Four administrators from Saint Mary’s University received badges and certificates from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for completing upskilling programs from June to September 2025. The programs were initiated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under the Higher Education Upskilling and Study for Advancement of Staff and Faculty (HUSAY) Program.

 Three administrators completed the Leadership and Management Certificate Program (LMCP), which ran from June 16 to September 5, 2025. The completers are Mr. Samuel Damayon, Dean of Student Affairs and Services; Ms. Pearl Via Coballes, Director of the Institutional Development and Quality Assurance Office (IDQAO); and Dr. Harrison Villanueva, Assistant Director of IDQAO. The LMCP program equipped them with skills to organize and manage their institutions, covering topics such as 21st-century leadership, talent management, and global firm and strategic management.

 Additionally, Dr. Clara Gonzales, Head of the Internationalization Office, completed the Strategic Marketing for Competitive Advantage (EMK) program from July 7 to September 6, 2025. The program helped participants develop a thorough understanding of customers, learn how to maximize consumer engagement through experiential marketing, conduct quantitative marketing analyses, and understand their role in a fully integrated strategic marketing plan.

 They underwent a rigorous application and selection process facilitated by CHED in June 2025. They then attended weekly online classes, taught by top-ranking professors from Wharton, and were monitored by CHED.

 The university congratulates the awardees on their achievement and recognizes the value of their new skills and knowledge in enhancing SMU’s institutional capabilities.

Written by: IO and IDQAO