New state university put up in the Visayas

Central Visayas has a new state university.

A new law has just upgraded the Central Visayas Polytechnic College based in Dumaguete City into a full-fledged state university to be known as the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), according to Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

"This is not just a simple conversion of a state polytechnic college into a (state) university. Congress, in the NORSU charter — Republic Act 9299 — actually merged into a whole a state college and three local government-run schools in Negros Oriental," he said.

Gullas said the Genaro Goñi Memorial College in Bais City, the Siaton Community College in Siaton town and the Mabinay Institute of Technology in Mabinay town will be integrated with the Central Visayas Polytechnic College to establish NORSU.

NORSU, which will have its main campus in Dumaguete City, is expected to eventually match, if not surpass the exceptional quality of education now being offered by the Protestant mission-run Silliman University, one of the country’s oldest institutions of higher learning.

Gullas said NORSU, the first state university in Negros Oriental, would further build up Central Visayas as a hub of higher learning in the Visayas as well as Mindanao.

"Congress should see to it that adequate funding for the new state university is included in the 2006 national budget," he said.

Gullas’ family founded the University of the Visayas, one of the largest and most progressive private institutions of higher learning in Cebu.

A board of regents will govern NORSU.

Serving as regents are the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, the university’s designated president, the chairmen of the Senate education committee and the House higher education committee, regional directors of the National Economic Development Authority and Department of Science and Technology, the heads of the federations of faculty unions, student councils and alumni associations of the university, and two distinguished citizens based in the province.

The board’s first order of business will be to chart a five-year development plan for the new university.

NORSU will provide advanced academic, professional and technical instruction and training in the arts, sciences, engineering, education, commerce, agriculture, forestry, fishery and other related fields of study.

The university will also promote research and extension services and provide progressive leadership in its areas of specialization.