At the 1324th UP Board of Regents' Meeting on 26 January 2017, Prof. Ricardo T. Bagarinao was appointed as the new Dean of the UP Open University (UPOU) Faculty of Education (FEd) effective 01 February 2017. His term will run until 31 January 2020.
As Dean of FEd, Prof. Bagarinao has set nine goals in his vision statement for the Faculty of Education to contribute to addressing the government's need for sustainable education and the propagation of open and distance learning in higher education, in congruence with UPOU's Strategic Plans. Under Instruction, his aim is to lead in the (1) enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning experience of faculties-in-charge and the students; (2) widen the access to FEd education; and (3) increase student enrollment and completion. Under Scholarship, he envisions to (4) enhance faculty research and/or creative work engagements; (5) increase the number of publications and paper presentations in conferences. Under Administration and Governance, the goals include (6) the enhancement of administrative efficiency to support academic excellence; (7) enhancement of faculty staff and student welfare; and (8) promotion of sustainable governance. Lastly, he aims for the (9) enhancement of public service. He was able to discuss the strategies for each goal during the search and consultation forum on 11 January 2017.
Prof. Bagarinao holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UP Los Baños School of Environmental Science and Management. He is an educator and a public servant at heart, serving as a faculty member of the country's national university right after he graduated with a degree in BS Biology from UP Cebu College. He served as trainer, facilitator, resource person, consultant, tutor, and mentor in different academic settings in recognition of his expertise in environmental science, sustainable development, natural resources management and disaster preparedness. As educator, he was awarded the UPOU Gawad Chancellor for Outstanding Faculty in 2015. As public servant, different sectors of the society have benefited in the many research projects he has led.
Known as the research guru of UP Open University, Prof. Bagarinao has led numerous projects leading to his recognition as the Outstanding Filipino Research Leader in 2012 at the World Research Festival. His wisdom transcends to his authorship of various publications in his field. He has always been the recipient of the UP International Publications Award every year since 2010, and was twice awarded the UP Scientist I title, first effective 2013-2015, and second, effective 2015-2017.
He has also held various administrative positions prior to his appointment as Dean. In UP Cebu, he served as Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Environmental Studies program. When he transferred to UPOU, he was appointed Program Chair of PhD in Education program for 3 years before he served UPOU as the University Registrar for six years. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
