By: Keziah Nicole Fernandez
On February 21, 2026, the College of Criminal Justice Education at the University of the Cordilleras held an important industry consultation at the UC Legarda Campus to improve the Criminology program. The meeting, which lasted from 9:00 AM to noon, brought together approximately 15 people. This group included about 6 industry partners from the Office of Civil Defense and local barangays, such as AZKCO and Burnham–Legarda, alongside roughly 9 faculty members led by Dean Dr. Robino Cawi.
Dr. Cawi Opening the Program through Informing Industry Partners where UC-CCJE Stands
During the session, the participants focused on bridging the gap between classroom lessons and actual field work. The industry experts pointed out that while students have a strong understanding of theories, they need more hands-on experience in areas like disaster response, writing official documents, and observing real barangay dispute hearings. To solve this, the group proposed more experiential learning, such as community immersion and crisis response simulations, to make sure students are ready for their future jobs.
Students benefit by gaining the practical skills they need to be successful professionals, while faculty members benefit by ensuring their lessons stay updated with what the industry actually needs. Most importantly, the community benefits because graduates will be better prepared to handle local disputes and emergency situations safely and effectively.
Consultation with Industry Partners
This activity is also closely aligned with different SDGs. It supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by making sure students receive training that is relevant to the real world. It also helps achieve SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by training future criminology professionals to maintain peace and manage community safety through the local justice system. The consultation ended with a strong commitment to continue working together to help students serve and protect their communities.
