To streamline, standardize, and elevate its student support services, Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) kicked off Day 1 of the “Sync & Serve Scholarships Ops Workshop” today at the NORSU Library.

The two-day event aims to bring together scholarship coordinators from across the university’s campuses to align operations and address procedural bottlenecks.

Dr. Carlou G. Bernaldez, Director, University Institutional Student Programs and Services, delivered a Welcome Message, highlighting the necessity of coordinating efforts to better serve the student body. Dr. Cesar P. Estrope, Vice President, Student Affairs and Services, shared an inspiring message, reminding the coordinators that scholarships are a vital lifeline for many students and that operational efficiency directly impacts student success.

Ms. Shiela May L. Escorial, Head of the Scholarship and Financial Assistance, laid out the workshop's objectives, expected outputs, and mechanics. The core of the morning session focused on a comprehensive review of the current scholarship processes across the entire NORSU system. Campus Scholarship Coordinators from the different campuses presented their unique workflows:
Bayawan Campus
Bais Campus
Guihulngan Campus
Mabinay Campus
Siaton Campus
Main Campus

These presentations concluded with an engaging Open Forum, allowing coordinators to discuss shared challenges, different campus contexts, and immediate areas for improvement.

The afternoon session shifted to hands-on collaborative problem-solving. The coordinators participated in two major workshop sessions: Workshop Activity 1: Best Practice Hunt – A collaborative effort to identify which campus processes are currently working best and how those will be replicated university-wide.

Workshop Activity 2: Process Gap Challenge – A deep-dive session focused on pinpointing friction points, delays, and administrative gaps in the current scholarship application and distribution system.

The afternoon session concluded with a round of Group Presentations where scholarship coordinators shared their findings and actionable solutions, followed by a final Open Forum to summarize the day's discussion.