterials
• Oral health: psychosocial, epidemiologic, and health services
• Biomarkers of diseases
• Elucidation of mechanisms of pathogens
• Psychological well-being: cognitive, emotional, social, behavioral assessment
• Health educational materials for DM patients
• Diet management
• Vision and eye health care
• Preventive medicine
• Food safety
• Antimicrobial profiling of water borne microorganism

2. Pillar of Virtue

• Democracy in the face of social media
• Politics and gender sensitivity
• Recordings, annotations, and performances of the Escolarian composers
• Digitization of the musical manuscripts from the Escolarian composers
• Evaluation and assessment tools for musical performance
• Communication, privacy and values in the digital age
• Communication technology and literacy of learners
• Miscommunication and confusion in the era of fake news and trolls
• Communicative competencies of students
• Understanding the faiths, world views and ways of life
• CEU core values

3. Quality Teaching and Learning

• Traits, skills & qualification
• Standards
• Training
• Motivation (science of happiness)
• Learning styles/strategies
• Academic performance
• CEEGA
• Learning outcomes
• Best practices in teaching
• GO’s & NGO’s institutional support
• Development programs
• Digital learning or blended learning
• Social media
• Online learning
• Virtual/augmented reality
• Formative and summative assessment

4. Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship

• Accountability and ethics
• Consumer behavior and segmentation
• Social entrepreneurship
• Marketing for sustainable competitive advantage
• Sustainable tourism and cultural heritage
• Leisure (cruise management, integrated resort, theme parks)
• Urban tourism
• Tourism development and sustainability

5. ICT for Health Sciences, Business and Education

• Robotics
• Sensors
• Natural languages
• Expert system
• Mobile application
• System development
• Big data
• Courseware development

6. Institutional Data Management

• Analysis of the admission
• Background of the graduates of senior high school
• Enrolment cohorts for the last eight years prior to K-12
• Enrolment cohorts of the enhanced college curricula
• Efficiency of the processes involved in the preparation of requests for academic records
• Demographic profile of student
• Assessment of intellectual ability, aptitude and emotional quotient/personality
• Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA)
• Reasons for academic failure
• Psychological well-being
• Reasons for leaving the university
• Evaluation of school services and academic status
• Future career plans
• Escolarian values and skills learned and practiced
• Comparative analysis of engagement levels among multi-generational employees
• Impact of leadership competencies on performance level of their staff
• Factors affecting employee attrition
• Average length of service of former (resigned) CEU non-teaching personnel
• Analysis of student’s delinquencies/aging of receivables
• Data integration for effective and efficient financial reporting
• Identification and assessment of physical, logical & administrative controls currently in place
• Market expansion
• Frequency of student applicants coming from regional areas
• Type of school origin
• Enhancement of training programs for feeder schools
• To expand and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different marketing platforms
• Frequency of ad placements
• Frequency of digital platforms' views, likes & followers
• Values formation
• Relevance of activities
• Improvement of support services
• Percentage of leadership involvement
• Academic performance of student leaders
• Sustained student development and welfare programs
• Timely and relevant programs
• Sustained scholarships/grants
• Profiling of library users
• Utilization of library resources
• Extent of library services
• Assessment of facilities
• Oral health and wellness
• Quality lifestyle program
• Needs assessment
• Sustained participation
• Sustainability of programs
• Cost cutting measures of all departments
• Preventive maintenance

     On October 14, 2020, the University Research Committee (URC) formulated the interim research agenda to be implemented during the period of Covid 19 pandemic. This is to address the constraints on the face-to-face collection of data.

INTERIM RESEARCH AGENDA
(SY 2020-2021)

Health Science

• COVID 19 Related Researches

Social Sciences

• The Impact of Communication Modality During the Pandemic to the Various Context/Aspects (Culture, Politics, Anthropological Dimension, etc.)

Education (Teaching and Learning)

• Assessment of Teaching Strategies Used in Remote Learning
• Evaluation of Instructional Materials used in Remote Learning
• Evaluation of the Implemented Online Learning at CEU
• Lived Experiences of Students and Teachers during the COVID 19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Research
• Assessment of the Course Materials in the CEU LEAPS (can be conducted per school)

Business, Tourism, and Hospitality Management

• Consumer Behavior during the Pandemic

Technology and Innovation

• Development of a System Toward Efficient Processes

Organizational Research

• Efficiency and Effectiveness of the CEU Process During the Offsite Operations

To strengthen, revitalize, enrich and sustain the research activities of Centro Escolar University, the University Research Committee continuously reviews and improves the policies and guidelines for the granting of research incentives to faculty members to attract and motivate them to conduct quality research, seek external funding for research proposals, publish research in local and international refereed journals, present their papers and posters in both local and international conferences and uphold the culture of excellence in CEU, specifically, in research.

The approved policies on the granting of research incentives were disseminated to deans and department heads. These were also disseminated and discussed by Dr. Erna V. Yabut, VP for Research and Evaluation, during the Faculty General Assembly held on June 7, 2013 at CEU-Gil Puyat. Below are the formulated policies on research incentives.

Faculty Research Credit Load

Research credit load refers to the number of teaching units of faculty members to accommodate research work. The number of research credit units will be determined by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) based on the extent and nature of the research. The TRC shall present its recommendation to the Dean or Academic Head.

For descriptive studies and experimental studies without laboratory procedures, the recommended research load shall be from 2-6 units. For researchers with laboratory procedures, the recommended research load shall be from 4-12 laboratory units, equivalent to 6-18 hours. The equivalent number of hours shall be used solely for conducting the approved research proposal of the school, college, or academic department.

Publication Incentives

Only researchers whose papers are published in journals not found in the Beall’s list of suspicious predatory journals/publishers, shall be given publication incentives. (effective August 15, 2017)

       The incentives for research publication include publication fee subsidy and/or cash incentive.

• Publication fee subsidy – For research work published in recognized local and international refereed journals, the University shall subsidize the amount prescribed by the publisher of the journal.
• Cash Incentive – For research work published in both local and international refereed journals listed in ISI, the University shall provide cash incentive to the faculty researchers who have published the research work. To avail of the publication cash incentives, the researchers shall submit to the REO the refereed/peer reviewed journal where the research was published, together with the accomplished Publication Incentive Form.
• Publication in the CEU Research Compendium – Researches which have undergone internal refereeing shall be published in the CEU Research Compendium.

Ranking Points

Ranking of faculty and staff of the university takes place every three years. The points earned determine the promotion and increase in remuneration. Thus, to further encourage the employees, the Administration approved the giving of additional points to the research efforts put in.

Corresponding ranking points shall be given to faculty researchers for completed research, published in the CEU Research Compendium, school/college journal, and refereed journals. Corresponding points shall also be given to the researchers whose papers are presented in local and international conferences.

Subsidies for Paper/Poster Presentation

To help alleviate the financial burden of the researchers (probationary and permanent faculty members) in a paper/poster presentation, both local and international, the University shall provide financial subsidy, aside from considering the time/day spent to the presentation as part of the presenters’ official time.

The researchers shall avail of the subsidy upon submission to the REO of the notice of communication of acceptance from the sponsoring organization, together with the accomplished Incentive Form for the Paper/Poster presentation.

A fixed term faculty can qualify for the incentives if 

• the faculty has been with CEU for at least four semesters,
• the faculty is the lead author,
• the paper is an output of a research completed within the previous year (or not older than 1 year),
• the paper being applied for is not a requirement for thesis or dissertation in exchange for a degree conferred in Graduate School, and
• the faculty's primary affiliation of the fixed term faculty in the publication and in paper/poster presentation of his/her work is CEU.

Subsidies for Seminars/Workshops on Research Capability Building

The University shall grant an official time to the faculty members attending a seminar and workshop on enhancing research capabilities inside and outside the University. The University shall also provide partial subsidy for the attendance of faculty members in a 2-3 day seminar-workshop on enhancing research capabilities outside the University provided they are going to echo what they have learned with other faculty members.

The subsidy for seminar-workshops on research capability building can be availed upon submission to the REO of the letter of communication for the activity, together with the accomplished Incentive Form for Research Capability Building.

Access to Research Equipment and Facilities

The research team with an approved research proposal shall be granted full access to the facilities of the Biological and Physical Sciences Laboratories and the University Library following the guidelines in the use of the facilities.

In case the reagent or equipment is not available in the Biological and Physical Science Laboratories, the researchers shall outsource the reagents or equipment and include the cost in the budget.

Faculty researchers can utilize computer facilities if a letter of request is submitted to and approved by the VP for Research and Evaluation.

To further improve the quality and the quantity of the investigative works of the CEU community, the CEU Office of the Vice President for Research and Evaluation, in partnership with the Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium, organized a “Research Protocol Writing Workshop” on November 19-20, 2018 at the LAH Seminar Rooms 2 & 3.

The activity provided the research advisers in the three campuses a basic working knowledge on the research process and the steps involved in research protocol making. Resource persons were Dr. Catherine Lynne T. Silao, Head of the Molecular Genetics Unit at the National Institutes of Health, UP-Manila; Dr. Monet M. Loquias, Dean of the College of Pharmacy; Dr. Hilton Lam, Director of the Institute of Health Policy and Development of the National Institutes of Health; and Atty. James Dennis Gumpal, Chief Legal Officer of the University of the Philippines Manila. Also present was Ms. Paula Jane de Leon, Regional Coordinator for Metro Manila, PCHRD.

The School of Nursing conducted a “Seminar on Writing a Review of Literature” on January 12, 2019 for the nursing students. Dr. Josephine De Leon, a faculty of the CEU School of Nursing, discussed the importance of the review of literature in writing a research paper and discussed guidelines in searching for good references.

CEU Makati, as part of its faculty development activity, included a lecture on “Problem-Solving through Research and Data Analytics and Maximizing the Use of Correct Data” with the aim of teaching the faculty how to convert office data into useful research output in order to improve products and services.

Research Undertakings

1. Health Status of Older Adults in the City of Manila

To set the focus and direction on the priority research area on Health and Wellness, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Evaluation spearheaded a multidisciplinary research on the Health Status of Older Adults in the City of Manila, which yielded eight (8) studies involving faculty members from the different schools and academic departments across three (3) campuses.  The primary objective of the research projects is to contribute to the promotion and preservation of the quality of life of the aging population of the country, particularly in the City of Manila. The research undertakings on Health and Wellness are as follows:

• The Behavior of Older Adults on Medication  Management, School of Pharmacy
• Correlates of Depression Among Older Adults, Department of Psychology
• Oral Health Status and Hygiene Practices of Older Adults, School of Dentistry
• The Visual and Eye Health Status: Basis for a Proposed Vision and Eye Care Program, School of Optometry
• Hematological Parameters and Biochemical Profile of Older Adults, School of Medical Technology
• The Physical, Functional, Cognitive Health Status and Quality of Life of Older Adults, School of Nursing
• Health Profile, Lifestyle, and Dietary Intake of Older Adults, School of Nutrition and  Hospitality Management
• Assessment of the Environmental Health Condition of Older Adults, Departments of Biological and  Physical Sciences

2. Preservation of the Authenticity of the Traditional Stone Houses in Sabtang, Batanes

The School of Nutrition and Hospital Management of the University is presently conducting a research on the “Preservation of the Authenticity of the Traditional Stone Houses in Sabtang, Batanes”. This aims to determine the current status of existing architectural style of each house, identify why some houses were not constructed in the Spanish old style of architecture, determine the programs being undertaken by the government to help localities maintain and preserve one of their cultural values, and determine if there are chances that the traditional houses can still be restored.

This is one effort of the University to take part in conserving historic houses and cultural values of the Filipinos.

3. Clinical Profile of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metro Manila, Philippines

The University also advocates activities and programs for Diabetes Mellitus, This school year, the School of Nursing, together with the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation Inc., Marikina City, started a research on Clinical Profile of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metro Manila, Philippines. Results of this study would be the basis in the development of Health Education materials to be used in DSME program.

4. Collaborative Externally Funded Research

Centro Escolar University engaged in a collaborative externally funded research with Holy Angel University and Polytechnic University of the Philippines– Manila through CHED’s DARE TO (Discovery-Applied Research and Extension for Trans/Inter-disciplinary Opportunities) Research Grant.

The CHED-funded researches are as follows:

• Development of Rocket System for Environment, Atmospheric and Weather Observation with Holy Angel University
• Development of an Energy Management System/Model for Higher Education  with Holy Angel University
• Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Exploring Philippine Endemic Species’ Gut Bacillus and the Development of Bacillus Species Identity Library Online (BASILIO) with Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Manila
• Intervention of WASH-Apps Kids to the Links of Soil; Transmitted Helminths Infection, Nutritional Status, Cognitive Ability, and Academic Performance of the School Children of the Philippines, also with Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Manila

5. University Research Forum  

The 12th University Research Forum, Research Discovery and Innovation Exhibit held on March 7, 2019 was themed, “Fostering Excellence in Research Towards Lifelong Innovation”. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jonel Saludes, Associate Vice President for Research at University of San Agustin-Iloilo, focused his talk on “The Role of Universities in Capacitating Human Resources for Lifelong Innovations in Response to Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0”.

The fora sought for the Best Undergraduate Researches in paper and poster presentations, for two categories: Health Science category and Humanities, Social Sciences and Business category. For Best Paper Presentation, nine (9) groups competed in the Health Science category, while eight (8) for the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business category. Meanwhile, twenty-nine (29) from the Health Science and eighteen (18) from the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business categories vied for the Best Poster Presentation.

As part of the implementation of the Research Agenda, the University created institutional research committees to formulate the necessary policies and guidelines in the development and conduct of research projects; thereby, attaining the objectives.

These are the University Research Committee (URC) created and approved on February 2, 2007, the Institutional Ethics Review Committee (IERC), on October 8, 2007 and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), organized on August 17, 2009. The functions of each committee shall be as follows:

The University Research Committee (URC)

• Formulate policies, plans, and programs in research for recommendation to the appropriate University bodies. These include guidelines and procedures for monitoring, reviewing, and approving internally and externally sponsored research projects, proposal, and awards.
• Set standards and criteria of acceptability of proposals or awards in accordance with University policies, programs and the University Research Agenda.
• Select members of the Technical Review Panel consisting of experts in specific field of research to be undertaken.
• Determine the administrative procedures in the submission, review, approval and monitoring of individual research, project proposals or awards.
• Determine the nature and amount of research assistance to be provided to research projects in accordance with the approved policies and allocated budget.

Technical Review Committee (TRC)

The Technical Review Committee (TRC) is responsible for reviewing research proposals submitted to the REO for funding. TRC is composed of two (2) subject specialists and one (1) member of the URC. Members of TRC, together with the research proponents, convene in a meeting previously set. Selection of the TRC members is based on their line of expertise. The comments or suggestions of the TRC are invaluable in improving the research proposal.

The Institutional Ethics Review Committee (IERC)

• Establish ethical standards for health research involving human participants.
• Evaluate the adherence of the research project to ethical principles primarily directed towards respect for the dignity of the human person.
• Determine the acceptability of specific research proposals based on organizational commitments and regulations, local, laws, standards of professional conduct and practice, and community mores, values and needs.
• Promote research integrity by identification and resolution of conflicts of interest.
• Establish appropriate mechanism in all stages of research projects in order to:
  • ensure the safety, protect the rights, and promote the welfare and well-being of human participants,
  • provide counsel to human participants including proponents and researchers,
  • ensure prompt reporting of changes in the protocol and unanticipated problems, and
  • ensure proper documentation and adherence to the confidentiality rule and policy on informed consent.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

• Recommend to appropriate university bodies the Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP), policies, guidelines and procedures for monitoring, care and use of animals for research.
• Evaluate and approve the research protocol of undergraduate, graduate students, and faculty involved in research using animals.
• Monitor the proper implementation of protocol and scientific procedures of the research with animals as subjects.
• Provide technical recommendations and guidelines/references for care and use of animals.
• Prepare annual report on the status and implementation of the Animal Care and Use Programs.

11th Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC) Annual Scientific Conference

     The Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC) conducted its first virtual oral and poster presentation competition on October 21, 2020 as part of its 11th Annual Scientific Conference. The contest  was divided into two (2) categories: Professional and Undergraduate. Centro Escolar University participated in the professional category where there were 16 entries that came from 7 institutions,. Out of sixteen, (16) entries from seven (7) institutions,  6 were chosen for oral and 10 for poster competition. The entries of the University won in the competition. 

1st Place
Oral Research Presentation Competition
"The Effectiveness of Topical Oxygen therapy in Wound healing of Patient with Diabetic Foot Ulcer"
Mr. Marvin Queg
(MS Nursing)

2nd Place
Research Poster Competition
"Preventing Surgical Site Infection Using Operating Room Bundle of Care in Patients Undergoing Elective Laparotomy Cholecystectomy Surgery"
Ms. Erika Leslie Magat
(MS Nursing)
 

CEU is known for its top performing health sciences programs, a distinction based on the performance of graduates in licensure examinations. The constitution of the CEU Health Sciences Research Institute shall boost the research program of the University in the health sciences that complements its strong performance in instruction. The establishment of the Institute is expected to encourage, motivate and assist the health science faculty to engage in research. The Institute coordinates, collaborates, communicates, and interacts among health science researchers within the CEU community and assists in the establishment of linkages with other researchers and institutes in the Philippines and in other countries. The Health Science Research Institute will be under the Office of the Vice President for Research and Evaluation.

The following are the functions of the Health Science Research Institute:

1. Coordinate the development of a consolidated and comprehensive CEU research program in the health sciences.
2. Initiate and assist in the establishment of partnership with government entities and industry.
3. Identify sources of funds and assist researchers in the sourcing of grants.
4. Monitor and evaluate the University research program in the health sciences.