While many public universities have struggled to stay afloat during these challenging times, the City of Malabon University (CMU) found itself on a new trail. It has now innovated into becoming a Local Economic Enterprise (LEE). As LEE, CMU contributes to the income of the city through its various income-generating services.
“This was really something that the management wanted to do to contribute to the city,” said Engr. Sheila Ibay-Villanueva, CMU Vice President for Institutional Development and External Affairs. “Since the university can generate additional income, we are able to create more programs that are tailor fit that will contribute to the needs of the industry and the progress of the community.”
To turn CMU’s vision into reality, a technical team was taken in to conduct feasibility studies on converting the school into a Local Economic Enterprise. The studies yielded positive results, so the CMU team started creating a business plan right away. After that came the presentation of their proposal to both the university and local government stakeholders.
By operating as an LEE, CMU strives to achieve academic freedom, organizational autonomy, and human resource autonomy – all of which will also benefit the students, faculty members, and non-teaching staff.
Revenue generating programs (RGP) such as creating instructional materials for graduates and professionals, conducting certificate programs that are marketed to industries intended for executives, as well as continuing education for professionals — these sustainable programs can support CMU, and allow it to have additional funds.
A Global Future For CMU Students
There are a lot of significant benefits for the students, according to Engr. Villanueva. “The most significant would be the expansion of the facilities and improvement of the overall learning experience of the students — allowing CMU graduates to become competitive in the jobs market and to be ready with the challenges of the global economy.
Another notable benefit of being an LEE is the improvement of the physical infrastructure and learning materials that are crucial in order to have quality education. Students are also given access to an advanced learning management system, exposing them to the best of online learning.
Since not a lot of public educational institutions go into becoming an LEE, CMU aims to be a pioneer and leader for other schools to emulate and to those who want to follow in its footsteps.
For more information, visit cityofmalabonuniversity.edu.ph.
