Cagayan State University - History

History

The Cagayan State University (CSU) is the first and only state run comprehensive institution of higher learning in Cagayan. It hasß shared its historic contribution to the development of tertiary education in the Philippines.

Presidential Decree 1436, signed on June 11, 1978 created the Cagayan State University by merging two existing state colleges: the Cagayan Valley College of Arts & Trades (CVCAT) at Tuguegarao and the Northern Luzon State College of Agriculture (NLSCA) at Piat.

Rationalized on the issues of efficiency and effectiveness, college courses of other smaller institutions that were under the supervision and control of the former Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS) were made an integral part of the university system. These were the Aparri Institute of Technology (AIT), Bukig National Agricultural and Technical School (BNATS), Aparri School of Arts and Trades (ASAT), Cagayan Valley Agricultural College (CVAC), Sanchez Mira Rural Vocational School (SMRVS), Western Cagayan School of Arts and Trades (WCSAT) and Gonzaga National Agricultural and Technical School (GNATS).

These nine pre-existing state institutions were distributed throughout the entire length and breath of the province of Cagayan. Their founding years and laws passed signifying their original establishment. It may be noted that the various merger schools began as elementary or technical secondary schools reflecting the stage of educational needs of the communities where and when they are located and originally established at the time.

On January 3, 1979, Dr. Manuel T. Corpus of the University of the Philippines- Davao City assumed as President of the University. Then, on January 5, 1979, the first staff meeting was held where the AD HOC Committee was organized as nuclei for the University Administration. Various officers were designated in acting capacities, who were drawn out from the two state colleges (CVCAT and NLSCA).

The CSU Central Administration Office was established in the CVCAT unit until the Gonzaga unit was developed as a main campus where operation was centralized. The AD HOC committee met and the monthly regular staff meeting was launched in the BNATS unit.

To uplift the educational qualifications of the faculty, the Faculty and Staff Development Program was set up in the form of graduate programs effective summer of 1979. The come-on was fifty per cent discount in tuition fee.

On April 1–4, 1979, the First Academic Council Work - Conference was conducted in Aparri Institute of Technology (ATI). The council designed the following policies: curricula for various courses; proposed courses to be offered in each unit; policies on recruitment, employment and promotion of faculty; guidelines for faculty benefits, rules on discipline and leaves; guidelines on faculty load and faculty development; requirements for admission and scholarship of students, research and extension programs.

On Sept. 29, 1979, the Board of Regents authorized the transfer of college courses of Aparri School of Arts & Trades (ASAT) to AIT campus. This reduced the number of campuses from nine to eight. These campuses adopted the nomenclature approved by the Board on February 25, 1980 as follows:

• VCAT-CSU Tuguegarao City
• SMRVS-CSU Sanchez Mira
• WCSAT-CSU Lasam
• BNATS-CSU Bukig
• GNATS-CSU Gonzaga
• NLSCA-CSU Piat
• CVAC-CSU Lallo
• AIT-CSU Aparri

The first organizational chart of CSU took effect on October 26, 1981 upon the approval of the Board of Regents. This policy decision made possible the re-organization of the colleges and the approval of the designation of officials in the Central Administration, campus and college levels.

On July 11, 1983, Dr. Joselito Jara was appointed as the first Vice-President for Academic Affairs. Then on July 27, 1983 the approval of the proposal to open the College of Medicine in the University by the Board of Regents marked a milestone in the curricular development of CSU. The Board directed the administration to make arrangements with the then Cagayan Valley Regional Hospital (CVRH), now Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) to become the laboratory of the proposed college. The transfer of Central Administration from Caritan campus to the Carig campus, the new site of CSU at Tuguegarao, was undertaken on June 11, 1984. The old administration building in Caritan became the Graduate School and the College of Arts and Sciences Building. Another milestone was the implementation of the integration into the university system of the secondary departments of CSU at Gonzaga, CSU at Lallo, CSU at Sanchez Mira and CSU at Aparri on July 10, 1984. MECS Regional Director, Magdalena Castillo turned over formally to President Manuel T. Corpus, the four high schools on December 20, 1984. The President of the Philippines approved the integration on March 17, 1983.

On May 8, 1989, Honorable Lourdes Quisumbing, the then Secretary of the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) swore into office Dr. Armando Cortes as the first Cagayano President of CSU. Professor Monserrat G. Babaran was also appointed as the second Vice-President for Academic Affairs in June 1992 after Dr. Jara’s term . On March 1, 1996 to December 30, 1998, Father Ranhillo C. Aquino became the Vice President of the University.

In June 1992, the Office of the Dean of the College of Medicine was set up in preparation for its opening in school year 1993-1994. Dr. Gilbert Gamez, erstwhile Dean of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) College of Medicine, was appointed as the first dean of the college. As the university programs expand, a university-wide reorganization was undertaken in July 1992.

On May 5, 1995, Dr. Armando B. Cortes was reappointed as President of the University. The reorganization of the top administration took place on February 27, 1996. On this same year, the governing Board of the University resolved to suspend the operation of CSU at Bukig in Western Aparri because of the low enrolment that made non-feasible continued operation. This aspect of the history of the University is of particular importance relative to the evaluation of efficiency and effective performance.

On February 23, 1999, the Board granted the university Administration the authority to offer Bachelor of Laws and Letters (LLB) to commence School Year 1999-2000.

In response to the thrust and vision of Region 02 and to provide leadership in livestock development, the Board granted the University Administration the offering of Veterinary Medicine and Medical Technology courses effective School Year 1999- 2000.

On May 7, 2001, the then Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Eleuterio C. De Leon, was appointed by the Board of Regents as the Officer – In – Charge of the University. During his term, the Board approved the University’s decision to phase down the enrollment in the high school department and to limit the admission of first year high school students in Piat, Lallo and Gonzaga campuses to 500 students only.

A reorganization of top administration took place that paved the way to the search for the different campus deans, now the Campus Executive Officers.

On March 8, 2004, through Resolution No. 151, s. 2004, the Board appointed Dr. Roger P. Perez, as the 3rd University President. On March 15, 2004, Dr. Perez assumed official duty at the Central Administration with all the powers, rights, privileges and responsibilities accorded him. Another organizational structure which would readily respond to the actual needs of the university and attuned to the relevance of its existence and thrust of the new administration was then conceptualized.

Rationalizing its intent for a lean but mean organization. The structure has maintained three vice president positions with the third important vice president position having an added program under its domain, the Business Affairs Program. The new structure also proposed the creation of the positions of internal auditors under the Office of the President. The Office of the Deputy Dean of Instruction was likewise created to implement the virtualization of curricular offerings.

To further rationalize the structure of the organization which is in consonance with a lean but mean operation, the administration has cut the number of Vice-Presidents from three to two, that of the Vice-President for instruction, research, and extension and Vice-President for Administration and Business.

At present there are eight campuses under the university system. All campuses continue to operate as complementary satellites of the University. Although difficult at times, the unique arrangement of a multi-campus institution, which has prevailed over an ideal compact-university being located in one site, is succeeding in terms of providing educational access and equity to its rural communities. On the other hand, owing to the peculiarities of the geographical diversity and multi-ethnicity of its people and socio-economic, educational and political conditions obtaining in its catchment’s areas, the CSU institutional structures and arrangement are functioning well.

Today, CSU is present in six sites outside Tuguegarao which is located at Sanchez Mira, Lasam, Aparri, Lallo, Gonzaga, and Piat so that the original intent of providing democratized tertiary education in the countryside is felt in the whole region specifically in Cagayan.