By John Encela

LPU Cavite launches its annual Vision-Mission Week that centers on bridging a healthy administration-stakeholder dynamic. “Winning 21st Century Customer Experience through Global Educational Leadership” is the phrase coined by the office of Assistant Vice President for Administration and its upholder Dr. Mark Irvin Celis (or “Doc Celis” to his colleagues in the academe) to celebrate LPU Cavite’s 12 prosperous years of pursuing a perfect formula of world-class education as an institution and becoming a role model in customer service as a network.

On this year’s theme, the former dean of the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management presses on how LPU Cavite will continue its relevance in the upcoming years and for generations to come. “The needs and demands of the stakeholders are evolving, that is why it’s imperative to make sure we also adhere to and be responsive to their requirements”, says Dr. Celis on the inspiration behind this year’s message.

In addressing how crucial it is to involve the stakeholders now, more than ever is because the university sees them as the bloodline that pumps the university its much-needed fuel in providing the highest level of first-rate education and customer experience. How is this being achieved? Dr. Celis says, “collaborations and synergies are the basic ingredients to achieve working and healthy relationships between the administration and stakeholders. The key to a successful implementation of programs and opportunities in the LPU Cavite system is through a meaningful and collaborative conversation between two parties.”

Being known colloquially and officially as an institution that prides itself as a leader in service and hospitality management worldwide could mean pressure coming in from every corner visible and invisible that is why LPU Cavite ensures that in addressing the admin-stakeholder initiative, a periodic assessment of its programs and services take place. Dr. Celis believes in the Sino-Japanese word “kaizen” which translates to “change for better” and he points out that “kaizen serves as a guide for the university to make sure that we will always innovate and deliver quality and relevant programs and services to our stakeholders.”

One apparent hurdle that severely crippled not just the LPU system, but every educational institution is the COVID-19 pandemic. For 18 months and still counting, students and faculty have been detached from the physical campus space of learning and commune and that is a challenge to the university’s structure and procedures. On the difference between before and during the pandemic, Dr. Celis says, “both the university and the stakeholders made some necessary adjustments to cope with the changes. Through the adjustments, the University made a study on how to make sure that the highest level of customer experience will still be achieved at this time of the pandemic.” Drawing to a close, Dr. Celis leans on LPU’s ability to be relevant by continuing to innovate and provide excellent programs and services. He quotes LPU’s founder, Dr. Jose P. Laurel, that they will always be guided by the university’s educational philosophy – “Veritas et Fortitudo, Pro Deo et Patria.”