Chemical Engineering Society Launches InDEx

by Nickole Jean L. Codico (November 23, 2014)

Third year to fifth year students of UST-ChE gathered at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium last June 3, 2014 for the launching of UMPISAHAN 2014: The InDEx Primer.

The Chemical Engineering department chair, Asst. Prof. Rosalina A. Lioanag, opened the program with a preview of the InDEx concept. "Our faculty [Engineering] used to dominate the top 10 list," she said, “and to help bring back the glory days, InDEx arose.”

Initially coined as the Exit Exam, the Incoming 3rd, 4th & 5th year students Diagnostic Examination (InDEx) is a project of ChES Executive Council that is pioneered by Kevin Dales, the InDEx Committee Chairman. He proposed a solution to the low average passing rate of the ChE department for the last five years. "Di ako naniniwalang di natin kaya ang 100%," Dales said after he professed that he is the one to blame for the most controversial projects of UST ChES.

During the ChE testimonials, ChE board passers shared their experiences prior to the board exam. They admitted the fear and pressure they felt throughout the whole taking-the-board-exam period. That was when Dales had the idea that reviewing for the board exam should not be done after graduation but should be practiced within the years of stay in UST. This is to improve mastery and retention in order to gain confidence when taking the examination.

The exam was conducted on July 8, 9 and 10 for 3rd, 4th and 5th year students respectively. It was held in computer laboratories and was facilitated by ChE professors. The exam was composed of fifteen multiple questions with a combination of theories and calculations through e-leap. Students who failed to pass the 70% mark are required to undertake the remediation and peer tutoring arranged by the UST-ChES InDEx committee.

In the end, some may or may not approve of the InDEx but UST-ChES along with the Chemical Engineering department will push through with the project and will continue to redefine ChES by helping everyone in the society achieve their goal: 100% passing rate for the licensure exam.