by Dr. Cherrie Mae M. Manuel
The College of Business Administration (CBA) continues to uphold its commitment to providing transformative, industry-responsive education through meaningful experiential learning. As the culminating activity of the Second Semester Practicum Program, the College proudly launched “Voices of Excellence: Reflecting on the Practicum Journey,” a virtual initiative that captured the valuable experiences and reflections of both student interns and industry partners through recorded video testimonials.
Recognizing that learning extends beyond the four corners of the classroom, the initiative highlighted how academic knowledge is strengthened through authentic workplace experiences, professional mentorship, and reflective practice. The post-practicum evaluation videos served as a platform for industry partners to share their assessments of the interns’ competencies, professionalism, work ethic, adaptability, and overall workplace readiness. In turn, student interns reflected on the challenges they encountered, the skills they developed, and the personal and professional growth they achieved throughout their internship journey.
In response to the crisis that limited face-to-face activities, the College adopted this virtual approach to ensure that meaningful engagement, evaluation, and collaboration continued without compromising the quality of its experiential learning programs. The initiative demonstrated the College’s commitment to innovation and resilience while maintaining strong partnerships with industry stakeholders.
The testimonials provided compelling evidence of the effectiveness of the University’s practicum program in preparing students for the demands of the professional world. Industry partners commended the interns for demonstrating competence, initiative, ethical conduct, and a willingness to learn, while students expressed gratitude for the opportunities that enabled them to translate classroom theories into practical workplace applications.
Beyond evaluating student performance, Voices of Excellence reinforced the vital collaboration between academia and industry. The insights gathered from partner institutions will contribute to the continuous enhancement of the practicum program, ensuring that the College remains responsive to evolving industry needs and aligned with best practices in higher education.
The College of Business Administration extends its heartfelt appreciation to its valued partner institutions for their unwavering support, mentorship, and trust in nurturing future professionals. Likewise, the College congratulates its student interns for exemplifying excellence, integrity, dedication, and professionalism as ambassadors of the University in their respective organizations.
This initiative reflects the University’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing SDG 4: Quality Education through meaningful experiential learning and reflective assessment, promoting SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by equipping students with industry-relevant competencies and workplace readiness, and strengthening SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals through sustained collaboration between the University and its partner institutions. Through these collective efforts, the College of Business Administration continues to cultivate competent, ethical, adaptable, and globally competitive graduates who are prepared to make meaningful contributions to society and the workforce.