Binayao, Naiza Mae R.

Edma, Frances Daniella N.

Salvame, Genedith Joy N.

Sagario, Lory Ann B.

Tan Malack, Lezly James N.

The Graduates of AB Political Science of Central Mindanao University:

A Tracer Study

Rationale

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said that, education is essential to a good citizenship,

and that education is important to life because it enables people to contribute to their
community and their country. Being educated and earning a professional degree prepares
a person to be a part in a reputed organizations, companies, or institutions. For
determining what is good and bad for you, education does helps. Without education, a
person is incomplete, so education makes man a right thinker and a correct decision
maker. This form of education is commonly found in an institution called school.
According to the study of Mandel (1972), as cited by Arcelo and Sanyal (1987), the
school consistent with the teaching function, is the venue where independent sensibilities
are developed and are concerned with providing highly specialized skills to meet the
demands of complex technologically-oriented industry and a sophisticated governmental
apparatus and technocratic society. Furthermore, educators based the purpose of school
on the definition by Dewey (1934), as the instrument that transfers knowledge, and
prepares the children to compete in the global environment. Thus, the schools and
universities, are the primary shapers of education to the individuals which provides them
the tool to combat the menace of life.

In an increasingly globalized world, the needs and wants of the people also
increase, and even shifts. They tend to become more inclined in pursuing their material
wants, and seeks satisfaction to such. In addition, there is a growing pressure for fresh
graduates to compete for jobs which are not growing at the same pace with the growth in
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population of young people seeking gainful employment. Many schools produce

graduates of various degrees every now and then, and one of these degrees comes from
the AB Political Science program of Central Mindanao University. The university
produces graduates of about 2000-3000 per year (List of Graduating students for AY
2016-2017, 2016), which in effect, increases the demands for employment, with the
graduates looking for an arena that is likely in line to their field of study, wherein they
could apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired and learned, and the same time,
earn salary and satisfaction out of it. Based on the latest survey conducted by the
Philippine Statistics Authority last January 2016, the unemployment rate of the
Philippines is, at 94.2 percent of which, 19.7% of this, are college graduates
(Employment Rate in January 2016 estimated 94.2 %, October 2016). However, from
among these unemployed college graduates, there are also some, which, instead of
looking for an immediate job, choose to take a different career path, to advance further in
their current profession. Thus, looking to expand their education through taking up
another degree, or even so a higher education.

Stated in Central Mindanao Universitys official website, the AB Political Science

program, commits to produce political science graduates who will work in the academe,
government and private institutions who are equipped with knowledge and skills to be
effective and efficient manpower and responsible (College of Arts and Sciences
Department Objectives & Programs, n.d.). In order to evaluate whether or not these
objectives are achieved, the conduct of this tracer study would be very beneficial
especially to the members of the academe, since the results of this study traces the
destination of the graduates since they left the program with a view to establish, among
others their current activity, utilization of skills, the level of employment, unemployment
and underemployment, labor mobility, job satisfaction, including the perceptions of their
employees towards the graduates being their employer. This study also aims to assess the
contribution of the programs training to the graduates personal development as well as
the quality of the programs of study in terms of content, delivery and relevance to the
world of work. Schomburg (2003), shares that graduate survey results are important for
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analysis of relationship between higher education and work. Moreover, Millington (2001)
states that the informations obtained in the conduct of the study, provide quantitative
structural data on employment and career, the character of work and related
competencies, and information on the professional orientation, and experiences of their
graduates. Additionally, the collected data is an important indicator of the quality of
higher education found not only in the program, but also in the institution where it is
established.

References:

Arcelo A., & Sanyal B. (1987). Employment and Career Opportunities after

Graduation. Unesco

Schomburg, H. (2013). Handbook of tracer studies. Retrieved from http://www

uni.kessel .de/wz/proj/edwerk/mat/handbook_vz.doc Ugwounah

Millington, C. (2001). The use of tracer study for enhancing relevance and marketability

in online and distance education. Retrieved July 30, 2013 from

http://wikieducator.org/images/e/e1/PID_424 pdf

Dewey, J. (1934), Individual Psychology and Education, The Philosopher. Retrieved

from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_update/eu201207

_infographic.pdf.

Employment Rate in January 2016 estimated 94.2 %, (2016). Retrieved from https://psa.

gov.ph/content/employment-rate-january-2016-estimated-942-percent

College of Arts and Sciences Department Objectives & Programs, (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.cmu.edu.ph/academic-units/arts-and-sciences/