Brother Vic voted to the General Council

Brother Victor Franco, FSC of the Philippine Lasallian District was unanimously voted as a new member of the General Council, Superior General Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría announced in a letter to the Christian Brothers dated November 30, 2000.

“I wish to thank Brother Victor and congratulate him for his readiness to work for the whole of the Institute and our Associates. I wish to thank likewise the Brothers of his District and of the PARC Region for their valued collaboration. It is a pleasure for us to have at our disposition a Brother coming from the immense and multicultural continent of Asia, and we are sure that our Council and the Institute, as well as our Associates, will benefit from his person and his service,” Brother Álvaro wrote.

Brother Victor was born on October15, 1944 in Bais, West Negros, Philippines. He made his first vows in 1963 and his perpetual profession in 1970. At different times he has exercised his ministry in the Scholasticate and the Novitiate.

From 1976 to 1982 he was Visitor of his District. After that, he was the Delegate of the Superior General for Thailand and Director of the inter-District Novitiate of PARC.

The announcement on Brother Victor’s election fell on the liturgical feast of Blessed Scubilion Rousseau. Brother Álvaro said by maintaining the Brother of Reunion’s evangelical sensitivity, they would be guided in responding with great love to the new poverties and needs of the young people of today.

Since the beginning of September, the Brothers of the General Council and the Superior General have been working at planning the next seven years in the light of the propositions of the 43rd General Chapter. The Circular presenting the Chapter documents will be published in the next few days.

Int’l experts review Computer Science programs

Three international evaluators from US and European universities with acknowledged world-class computer science programs will conduct a review of De La Salle University-Professional School, Inc.’s College of Computer Studies (CCS) from December 4 to 8.

Forming the members of the visiting committee are Professor Jean-Claude Latombe, Chairman, Computer Science Department, Standford University; Professor Jurg Nievergelt, Chair, Department of Theoretical Informatics, Swiss Federal Insitute of Technology; and Professor Dan Simpson, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Brighton.

CCS Dean Dr. Raymund Sison said he came up with the idea to undergo international assessment during his visit last summer at Stanford University, reputedly the best university for computer science in the US. Stanford’s overall program is evaluated every three years.

The visiting committee will evaluate the following areas: programs, faculty, students, facilities, research, and alumni. The College prepared an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for the visiting committee.

The assessors will tour the College, conduct prepared and random interviews, and give short talks.

Sison said, “We may be the best in the country, but compared to others abroad, we still have a lot of catching up to do to become truly world class.”

He said the three evaluators have been conducting similar reviews for universities in other developing countries. “What we envision is for people to accord respect to the La Salle degree, and to treat our graduates the same way they treat graduates of other world-class universities,” Sison added. The assessors will give a list of recommendations as its final output.