Back in 1998, the InTACT program was primarily intended to decrease the number of freshmen who don’t get promoted to sophomore year by providing them with particular knowledge, skills, and attitudes that would help them in their adjustment and academic survival in the college setting. Within the next three years that followed, the program started to feature topics on social and spiritual awareness
. In 2002, the custodians of the program became concerned that the “cultural” aspect of Ateneo – its values and traditions; was being overlooked and had to be addressed. It was then that the program took a more formative slant and eventually became a formation program – the mode which it is well known for today. In SY ‘03-’04, it was decided that the program be housed under the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and made part of the Integrated Ateneo Formation (InAF) framework. In SY ‘06-‘07, the InTACT Program was redesigned by a committee composed of Student Affairs Professionals and faculty, headed by the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. This task was performed to address both the academic and formative needs of our freshmen. The following key features necessary for the program to have were kept in mind during the redesign process:
1. for the program to be formative, while being complementary and supportive of the freshmen’s academic pursuits,
2. for the program to be formative in various levels (for the recipients and the deliverers),
3. for the program to serve as the homeroom class for the freshmen,
4. for the program to be present year-long
InTACT as we know it today is continuously evolving under the stewardship of a committee who seeks to improve the program such that it will be able to move along with the changing times and address the freshmen’s most pressing needs. The said team is composed of representatives from various Loyola Schools offices such as the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation, the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Office of Campus Ministry, the Office for Social Concern and Involvement, the Office of Guidance and Counseling, the Office of Placement and Career Services, and the Office of Student Activities. There are also faculty members who are part of the present committee given their years of experience as InTACT Homeroom Advisers. As a collective unit, we venture forth to find ways to best serve our constituents, the freshmen. Under the leadership of the University President and the Vice President for the Loyola Schools, some new directions are being pursued with regards to InAF as a whole. There is now this movement to better integrate our formation programs with the academic curriculum, with the vision of our students eventually being able to apply what they learned in their respective disciplines to come up with concrete responses to real problems that our country faces. InTACT, as the first formation program our students go through hopes to equip them with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will serve as building blocks to their growth and development as persons, and eventually professionals with and for others.
