Navarro, Christine Therese M.

BSA-1E

THE FOUR PILLARS OF BICOL UNIVERSITY

Bicol University adopts the four pillars of SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, SERVICE and
CHARACHTER as the core values expected to be developed among its students.

Taken from the BU Flyer: Finding the Bearer of Bu’s Burning Torch of Wisdom: The Four—Pillar
Test, Scholarship can mean that they must have acquired “a fund of knowledge”, utilize this knowledge
in the generation, application of, and contribution to the development of the self and others. According
to the University of Hawaii, scholarships help to lessen the impact of rising tuition costs and give access
to higher education for students of all income levels. As a result, there is a decrease in the number and
amount of loans students need to take to complete higher education, especially for those students who
fall in the gap between high and low income levels. With this, it tends to help them in having more time
to focus on their studies, rather than worrying about how they are going to pay for their fees. Through
scholarships, students are taught philanthropy. By being the student recipient of a scholarship, it is
hoped that the students will become philanthropic themselves and "give back" to the community when
they are financially able.

Scholarships are also credited for the present level of progress and technology development due
to research. Provision of these scholarships let students opt for research which there by helps the
progress of any scientific and non-scientific research study. These also help in broadening research and
collaborations such student exchange programs that exists in between universities of different nations.
Bicol University is known to partake in these programs through the help of its International Relation
Office (BU-IRO) in ‘keeping abreast of the ever-increasing demands for the development and enrichment
of faculty, staff and students in the fields of research, science and information/communication
technology’.

With regard to Leadership, the flyer says it may refer to the development of the graduates’
“power or ability to influence people to get things done.” Thus, BU graduates are expected to
demonstrate effective and inspiring servant leadership in accomplishing tasks in the real world of work.
They should be able to inspire strong support and cooperation from the people they work with. Through
the University’s vision itself, BU aims to become a world-class university producing leaders and change
agents for social transformation and development. According to the Bishop Tyrell Anglican College, it is
important for students to experience leadership opportunities not only in school, but in the community
as well, to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities and achieving tasks
effectively.

In line with the University’s Vision, ‘…producing Leaders and Change Agents for Social
Transformation and Development’, this provides an opportunity for the students to learn how to
identify and display effective communication and enhance their interpersonal skills, and allow them to
grow their skills as leaders and prepare them for their role in being leaders among their peers and other
students, and eventually apply this in the future as the leaders of society. This will help them learn more
about the community, and how it works, and bring greater awareness of how they can give back to
others. In this way, they feel more fulfilled as an engaged citizen through their contributions and what
they can provide to the people in return.

In terms of Service, graduates are expected to have inculcated the value of giving or have
developed the ability to contribute for the welfare of others (as men or women for others). He is
expected to contribute to the development of other people, groups and the society. It is his
commitment to improve the life of the people he serves that separates BU graduates from others. As
current leaders in school, and future leaders of the society, they are expected to serve. A study points
out that people should possess service leadership skills no matter what their job is, where they live, or
when they are requested to offer service, which strengthens the necessity and importance of service
leadership training in higher education. Service leadership is a skill set with which people present a more
active and proactive attitude towards study, work, and life. It is a positive perception that people living
in the modern society should possess in order to make them more competitive and serve others more
effectively. Through service, it will help them learn more about the community, and how it works, and
bring greater awareness of how they can give back to others. In this way, they feel more fulfilled as an
engaged citizen through their contributions and what they can provide to the people in return.

The last pillar, Character, makes the BU alumni unique. It is the “force within each individual,
which distinguishes him/her from others”. Aside from moral uprightness, BU graduates are expected to
have a “heart” for others, and a “will” to be at their best at all times. Character education is a teaching
method which fosters the development of ethical and responsible individuals by teaching them about
the good values that people should have. It teaches the students the values of caring about other
people, honesty, responsibility, and other important traits that make for an upstanding citizen. This will
also help prepare the students to face the many opportunities and unknown dangers that are in today's
society and deal with them properly.