University of San Carlos

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For the similarly named university in Guatemala, see Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.

University of San Carlos
Motto:	Scientia Virtus Devotio (Knowledge Valor Piety), Witness to the Word
Established:	1595
Type:	Catholic, private
President:	Fr. Roderick Salazar, SVD
Location:	Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
Campus:	North Campus, South Campus, Talamban Campus, Main Campus
Nickname:	Carolinians
Website:	http://www.usc.edu.ph/

The University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City is the oldest school in the Philippines. Founded by Spanish Jesuits in 1595, it is a Catholic institution of higher learning run by the Society of the Divine Word or SVD since 1935. It offers pre-elementary and basic education as well as undergraduate and graduate courses. Further, it offers a broad spectrum of academic programs through its eight colleges.

It consists of four campuses located in different areas of metropolitan Cebu – the main campus along P. del Rosario St., the Talamban campus (TC - Technological Center), the north campus (formerly Boys High) along Gen. Maxilum Ave. (aka Mango Ave.), and the south campus (formerly Girls High) along corners J. Alcantara St., P. Del Rosario Ext. (aka Private) and V. Rama Avenue.

Contents 1 History 2 Miscellaneous facts 3 Notable alumni 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

The university traces its origins to the founding of the school Colegio de San Ildefonso, founded in 1595. Colegio de San Ildefonso was founded by the Spanish Jesuits fathers Antonio Sedeno, Pedro Chirino and Antonio Pereira on August 1, 1595. It was closed in 1769 at the expulsion of the Jesuits. In 1783, the initiative of the Bishop Mateo Joaquin de Arevalo opened the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos. In 1852, the management of the college was entrusted to the Dominican fathers, replaced in 1867 by the Vincentian Fathers then, in 1935, the Societas Verbi Divini or theSociety of the Divine Word (SVD). The Second World War led to the interruption of the courses in 1941 because several buildings suffered various destruction. The reopening of various faculties spread out between 1945 and 1946. The Colegio de San Carlos was granted its university charter in 1948. The University was named after St. Charles Borromeo.

San Carlos' claim to being the oldest university in Asia, however, is disputed. Historians point out that it cannot trace its origin to the Colegio de San Ildefonso because this school (a grammar school as described by Fr. Ernesto M. Lagura, SVD, president of the University of San Carlos during the Centennial Congress on Higher Education held on May 28-29, 1998) was shut down in 1769 with the expulsion of the Jesuits. In 1783, the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos opened under new owners. [1] The Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila has been in existence since 1611 and was interrupted only by World War II. It was elevated to university status in 1645.

The college-seminary of San Carlos became University of San Carlos in 1948. Various faculties have been created at this time, while new buildings were built in parallel. The university is currently chaired by the Father Roderick C. Salazar, Jr. The board of directors (Board of Trustees) is chaired by Jesus N. Alcordo.

[edit] Miscellaneous facts

• USC has been recognized by CHED for its “enormous contribution to the growth and prominence of tertiary education in the country and in the Asia-Pacific.” Hence, USC was granted with an autonomous status in 2001.
• USC is recognized by CHED as Center of Excellence in Chemistry, the only one in the Visayas. CHED recognizes its Teacher Education as Center of Excellence as well.
• USC is a center of development in Biology, Physics, Marine Biology, Mathematics, Accountancy and Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Electronics and Communications Engineering.
• The USC College of Law has been consistently in the Top Ten Law Schools in the Philippines (based on the Supreme Court Statistical Data), placing 2nd to Ateneo de Manila University in the 2005 Bar Exams and 4th in the 2006 Bar exams (based on new candidates).
• The USC College of Engineering is the lone Philippine university member of the School on the Internet-Asia (SOI-Asia), a consortium of 15 universities situated in 11 countries across Asia. It can be noted that the Philippines was first connected to the Internet at the 1st International E- mail conference held at USC in March 1994.
• The USC College of Commerce has been selected for the 2007/2008 EDUNIVERSAL 1,000 business schools that count on Earth by an International Scientific Committee.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Vicente Sotto, former senator of the Philippines and the "Father of Cebuano Literature"
• Sergio Osmeña - second president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
• Christopher Go - Filipino astronomer who discovered a new red spot on Jupiter, an achievement recognized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ^[1]
• Jesus Estanislao - former secretary of the Department of Finance. He is the recipient of the 2002 International Corporate Governance Network Award (first and only Filipino to receive such award to date) and the Philippine Legion of Honor in 1992. He was the founding Dean (1998) of the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo. He also served as the founding president (1992-1997) of the University of Asia and the Pacific, which grew out of the Center for Research and Communication, of which he was the founding Executive Director (1969-1981). Dr. Estanislao holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he was also a Teaching Fellow and Research Fellow. He obtained his MA in Economics from Fordham University, and his AB in Economics and Ph.B. (summa cum laude) from the University of San Carlos. ^[2]
• John L. Gokongwei, Jr. - Filipino industrialist and tycoon ^[3]; founder of JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (JGSHI) and Chairman Emeritus effective January 1, 2002; #34 of Southeast Asia's 40 Richest (2005) ^[4]
• Augusto W. Go - president and founder of the University of Cebu^[5]
• Pablo Garcia - former Governor of the province of Cebu ^[6]
• Mariano Jesus Cuenco † - Representative, 5th district; Philippine Legislature Senate; In office as a Senator 1912-1928, 1941-1964.
• Ramon Fernandez - former Philippine Basketball Association or PBA player
• Emilio Mario Osmeña or Lito Osmeña - founder and chairman of PROMDI Party (Probinsya Muna Development Initiative or Provinces First Development Initiative) where he ran for the position of President in the 1998 elections but lost to Joseph Estrada.
• Senator Sergio Osmeña, III - incumbent Senator of the Philippines (1995-present); did not graduate at USC ^[7]
• Senator John R. Osmeña - Senator of the Philippines ^[8]
• Congressman Raul del Mar - member Philippine House of Representatives, Representative of the 1st district of Cebu ^[9]
• Congressman Orlando Fua, Jr. - member of Philippine House of Representatives, representative of the lone district of Siquijor ^[10]
• Congressman Oscar G. Garin - member of Philippine House of Representatives, representative of the 1st district of Iloilo ^[11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• University of San Carlos Official Site
• UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS INTER-FRATERNITY AND SORORITY COUNCIL

v • d • e SVD Schools in the Philippines Christ the King Seminary | Divine Word Academy of Dagupan | Divine Word College of Bangued | Divine Word College of Calapan | Divine Word College of Legazpi | Divine Word College of Laoag | Divine Word College of San Jose | Divine Word College of Urdaneta | Divine Word College of Vigan | Divine Word Seminary | Divine Word Mission Seminary | Liceo del Verbo Divino (Divine Word University) | Holy Name University | University of San Carlos