THE UNIVERSITY campus was in a jubilant mood as streamers and banners expressing congratulatory messages dotted buildings and offices, morning of May 31. The news was met with excitement: the MMSU Board of Regents (BOR) appointed Dr. Miriam E. Pascua to a new term as university president—June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2015.

Dr. Pascua’s reappointment was the result of a rigorous process carried on by the Performance Evaluation and Valication Committee (PEVC), which was created by virtue of Board Resolution 1138, s. 2011, passed during the 92nd (regular) meeting of the MMSU Board of Regents, March 22.

Employing the Organizational Performance Indicators Framework (OPIF) data in the last five years, the PEVC looked into the following areas of evaluation: advance and higher education services, research, extension, production and income generation.

To validate the role of the president in the organizational performance, focus group discussions were held on May 10 and 13 in off-campus locations with students, faculty members, non-teaching personnel, university officials, extension beneficiaries, and the Commission on Audit team assigned at MMSU. Dr. Pascua was also interviewed by the PEVC, May 13.

Dr. Pascua obtained “Very Good,” the highest possible rating, in all areas of evaluation.

In a special meeting held on May 30 at the CHED Central Office, members of the BOR voted unanimously to give Dr. Pascua the fresh mandate. After the approval of BOR Res. No. 1141, s. 2011, reappointing the university president to a second term, Dr. Pascua was sworn in immediately by Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, CHED chairperson, who presided the board meeting.

The PEVC was chaired by Director Leonardo N. Quitos Jr. of NEDA Region-I. The members were Prof. Mario V. Singson, vice president of the MMSU Faculty Association, Inc.; Dr. Caridad O. Abuan, director of CHED Region I; Dr. Lauro B. Tacbas, national president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC); and Mr. John Y. Chua Jr., president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce—Ilocos Norte and Laoag City, representing the private sector.

Dr. Pascua first assumed the presidency on May 3, 2005 to serve the unexpired term of Dr. Saturnino M. Ocampo, who was then the appointed CHED commissioner. Thereafter, she was appointed to a regular term of four years from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2011.

The first MMSU president who rose from the ranks, Dr. Pascua was hired as instructor I on June 1, 1978. She currently holds the item Scientist I. At the end of her current term, she will be the longest-serving MMSU president (10 years).  Dr. Consuelo Blanco, first MMSU president, held the post for seven years (1978-1985).

During the School Opening Program and Freshmen Orientation Activity, June 13,  at the Teatro Ilocandia, Dr. Pascua vowed to continue to steer the university to its vision of becoming a premier university in Southeast Asia by 2015. She urged the new students to embrace the university’s culture of excellence and to be responsible and virtuous so they can achieve the dreams and aspirations they have for themselves, their families, and the nation. Also during the program, the new set of university officials were presented and sworn in. (See related story on page 2).

Enrolment figures

Dr. Pascua begins with her new term with a constituency that is biggest in number since the university was founded in 1978.

Based on data obtained from the Registrar’s Office, the university has, as of June 16, a total enrolment of 12,481,  5.44 % up from last year.

Of the said figure, undergraduate degree programs account for 10,556 or 83.18 percent of the total university population.  Graduate program registrants number 361 (2.81%); short-term programs, 18 (0.14%); secondary level, 727 (5.82%);  elementary, 653 (5.23%); and pre-school, 166 (1.33%).

The College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) continues to record the biggest enrolment with 2,457 or 19.68 percent of the total student population.  Coming in second is the College of Engineering (COE)with 2,013 (16.13%); followed by the College of Teacher Education (CTE), 1,522 (12.19%); College of Health Sciences, 1,490 (11.94%); College of Industrial Technology, 1,388 (11.12%); College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development, 789 (6.32%); College of Arts and Sciences, 766 (6.14%); College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology, 93 (0.74%); and the College of Law, 38 (0.30%), which is only on its third year of operation.

The industrial technology program listed the highest enrolment at 966, followed by the elementary education and secondary education programs with 855 and 667, respectively.

University enrolment increased by 5.44 percent from last year. The colleges with the biggest population gains were CoE (20.39%), CBEA (10.78%), and CTE (9.89%).