A Former DS Dean’s Reminiscences

 

A Former DS Dean’s Reminiscences

Rev. Dr. Noriel C. Capulong

 

I served as the Dean of the Divinity School from 1991 to 1994 or one full term. I was appointed during the time when Dr. Angel C. Alcala was then the newly elected President of Silliman.

 

During those years the Divinity School was enjoying relative fiscal autonomy from the university. That is, the DS is able to raise its own funds for the scholarship support of its students coming from the various conferences of the UCCP.   The funds come from both our international as well as local partners, individual donors and churches. Student enrolment each semester would be an average of 100 plus including a number of those coming from other Asian countries such as Indonesia and Myanmar. 

 

I still recall the late Mrs. Virgie Remasog, our office administrative secretary just writing a short note to the Business Office clearing the students so they can get enrolled or they can get their exam permits. While other students of the university would line up at the Business Office to pay their tuition and then secure their exam permits, DS students then would just present the small note from Mrs. Remasog to be able to secure their permit without much hassle.

 

Our academic programs then were focused mainly on the basic degrees we have been traditionally offering– B. Th. and M. Div. The M.Th. degree  was offered in consortium with the then South East Asia Graduate School of Theology, all which have been accredited by the SEAGST.

 

Our partnership with the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia had helped a lot in sustaining our annual Church Workers Convocation through the years. Because of the regular UBCHEA support, thru the assistance also of the late Dr. Paul Lauby, former Dean of the DS and former SU VPAA, the convocation was almost fully subsidized then, with free meals being served to the registered participating pastors.

 

It was also during those years when we started to have a regular partnership relations with the (VEM) United Evangelical Mission with the initial visit of Dr. Peter Demberger, the UEM General Secretary then. It was during those years and with the support of Dr. Demberger that the Divinity School village underwent major physical improvement. A concrete perimeter fence was built for the security and safety of the residents. The cottages, whose walls were originally built with lawanit or plywood were replaced with concrete stucco finish.

 

It was also in those years when the partnership with the Japan Biblical and Theological Seminary in Tokyo under then President Yoshihisa Kasahara was formalized with student and faculty exchange visits to each other’s campus. JBTS students would come regularly every two years or so for an exposure visit both in the classrooms for academic exposure and lectures as well as in the selected countryside areas for immersion in the culture and customs of the ordinary people after which the faculty would help them process their experiences. Then, JBTS would also invite 2 students from the DS and a faculty for a similar exposure to both the classroom as well as in the social and countryside setting of Japan.

 

It was also during those years when the recording studio at the Rodriguez Hall was built with the help of the Foundation for Christian Communication in Asia for the purpose of creating a program major in Christian communication focusing in radio broadcasting.

 

At this time also, almost all the students were housed together at the DS village since no one could shoulder the increasing costs at the Woodward and Channon Hall dormitories. The DS faculty initially decided to have the student residents be organized into a cooperative. This is the reason for the construction of the multipurpose hall at the western end of the village area, beside what is now the Dia cottage which was constructed later. A cook from the outside was hired and the residents were able to eat cheap meals with this scheme with subsidy also from the DS.

 

The coop arrangement for the entire village however was difficult to sustain and eventually the students decided to just cook by themselves in their respective cottages while pooling together their own budget for food. Each cottage had a rotating schedule of cook, marketer, dishwasher and cleaner among the residents. It proved to be a more sustainable arrangement. At the same time, it was able to provide early training for the students for practical house chore work and maintenance as well as develop among themselves the values of cooperation, team work, discipline and proper work ethic.

 

 Communication during those years were still very much dependent on the post office and the email was still unheard of although there were about two computers at the office, one for official office use and the other, for faculty use. Memos from the university were still in hard copy.  For communications, I usually would hand write my mails and the Mrs. Remasog will encode it in the only computer then for printing and for my signature before being mailed.

 

It was also during such time when the Rural Publication Center under Ms. Grace Tabada transferred its store location from the Guy Hall to the Divinity School. Its church materials and resources for pastors thus became more accessible to the church workers attending the annual convocation. 

 

There was already an attempt at that time to launch a self reliance campaign program which was launched during one Church Workers Convocation together with a project proposal for the scholarship fund build up, faculty development and physical plant development. It was submitted to the national office for submission and endorsement to our funding partners. Nothing was heard about it anymore.

 

When Dr. Mervin Misajon took over as President of Silliman University after Dr. Alcala resigned to assume the position of DENR secretary, he personally came to the DS office to ask me to stay put for another term as Dean. I politely declined his offer since I was beginning to develop some health issues at that time that has begun to affect my kidneys.

 

All in all it was an exciting but also very challenging opportunity to be of service to my alma mater in such capacity as Dean. I thank God and the Silliman administration for giving me such an opportunity to serve in such capacity.