Institutionalizing the help that UPLB provides to state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs) in the country through the creation of a focal office for the purpose has gained the nod of the UP Board of Regents (BOR).

On Sept. 24, at its 1354^th meeting, the BOR approved UPLB’s proposal to create the Office for Institutional Development in Higher Education (OIDHE).

According to Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., OIDHE will be responsible for helping build the capacity of SUCs and LUCs through technical assistance in curriculum development, collaborative research, faculty development, and leadership development.

The new office, which shall be placed under the direct supervision of the Office of the Chancellor, will support the country’s SUCs and LUCs in instruction, research, and extension in agriculture, natural resources, engineering, veterinary medicine, and community and rural development.

In the proposal to establish OIDHE, the university said that establishing it is aligned with UP’s role as the national university to perform unique and distinctive leadership in higher education and development in the country.

OIDHE shall cooperate and collaborate with the Commission on Higher Education in its various programs.

It is initially designed to pursue five programs, namely: institutional development, academic collaboration, policy development, curriculum development, and leadership development.

OIDHE’s core office will be composed of a director, a deputy director, and two administrative support staff. (Mark Jayson E. Gloria)