Following reports of sudden fee increases on the last week of September, the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) academic heads clarified that the student ledger balances for the students were only “appropriately adjusted” due to what they mention as “course code corrections.”

In an interview, SEA Dean Dr. Jaypee Pajarillaga and Associate Dean Architect (Ar.) Franz Allan Rodriguez mentioned that the adjustments affected five programs, specifically third-year students.

“Hindi siya actually increase. Ang nangyari doon, if I’m not mistaken, they’re not all [the] courses sa SEA for your information. I understand ang affected [programs are] civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, [and] aeronautical [engineering]. Only five, actually. Tapos ang year level is third year,” Ar. Rodriguez stated.

As the course codes were in the process of correction on Campus++ ledgers due to course code changes brought by the implementation of a new set of curricula first implemented in academic year (AY) 2022 – 2023, fees also reflected the change—particularly incomplete fees for laboratory classes.

“Kasi ang mga third year, supposedly they’re in [the] curriculum [of school year 2022 – 2023. Tapos may mga course codes doon na bago. So ang mga course codes na, if I’m not mistaken, naka-input sa system, wala pa silang laboratory category (Labcat). Kasi, nagre-review sila ng labcat, nagre-review mga labcat na yan. So yung sa labcat na na-review ngayon, parang last week, nandoon na ang corrected labcat, if I’m not mistaken, and nag-reflect na sa mga accounts ng mga students. So technically, parang lumitaw na siya,” mentioned Dr. Pajarillaga.

“So wala tayong increase, wala tayong adjustment. Parang ang [nangyari is transfer] from old [course] code to [new] course code because of the new curriculum ng third year,” he added, further stating that there would be no additional updates for the first semester.

However, in an interview with Mr. Catalino Diaz, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the university’s Information Technology Systems and Services (ITSS) clarified that the updated course codes and laboratory fees reflected the class codes from the AY 2018 – 2019.

The course code changes, which were officially implemented on September 27, 2024, were made in order to reflect the students’ laboratory fees, which were absent from the affected third years’ curricula due to the lack of laboratory categories.

According to Mr. Diaz, he had received official amendment instructions from Ms. Edna Marriza Santos, assistant to the university president and vice president for organization development, to revert the course codes back to the AY 2018 – 2019 curricula on September 25, 2024.

When asked about the root of the absence of laboratory fees under the new curricula’s course codes, Mr. Diaz attributed this to a lack of a complete amendment form that detailed the curricula’s laboratory categories—further stating that changing the course codes in the middle of an academic year’s semester was outside of usual protocol.

In response, the SEA academic heads stated that the systematized encoding of the curricula, which included the encoding of the laboratory categories, was outside of their knowledge and purview as it was not considered an academic matter.

“The process kasi is kapag curriculum development, ang academics, sa amin nag-i-start, ano ang mga subjects na i-ta-take. And then pag may approval na, pupunta na sa [higher] offices, VPAA [Vice President for Academic Affairs],” said Ar. Rodriguez. “Kumbaga assembly line yan: mauuna kami, tapos kapag okay na kami, kapag may list of subjects, endorse namin sa VPAA tapos from there, sa CHED [Commission of Higher Education] na sila niyan at wala na kami doon sa equation.”

Moreover, the SEA academic heads also asserted that their only role in the creation of laboratory categories is the identification and suggestion of changes or policies per course; upon the submission of the revised curricula, which took place before 2022, they were to wait for further approval from the university’s higher administrative offices.

‘Lack of communication’, additional Campus++ issues in other SEA courses and levels

In contrast to the statements of the SEA academic heads, Chester Pineda, a 3rd-year Computer Engineering student—a course excluded from the aforementioned five (5)—was also among those affected by the reflection of incomplete fees with no prior notice.

“Natakot ako kase hindi na namin afford ang mataas na tuition fee. Hirap na nga kami sa [PHP 48,000] na balance tapos magiging [PHP 60,000] pa. Nagulat din parents ko,” Pineda expressed.

Likewise, a 4th-year Computer Engineering student who requested anonymity experienced a similar situation—further mentioning that there were no announcements related to course codes being fixed.

“Hindi kami nasabihan galing sa [administration] tungkol dito at sana man lang binigyan kami ng dahilan bakit bigla nalang bumaba at tumaas ang bayaran ng tuition fee. Karamihan [sa aming] magkaklase ay hindi aware, kaya nakakagalit lang dahil karapatan ng mga estudyante malaman ang dahilan sa pagbabago ng mga binabayaran,” the student stated.

Another Computer Engineering senior who requested anonymity expressed that the issue was only announced by the administration after the adjustment was corrected.

“The [administrators] only communicated the change after updated lab fees were reflected on our accounts. We only found out about the changes due to other students complaining of the sudden increase in lab fees,” the student said.

When asked about the students’ accounts of lack of information dissemination regarding the missing laboratory fees, the SEA academics heads said that the students—particularly, the third-year students belonging to the affected programs—had already been oriented regarding the new AY 2022 – 2023 curriculum and its subsequent changes to the course codes.

“It is expected from the students that they know what curriculum they are,” stated Ar. Rodriguez, emphasizing that yearly orientations, along with QR codes posted around campus during the enrollment period, contained information regarding the curricula change .

“So, kumbaga, we are not obligated to inform mga estudyante isa-isa about the curriculum,” Dr. Pajarillaga also stated.

In an interview with College Student Council (CSC)-SEA Governor Mary Rose Lapuz, she mentioned that their office is in communication with the Class President’s League, chairpersons, and academic heads in addressing this matter to further inform the affected students.

“To ensure students are informed, I reached out to the Class President’s League to disseminate the information, and I am in the process of confirming the exact fees for each laboratory course. Affected students can check the finance bulletin board for the posted fees, and they are encouraged to approach their program chairs with concerns to discuss it thoroughly,” she said.

The Holy Angel University – University Student Council (HAU-USC), in coordination with the CSC-SEA, likewise provided in their report to the University Finance Office that seniors from the Architecture and Aeronautical Engineering programs also experienced adjustments of P8,000 and P17,000, respectively.

When asked about these changes, the SEA academic heads denied awareness of the issues, mentioning that prior to The Angelite’s post on the sudden increase of tuition fees for affected SEA students on September 29, they had not received prior notice regarding the Campus++ issues.

The academic heads had also mentioned that they were also unaware of the Campus++ issues encountered by members of the SEA faculty and students not under the AY 2022 – 2023 curricula; additionally, they had asked for further verification on the issues as they had not personally received any related complaints.

“Actually, ang mas maappreciate namin sa cases na ganyan is that they go directly to their chairpersons. Kasi, parang at least these are the reports that they are saying to us, hindi yan ma-a-address…kasi what the (department) chairpersons would do, they would lobby for the students’ case…Pero since wala silang na-report o na-receive na report, hindi sila [napagtuunan]”, Ar. Rodriguez answered.

However, both academic heads had said that they would be looking into the issues raised by the SEA students and professors through The Angelite.

Currently, total assessment fees seen in the Campus++ student portal are supposed to “reflect the appropriate assessment,” given the corrections made with the course codes and laboratory fees.

More so, University Registrar Chief Enrollment Officer Dr. Jesus Panlilio and Finance and Resource Management Resources Director Julie Garcia stated in a separate interview that “corrections were made to appropriately reflect the subject offerings of a particular curriculum.”

The Angelite has already reached out to CHED if such adjustments mid-semester are permitted, but has yet to receive a response.