A/S Dean Wraps Up United Board Fellowship at Leadership Seminar

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon attended a five-day leadership seminar designed for fellows of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia held late last month at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Dr. Villordon was a United Board fellow for 2017-2018. Her participation in the seminar on “Leadership in Times of Change” concluded her fellowship that brought her for leadership and management training and exposure to two foreign universities in 2017: three weeks at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts and three months at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) in Hong Kong.

Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, seated second from left, with United Board fellows and officers.

During the seminar, Dr. Villordon was part of  the panel discussion on “Transitioning from Teaching to Leading Teams”, with three other United Board fellows from South Korea, India and the Philippines. She shared her experiences in moving up from being a teacher to an administrator, and her insights on the role that the fellowship played in preparing her for her administrative assignment in Silliman.

“Good leadership in higher education means being visionary. You need to be decisive, committed and motivating,” Dr. Villordon said.

In working with teams, she highlighted the importance of empowering people to give their best. “You inspire them to continue their pursuit of professional development and advancement with a collaborative spirit, and to demonstrate a positive outlook and attitude towards change,” she added.

The leadership seminar was timely, especially in the face of education reforms in the Philippines. Among the distinguished speakers were Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, former chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, and Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, former president of the Ateneo de Manila and current trustee of the United Board.