Trinity University of Asia should seriously be guided by the research studies done on ISO 9000 by Dr. John Seddon. In doing so, Trinity is expected to be enlightened and hence decide to finally abandon the ISO 9000 folly. Instead, it should start thinking of whether it has established its own niche in the field of academe or not. If not, that should be its major concern now. To get to that concern, Trinity should be introspective and realize that it has to be serious in injecting new blood into its vein stream. It could be likened to a patient who needs to be drained of contaminated blood so that fresh blood may be transfused. The new blood is the more competent faculty.
Once these more competent scholars start to constitute the faculty, a new profile of the University spontaneously develops and more people will begin to respect it. Respect of the quality of education is the people’s response to the school’s prestige—something that cannot be hidden from their discriminating eyes.
In the final analysis, respect is still the reliable indicator of the people’s decision to send their children to a prestigious school. But it is worth remembering that prestige is gradually achieved in a setting conditioned by the presence of competent, creative and courageous teachers and scholars.
© Ruel F. Pepa, 28 August 2009
