By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

More than 15,000 students have enrolled in the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) this first semester of new academic year, manifesting resiliency and optimism in pursuing college education during the pandemic.

Of this number, 13,344 are in the undergraduate degree programs, 734 in the advanced or graduate studies, 38 in short-term programs, 557 in the secondary level, 269 in the elementary level and 62 in the pre-school. 

In the undergraduate programs, 3,871 are first year students, 3,288 are second year, 3,358 are third year, 2,802 are fourth year, and 25 are fifth year students. 

Among the academic units, the College of Teacher Education (CTE) has the biggest number of enrollees this semester, which is 2,567. This was followed by the College of Engineering (COE), with 2,450 students; College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA), 2,349; College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), 1,528; College of Industrial Technology (CIT), 1,476; College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), 1,460; College of Health Sciences (CHS), 1,238; and College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology (CASAT), 276. 

Of the 734 students for advanced studies, 569 are from the Graduate School (GS); 101 from the College of Medicine (COM); and 64 from the College of Law (COL).  

Meanwhile, the Laboratory Elementary School (LES) now has 269 enrollees, 16 of them are in the Batac campus, while 253 are in Laoag campus. There are 557 students in the Laboratory High School (LHS), 195 of them are in Batac campus, while 362 are in Laoag campus. The University’s pre-school department in Laoag City has recorded a total of 62 enrollees this year. 

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis welcomed the students as the university has started its new academic year and lauded them for their strong resolve in pursuing higher education amid the ongoing pandemic. 

President Agrupis also assured the University is always looking for ways to make flexible learning work for the students, saying that “the only way to win against this pandemic – and avert others from happening in the future – is to arm ourselves with the right knowledge, the right skills, and the right attitudes to succeed in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world.”

“Worry not, because we are here to provide you all the support and the resources, the best we can for your future,” she added. (StratCom)