De La Salle University

De La Salle University (Tagalog: Pamantasang De La Salle) (also referred to as DLSU or La Salle) is a private La Sallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director. The college moved on September 1921 to its present location to facilitate increase in enrollment. DLSU, granted university status on February 1975, is the oldest constituent of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), a network of 17 La Sallian institutions established in 2006 to replace the De La Salle University System.

The university started as a boys' elementary and high school. It started offering in 1920 a two-year Associate in Arts in Commerce program, which was later discontinued in 1931 in favor of a Bachelor of Science in Commerce program. DLSU currently offers coeducational undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its seven colleges and one school specializing in varied disciplines, including business, engineering and liberal arts.

The university, currently under the administration of President Narciso S. Erguiza, is a member of several international university associations (including the ASEAN University Network and International Association of Universities) as well as local organizations (such as the South Manila Inter-Institutional Consortium).

DLSU is identified by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as a "Center of Excellence" in six of its programs, and a "Center of Development" in the same number of programs. The university is also among the 40 institutions granted autonomous status by CHED as of 2010. Likewise, it is the first of the only two institutions granted the highest-level accreditation (Level IV) by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). The university ranks 107th and 451st in the 2011 Asian University Rankings and 2010 World University Rankings, respectively, published by Quacquarelli Symonds.

Research is mainly funded by the De La Salle University Science Foundation. Since 2000, DLSU has been the CHED Zonal Rsearch Center for 10 cities in southern Metro Manila. As such, it evaluates research proposals for recommendation for CHED funding, and monitoring of CHED-funded researches, among others. DLSU research has focused on affective computing and renewable energy. Application of its research has resulted to electrification of remote areas in the country through the use of micro hydro generators, and the creation of both of the only two solar cars of the Philippines, SINAG and SIKAT.

DLSU has four official student publications, including the The LaSallian (a student newspaper). The De La Salle University Chorale has won several awards from different international choir competitions, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod  and Tampere Vocal Music Festival. It is a member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines since 1986, and has formed rivalries with other universities, including the Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomas.

People affiliated with DLSU include one National Artist of the Philippines, Archbishops of Manila and prominent politicians, educators, scientists and business leaders.

History
DLSU traces its founding to Manila Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty. Harty believed that the establishment of a La Salle school in Manila is instrumental in preempting the spread of Protestantism in the Philippines through the arrival of the Thomasites. His request would be later endorsed in 1907 by the Pope Pius X. An envoy of La Sallian Brothers arrived in 1910. Together with Harty, the Brothers searched for a suitable campus. A 13000 m2 property in Paco, Manila was purchased for this purpose.



Early history
De La Salle College was established as an elementary school and high school for boys on June 16, 1911 by the three Lasallian Brothers (namely Blimond Pierre Eilenbecker, Aloysius Gonzaga McGiverin and Augusto Correge) who arrived in Manila on March 1911. Classes started on the same day with 125 students. This number would reach 175 by July 10.

On February 12, 1912, the college was incorporated under the sole ownership of the college director, who was then Eilenbecker. The college was permitted to confer commercial high school diplomas in the same year. Meanwhile, it received a charter from the Governor-General of the Philippines, allowing the college to confer associate's degrees in commerce. It started offering the degree as a two-year program in 1920.

The college already had 425 students by 1921. Due to the lack of space in the campus in Paco, and the growing population of its student and faculty, the college moved to its present location in Malate, Manila on February 12.

In 1931, the College discontinued its two-year program in commerce in favor of a three-year Bachelor of Science in Commerce program, which was approved a year earlier.

Second World War
De La Salle College served as a shelter for displaced civilians and wounded soldiers during the Second World War. It was, however, occupied by Japanese forces, and made into a defense quarters on January 2, 1942. Repeated bombings severely damaged the campus. Despite this, classes continued. De La Salle students shared classes with students from other schools that have closed because of the war while the American Brothers had left. Meanwhile, high school classes were transferred to St. Scholastica's College in 1943.



Classes were eventually discontinued. On February 1, 1945, Japanese forces ordered the occupants of the college and surrounding vicinities to vacate the college. The Egbert Xavier Kelly, the president of the college, refused however. On February 7, Kelly was abducted by the Japanese, and was never found again; he is believed to had been tortured and killed. Around 20 Japanese soldiers came to the campus on February 12 shortly after noontime, and massacred 16 of the 17 Brothers residing in the campus, along with 25 other residents. Only one Brother (Antonius von Jesus) and 21 other civilians survived the event.

Post-war period
Classes resumed on July 1945. It had a graduating batch of 60 high school graduates. One year later, the College of Commerce reopened with its 3-year BS Commerce program extended to 4-year program. Later, the High School Department of De La Salle College was dissolved in 1968. The college, together with Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines Diliman, gave birth to the Asian Institute of Management in the same year with assistance from the Ford Foundation and Harvard University. Several other units were established in the following years.

1970s marked substantial developments for De La Salle College. For instance, its started admitting female students in 1973. On February 19, 1975, De La Salle College was granted university status. Since then it became known as De La Salle University. It also used the name De La Salle University – Manila. Since 2008, it has since referred to itself only as De La Salle University, being its registered name in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. Meanwhile, the Grade School Department was deprecated in 1978.



1980s was also as significant. In 1981, De La Salle University shifted from the traditional semestral academic calendar to a trimestral one. In 1987, the university, together with four other Lasallian institutions, became part of the De La Salle University System. The system would later be dissolved in favor of De La Salle Philippines, a network of 18 Lasallian institutions. Meanwhile, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde became independent of the university in 1988.

Recent history
An explosion occurred at the DLSU portion of Taft Avenue on September 26, 2010 around 5:05 pm PST, the same day as the Philippine Bar exams conducted by the university. The explosive, an Mk 2 grenade, was allegedly detonated by Anthony Leal Nepomuceno who was indicted by the Philippine Department of Justice on April 29, 2011. The blast injured 47 individuals, and resulted to the amputation of two victims.

Campus


The DLSU campus consists of 19 buildings (nine classroom buildings and 10 other buildings for administrative and auxiliary functions) located on a 5.45 ha lot in 2401 Taft Avenue Malate, Manila. DLSU faces to its right the Taft Campus of De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, another DLSP institution, and the Vito Cruz Station of the Manila LRT Yellow Line. As part of the University Belt, several other colleges and universities, including St. Scholastica's College and Philippine Women's University, can be found near to the campus.

The buildings have a combined floor area of 136685.98 m2, and mostly feature neoclassical design. These include:
 * St La Salle Hall, the first building in the campus. The four-storey neoclassical building, completed in 1924, was designed by Tomás Mapúa, the first Filipino registered architect and subsequent founder of Mapúa Institute of Technology. St La Salle Hall has undergone retrofitting since 2010, and is planned for completion by 2012. The LaSallian, the official student newspaper of the university, identifies it as "DLSU's most historic building." Likewise, it is the only Philippine structure featured in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: The World’s Architectural Masterpieces, a book published by Quintessence Editions Ltd. in 2007.
 * St Joseph Hall, a six-storey building completed in 1956. It was the location of the DLSU library from 1956 to 1985. It houses DLSU's Discipline Office.
 * Velasco Hall, a five-storey building completed in 1981. It houses the College of Engineering.
 * Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall, a nine-storey neoclassical building. Completed in 2002, the building hosts 20 classrooms, six conference rooms, DLSU's administrative offices and the Teresa G. Yuchengco Auditorium, a three-storey 1,100-seater auditorium. It has a total floor area of 12254 m2.
 * Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, a 21-storey 90-meter tall neoclassical building, making it the tallest academic building in the Philippines. It has a total floor area of 28000 m2, and has parking space for up to 120 cars. The building, completed in 2006, houses more than 100 classrooms and faculty rooms, and the College of Education.

Construction of the Henry Sy Sr. Hall began on December 2, 2010 as part of the university's Centennial Renewal Plan, a project that aims to construct and renovate facilities inside the campus. A 15-floor building, it replaced DLSU's football field with plans for completion by December 2012. It is estimated to cost ₱1.4 billion (US$32.5 million). In line with this, DLSU entered an eight-year agreement with the Philippine Sports Commission. Under the contract, DLSU will fund the ₱7.4 million (US$171,000) renovation of the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium. DLSU will get to use the facilities in return.

The campus, which is relatively small in size for its large student population, suffers limited space. According to The LaSallian each student had only 7.1 m2 for himself in 2009. Crowding is expected to only get worse as the university's population has been continuously growing with the growth for 2008–2009 amounting to 27.7 percent. It has also expressed concerns regarding fire safety, citing possible evacuation difficulties should a fire occur at the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, and accessibility issues for fire trucks given the lack of wide roads to major buildings. At least three fires has occurred in the campus, including two at St. Joseph Hall. To address the problem regarding limited space, DLSU has resolved to vertical expansion. But this has resulted to overcrowded elevators.

Likewise, DLSU has expressed interest in merging with De La Salle Canlubang (DLSC). Although smaller (5 ha; 2 acres), only 0.6 ha of DLSC's campus is developed. Under the proposal, DLSU would expand the Colleges of Engineering, Computer Studies and Science to DLSC's campus due to its location inside the Laguna Technopark. DLSU fears, however, that it might lose some of its students due to the DLSC campus's distance from Manila (around 42 km).

Organization and administration
As an non-stock incorporated entity, DLSU is headed by a 15-person board of trustees. The DLSU Board of Trustees, currently chaired by Francis G. Estrada, selects the DLSU President. As resolved by the Board of Trustees on June 2010, the president of De La Salle University must be a Lasallian Brother and be a holder of a PhD. Filipino citizenship is not a must but preferred. Prior to the university's move to its present location in 1921, the president was referred to as the director. The president, currently Narciso S. Erguiza, is assisted by a chancellor, who is in turn assisted by four vice chancellors. The chancellor, currently Ricardo P. Laguda, acts as DLSU's chief operating officer. Prior to the reorganization of DLSU in 2007, the chancellor was referred to as the executive vice president. The president may concurrently be the chancellor of the university, as with former President and Chancellor Armin Luistro.

DLSU has had 21 presidents (including seven Filipinos, six Americans, six Irishmen, and two Frenchmen) and three chancellors. All of them, except Carmelita Quebengco, were male. Two of them had been appointed as secretaries of the Philippine Department of Education, including Andrew Gonzalez (1998–2001) and Armin Luistro (2010–present). Meanwhile, Rolando Ramos Dizon, also a former DLSU president, had served as the chairman of Philippine Commission on Higher Education from 2003 to 2004.

Affiliations
De La Salle University is the oldest member of De La Salle Philippines, a network of 17 La Sallian institutions established in 2006. DLSP is the successor of the De La Salle University System, a similar organization.

DLSU is also a member of several international university associations, namely: the ASEAN University Network, Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia, Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities, Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning, International Association of Lasallian Universities, International Association of Universities, International Federation of Catholic Universities, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia and University Cooperation for Internationalisation. The university is also a member of local organizations, including the Philippine Association for Technological Education and the South Manila Inter-Institutional Consortium.

Student government
The University Student Government (USG), headed by President Camille Aquino, is the highest governing student organization. Under it are College Student Governments and Batch Student Governments for each of DLSU's colleges and student batches, respectively. Meanwhile, the Legislative Assembly, is the highest policy-making body. Prior to a constitutional change in 2010, the (USG) was known as the Student Council. Among such changes with the new system is the Judiciary Branch, which was created to ensure the accountability of the elected officers in the University Student Government. Among its activities were prohibiting the use of polystyrene in food packages in food kiosks along Agno St, and raising ₱200,000 (US$4,630) for the Achiever Scholar program. It had a total endowment of ₱1,424,790.08 (US$32,900) in 2010, including ₱558,000 (US$12,900) appropriated by the university.

Academics
De La Salle University offers 74 undergraduate and over 100 graduate degree programs through its seven colleges and one school. 14 of these are offered as undergraduate double degree programs by the School of Economics. It also offers a degree in mechatronics and robotics, one of the first to offer such in the Philippines.

DLSU received 18,895 in 2009. 4,638 of them were admitted as first year students. In the same year, it had 12,413 undergraduate and 3,366 graduate students, making a total of 15,799. 704 of these are non-Filipino. 53 percent of the undergraduate students were male while 59 of the graduate students were female. 85 percent of its students come from Metro Manila while almost all reside near the university. In 2011, it had an average of 990 faculty members for the academic year. 69 percent of them held doctorate degrees while 28 had master's degrees.

The College of Science, established in 1920, is the oldest degree-granting unit of the university. In contrast, the College of Business, College of Law, School of Economics (all established in 2010) are the newest of the university. The College of Business and the School of Economics are the products of the reorganization of the defunct College of Business and Economics. Meanwhile, the College of Law was established with initially 90 students. It offers a Juris Doctor degree program with focus on environmental and human rights law.

Grading system
Academic performance is rated from 4.0 (excellent) to 0.0 (fail). Grades 4.0 to 1.0 are separated by increments of 0.5 while 0.0 is immediately after 1.0. Students who attain a grade point average of 3.8, 3.6, 3.4 and 3 are awarded upon graduation summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude and honorable mention, respectively. Graduation occurs every February, June and October. DLSU had 1,050, 1,114 and 734 candidates for graduation for its June 2010, October 2010 and February 2011 graduations, respectively.

DLSU has used the trimestral academic calendar in favor of the traditional semestral calendar since 1981. An academic trimester usually lasts 14 weeks. In contrast, the previous system employed 18-week semesters.

Tuition and financial aid
Tuition fees vary in the different colleges of the university. In 2011, tuition per trimester ranged from ₱37,000 (US$858) for the College of Law to ₱70,000 (US$1,622) for the College of Engineering. Meanwhile, average graduate tuition fee per year in 2009 ranged from US$2,560 for Filipino students to US$2,610 for non-Filipino students.

High school valedictorians and salutatorians of DLSP schools are automatically exempt from paying fees under the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Academic Scholarship. Also, dependents of military personnel who died or became incapacitated during duty enjoy similar benefits through PD 577 of President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos. Meanwhile, children of faculty and staff, university athletes and performing artists, and senior editors of DLSU student publications are provided tuition fee discounts. Further financial assistance may be provided to students with annual family incomes less than ₱500,000 (US$11,600).

Accreditation
The university is identified by the Commission on Higher Education as "Center of Excellence" in six disciplines (namely biology, chemistry, information technology, mathematics, physics and teacher education) and a "Center of Development" in the same number (namely chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electronics and communication engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering). The university is also among the 40 institutions granted autonomous status by CHED as of 2010. Autonomous institutions have the privilege to determine their own curriculum, and offer new courses without prior approval from CHED, among others.

It is the first of the only two institutions (the other being Ateneo) granted the highest-level accreditation (Level IV) by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities. Likewise, all of its undergraduate programs that are accredited by PAASCU are designated Level III while graduate programs are designated Level II.

Libraries and collections


The DLSU Library was established 1956 upon to merger of the high school and college libraries. It was located in the first two floors of St Joseph Hall with a seating capacity of 100 persons and a collection of almost 10,000 books. Its collection includes 21,218 titles and 33,741 volumes on language and literature as of 2008, 3,751 titles and 4,898 volumes on fine arts and music as of 2006, and 17,999 titles and 26,526 volumes on philosophy and religion as of 2005. Meanwhile, a 2001 assessment places its number of periodicals at 14,362 titles. The library has among the highest borrowing limit per person (30 books), longest loan period (14 days) and highest overdue fine (₱20 per day; US$0.46 per day).

The University Archives, established in 1973 as the College Archives, is located in the fourth floor of the DLSU Library. It holds materials of historical significance to the university (many of which was lost during the Second World War), and acts as its "official memory". Its collection includes over 600 ceramic artifacts from Southeast Asia dating back as early as 200 BC, almost 400 specimens of rare Philippine banknotes and coins, over 200 artworks, 298 volumes of film scripts, 766 audio tapes, 66 video tapes, 1,205 volumes on health and nutrition, and 1,050 books and journals on neurology and related disciplines, among others. Several of these collections were donations previously owned by various notable individuals, including Jose Diokno, Francisco Ortigas Jr., José Javier Reyes and Lorenzo Tañada.

The Museum is the university's collection of Philippine modern art donated by the heirs of Doreen Fernandez, a food critic. The collection comprises more than 400 works by several artists, including ten National Artists of the Philippines (namely Fernando Amorsolo, Benedicto Cabrera, Botong Francisco, José T. Joya, Ang Kiukok, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo R. Luz, Vicente Manansala, Jeremias Elizalde Navarro and Hernando R. Ocampo).

Research


The De La Salle University Science Foundation serves as DLSU's repository of research funding providing research grants to faculty, and scholarship grants to students. Registered in April 1998, its total assets were worth over ₱8.5 billion (US$197 million) in 2008. 120 (20 percent) of DLSU faculty had been involved in 80 research projects between March 2008 and February 2009. Meanwhile, 39 (12 percent) of its faculty had their research published in ISI-listed journals in 2008.

Since 2000, DLSU has been the Commission on Higher Education Zonal Research Center for the 59 colleges and universities located in Las Piñas, Makati, Manila, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Pateros, Taguig and San Juan. Its functions include evaluation of research proposals for recommendation for CHED funding and monitoring of CHED-funded researches, among others.

The College of Computer Studies Center for Empathic Human-Computer Interactions specializes in affective computing, a study that seeks to create machines capable of reacting to human emotions. The center is funded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology. Emotion recognition (including laughter recognition), behavior prediction and the influence of music to emotion are among the center's research, many of which are in collaboration with Osaka University. The center, also in collaboration with Osaka, is the first one that constructed an empathic computing space in the Philippines.

The Center for Micro-Hydro Technology for Rural Electrification of the College of Engineering, established in 2002 through Japan International Cooperation Agency funds, is engaged in designing micro hydro generators. The center, in coordination with the Philippine Department of Energy, has been involved in the electrification of remote areas using micro hydro installations.



Both of the only two solar cars, SINAG (Tagalog for light beam) and SIKAT (brilliance), of the Philippines were made by DLSU engineering faculty and students. SINAG participated in the 2007 World Solar Challenge, and finished 12th among 40 entries. Meanwhile, SIKAT (which has more advanced solar cells, a more aerodynamic body, and 100 kg less weight) will participate in the 2011 competition. The project is funded by several private companies, including Ford Philippines, Pilipinas Shell, Philippine Airlines and San Miguel Corporation.

The College of Engineering is among the 18 "National Research Institutions" of the Asian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology, a project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and coordinated by the Asian Institute of Technology that seeks to assess environmental degradation in Asia. The college has also conducted research into biodiesel from pili nut and winged bean, and sustainable technology.

Student life


As of 2010, the Council of Student Organizations, a union of DLSU-accredited student organizations, had 39 members. Founded in 1974, the council oversees implementation of university-wide activities, such as annual freshmen welcoming.

The LaSallian (first published in 1960) and Ang Pahayagang Plaridel (Tagalog for The Plaridel Newspaper; first published in 1984) are the official student newspapers of the university. The two, written in English and Filipino respectively, are among the four periodicals managed by the Student Publications Office.



Performing arts
The De La Salle University Chorale is "the premiere chorale group in the university." Since its establishment in 1987, it has won several awards from different international choir competitions, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1992 and 2010 for the chamber and folk music, and the grand prize in the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in 1995, among others.

The La Salle Dance Company–Street is the first champion of the UAAP Street Dance Competition, an annual event organized by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 2011. Meanwhile, other groups in the company specialize in contemporary and folk.

The Harlequin Theatre Guild is the official theater organization of DLSU. It has performed plays written by Palanca Awards laureates, including Unang Ulan ng Mayo (Tagalog for First Rainfall of May) by John Iremil Teodoro, and Rizal is My President by Joshua So.

Athletics


The university has several varsity teams and sport clubs participating in different sports competitions, most notably basketball, volleyball and cheerleading. Since 1986, De La Salle University has been a member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, a intercollegiate sporting association formed in 1938. The university was also a former member of National Collegiate Athletic Association, in which it was able to bag five grand championships. The university is still to win a single grand championship in the UAAP as of 2010.

The Animo Squad, known as the Pep Squad prior to its rename in 2008, has won three chearleading championships in the span of its participation in the UAAP and NCAA. These are the years 1938, 1958 and 1989. Established in 1926 with four original members, all members of the Pep Squad were male until 1975.

Notable rivals include the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas.

People


People affiliated with the university include:
 * Jose de Venecia, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 1992–1998 and 2005–2008. He graduated high school at De La Salle College in 1951.
 * Leandro Locsin, National Artist of the Philippines for architecture. He graduated high school at De La Salle College. Many buildings of the campus of University of the Philippines Los Baños and the complex of the Cultural Center of the Philippines were of his design. Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei and the largest residential palace in the world, is his grandest work.
 * Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila from 1974 to 2003. His influential role was instrumental in staging two nonviolent revolutions in the Philippines (the People Power Revolution in 1986, which resulted in the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos and the restoration of democracy; and the EDSA Revolution of 2001, which resulted in ouster of Joseph Estrada). He was conferred Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa in 1975.
 * Henry Sy, owner of SM Investments Corporation (one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines with interests in retail and banking). He had a total net worth of US$5 billion in 2010, making him the richest man in the Philippines according to Forbes. He was conferred Doctor of Science in Business Management, honoris causa, in 1999.