01/06/2026
EXERCISE ACADEMIC COMPASSION! UPHOLD STUDENTS WELFARE!
The UP Baguio University Student Council supports the BA communication studentsโ demands in their call for the recognition of internship hours already rendered in good faith, and for stronger student protections within internship programs.
Following the news that several students from the College of Arts and Communication have faced issues with their internship program highlights the importance of having clear, transparent, and consistent guidelines governing internship arrangements. CAC students are required to render at least 100 hours of work as compliance with their internship programs. Contracts are provided by agencies to both the department and the students, in which the faculty also provides the same. The students should be given the right and space to learn rather than being denied of it. It is essential that policies and agreements provide sufficient guidance, accountability, and safeguards for all parties involved.
However, just today, June 1, the students have received a failing grade (5) despite the unjust situation, all efforts, and even after finishing their internship program with a second company.
The petition submitted by internship students in a Broadcast Communication and Journalism class weeks before their course deadline was an attempt to seek permission for them to continue rendering hours for a third company, and was signed by almost everyone in the class. It was submitted to the faculty in hopes that after a termination with their first company, in which they had already rendered 90+ hours for, they would be allowed to render a different 100 hours required of them in the course in another media company. Their efforts show their determination and willingness to fulfill the requirements of the course given the circumstances surrounding their internship.
The support for the petition among their classmates demonstrates a shared concern regarding the fair recognition of work already completed and the completion of course requirements.
This only strengthens the call to assert that internships should be a productive avenue for the studentsโ development in different fields, and institutions must provide them opportunities to hone their skills while safeguarding them. This situation underscores the need to continually review and strengthen internship policies to ensure that students are supported while meeting academic standards. .
In this manner, we call the Department of Communication to exercise academic compassion and heed the petition of the students, while continuously strengthening academic policies concerning student welfare. Furthermore, we call on all the parties involved to settle this matter and attend to the students' needs with all the events that have transpired.
