University upgrades library services and facilities

Photo Courtesy of Ma. Isabel Medez - BS Psych 3

An additional reading area for the University Library is now being constructed between the Fray Luis de Leon Building and the Mentrida Hall, to accommodate the needs of the growing student and faculty population. The Library extension will house the foyer, library information desk, photocopying service, depository counter and library discussion area. This is part of the on-going effort of the University to continuously upgrade its instruction services and facilities.

All sections of the Library are now air conditioned. Additional OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalogue) terminals have also been added. The internet section has already been transferred to a newly renovated portion of the main library. To support the programs offered by the University, the USA Library continuously updates its collection of both print and non-print materials. It has already acquired 1,616 titles and 1,718 volumes of printed materials as well as 48 titles and 55 volumes of non-print materials – all of which are already in circulation and are used by the faculty and students.

It has also received 64 titles and 72 volumes of printed materials acquired as donations/gifts from alumni here and abroad. The latest donation, which came in this March, was a box of different titles of journals in the medical sciences from Dr. Marlon Torrento – a former faculty now based in the United States of America. The Library also subscribes to professional journals, magazines and bulletins to help students and faculty become aware of the latest in their respective fields of study.

The USA Library maintains its membership in a Library Consortium together with University of the Philippines Visayas, West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University, University of Iloilo, Western Institute of Technology and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology. Through this consortium, USA aims to share its resources with other colleges and universities, subject to each library’s rules and regulations. Resource sharing is one way of extending help to other universities and colleges. It also makes additional materials available to our students for information gathering.

With the continuous accreditation of the different courses offered by the University and the constant inspection from the Commission on Higher Education, the students are assured of excellent services not just by the updated materials but also by the improvement in learning ambiance necessary to encourage and motivate the students to use and visit the Library.

Source: A.C. Natividad / Communitas

School Calendar for the Academic Year 2010-2011

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Augustinian tops LET 2009

Jaylord Losabia, a cum laude from the College of Education (CoEd), topped the Licensure Examination for Teachers or LET (Elementary) in October 2009.

Losabia, a graduate of Bachelor of Elementary Education major in General Curriculum, earned general average of 89.6 percent. He is the first Augustinian to top the licensure examination for teachers.

In an interview, Losabia said he didn’t see it coming. “I was surprised with the results but I am happy about it”.

Both a St. Augustine Scholarship grantee and an academic scholar during his college days, Losabia admitted he was focused on his academic studies.  “I was an ordinary student then. My teachers asked me to join different organizations but I refused. I told them I was already overwhelmed by extra-curricular activities when I was in high school,” he said.

According to him, he prepared for the LET through the review classes organized by the former CoEd dean, Dr. Nenita V. Quiñon. He added, “I also attended a four-day review class at the St. Louis Review Center.”

Losabia was a graduate of the Iloilo City National High School in 2005. He finished his elementary education at the Andres Bonifacio Elementary School. He fails from Infante, Molo, Iloilo City and is son  to proud parents, Jose and Nelida Losabia.

The licensure examination consisted of three parts: General Education (20%), Professional Education (40%), and a more specialized General Education (40%). It was originally scheduled on 27 September but was postponed to 4 October due to typhoons  “Ondoy” and “Peping.”

Source: The Augustinian/UCRP

CoEd regains Level III accreditation

The Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) confirmed the Level III status of the College of Education (CoEd) in December 2009.

“I am overwhelmed with the results after the rigorous preparation”, CoEd Dean Alex B. Facinabao stated. “Bringing back the Level III status is the greatest achievement we’ve got since this is my first (term for the) deanship. It was really a challenge for me.”

Established in 1977, FAAP is the umbrella organization of all accrediting agencies in the Philippines. It is authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to certify the quality levels of accredited programs at the tertiary level for the purpose of granting progressive deregulation and other benefits. “The Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) recommends the status of all institutions to FAAP, until it confirms the results,” said Ms. Gladys Confessor, Accreditation and Quality Assurance Office Executive secretary.

When asked about his future plans for the college, Facinabao stresses he wants to maintain the Level III status by improving instruction, research and community extension; by making  the passing percentage for LET at least 75 percent; and by achieving accreditation for the following courses: BS in Library Sciences, BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management and BS in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Source: The Augustinian/UCRP - Communitas (June 2010)

HRD conducts 2 summer 2010 seminar-workshops

Committed to the thrust of incessantly enhancing and upgrading the competency of the university personnel, the Human Resource Department (HRD) conducted two seminars in summer 2010.

A week-long training and workshop on Research Proposal Writing was held on 5-8 April 2010 at the Nursing Review Center. This is in recognition of the inadequate facility of the most of the members of the faculty for research.

The seminar resource persons were Dr. Alejo P. Biton, research teacher at the Graduate School, and Dr. Remedios Somcio, Director of the Center for Educational and Institutional Research. The activity was attended by sixty-six participants, mostly members of the respective Research Management Groups (RMG) of the different departments. At the end of the training, each RMG presented a research proposal to the University President for approval.

Another seminar, Data Processing and Generation / MS PowerPoint, was conducted on 6-7 April 2010 at the Computer Laboratory A. The resource persons were Prof. Michelle Tribaco and Prof. Erlita Gonzales, Information Technology faculty members. The training was attended by thirty-nine faculty members, mostly, newly-hired personnel.

All these capacity building activities were facilitated by the Training and Development Committee, chaired by HRD Director Carmen N. Hernandez, DM. The summer 2010 seminars form part of the Personnel Development Program of the University of San Agustin.

Source: M.G. Salmorin/UCRP-Communitas June 2010