Embracing change and sustaining the mission of catholic higher education institutions in the post pandemic era through meaningful collaborations

The Covid 19 pandemic has thrown Catholic higher educational institutions (CHEI) in the Philippines in a state of disequilibrium. These institutions have to grapple with the threat of closure because of the exodus of learners to government schools and the steep decline in enrollment. The challenges brought about by the pandemic cannot be faced by individual CHEIs, rather they can only be surmounted through dialogue, collaborative efforts and true expressions of solidarity. The forging of organizational linkages through collaborations or partnerships is a strategy that can advance their educational mission towards the integral development of graduates and their appropriate professional placement in the world of work. It is the interest of this descriptive study to explore the collaborative engagements of Catholic HEIs with other social institutions/organizations in the different areas of educational mission using a survey instrument. It also looks into how these collaborations impact the three pillars upon which CHEIs are built, namely, instruction, research and community engagement. This study provided a better way of appreciating the situation of Catholic HEI in the Philippines and pathways in exploring innovations for greater collaboration that will guide CHEIs in navigating the changes and challenges of sustaining viability and vitality in the post pandemic era.