University of Southern Mindanao

[EduCativ]

The University of Southern Mindanao, formerly Mindanao Institute of Technology, is a university in the Southern Philippines. It provides instruction and professional training in the fields of science and technology, particularly agriculture and industry. The University was founded by Bai Hadja Fatima Matabay Planning, an educator and philanthropist. It formally opens on October 1, 1954, and achieved university status on March 13, 1978. Its 1,024-hectare main campus is located in Kabacan, Cotabato. The University of Southern Mindanao is one of the four State University and Colleges to achieve excellence in agricultural education and nine to hold Level IV status. Across its three campuses, USM holds a total of 5 129.97 hectares of land, mostly for agricultural teaching and research.
The USM Undergraduate Degree is produced by Admission and Records Office. It was made through the different colleges' collective effort, particularly the deans, academic assistants, department chairs, vice-chairs, and secretaries.
The Graduate School was established in June 1976 by Resolution N. 65 series Of 1975, which was approved by the Board of Trustees of the then Mindanao Institute of Technology (now University of Southern Mindanao) in December 1975. It aims to become the center of excellence in graduate education in this part of the country. It became a regular and full-pledged academic unit in 1981. After passing the 1st accreditation survey in 1997, the Graduate School was renamed Graduate College per Resolution No. 30, s 1997, approved by the Board of Regents. The College has four doctoral programs and twenty-three master's degree curricula. Of the graduate degree programs, four (4) passed Level II accreditation, and thirteen (13) have been re-accredited by AACCUP.
In the first semester of SY 1976-1977, the Graduate Studies program of the University of Southern Mindanao started under Res. No. 65, series of 1975 approved on December 5, 1975, by the Board of Trustees of the then Mindanao Institute of Technology (now USM). This was during the presidency of Dr. Jaman S. Imlan (1975-19870. This program was under the Assistant to the President for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, the late Dr. Venancio G. Garagan, from 1976 to 1980. Program offerings were MS in Agronomy and Horticulture and MA in Education. Because of the growing enrolment, it became a regular academic unit of the University in 1981. The first Dean was Dr. Teofilo C. de la Cruz, with Dr. Lydia P. Oliva and Dr. Emerson D. Pascual as Associate Dean and Secretary. The GS office was first housed on the second floor of the College of Engineering building, then at the College of Arts and Sciences Building. It was transferred to the University Laboratory Building and then to its present location – the DD Clemente Building.
New academic programs were opened. The MA in Science Education (MASE) program began in 1978 in cooperation with the Philippines' Science Foundation. In 1982, the Master of Professional Studies in Rural and Economic Development (MPS RED) was offered, followed later by the MPS curricula such as MPS - Public Affairs Management and MPS Educational Management, and MS in Agronomy, in Animal Science, in Soil Science, and Social Sciences, such as Agricultural Education and Extension Education. During the presidency of Dr. Kundo E. Pahm, specifically in SY 991-1992, the doctoral programs in Educational Management, Extension Education, and Agricultural Sciences with various major fields were instituted.
To reach and serve more graduate students, the Graduate School Outreach Program (GSOP) was organized in 1983. It conducted graduate classes in five sites: the Summer Institute for Teachers if Agriculture in Jolo, Sulu – four summers in 1984 to 1987 with Dr. Teofilo C. de la Cruz as project coordinator, the weekend graduate classes in Cotabato Cty starting in 1989 with VPAA Dr. Kalinggalan B. Abdulsani taking over a project coordinator when Dr. de la Cruz retired in 1992 the training-seminar schedule of graduate classes in Mati, Davao Oriental in 1991-1992 with Dr. Florecita G. Tabora as project coordinator and the Fifth in Digos, Davao del Sur lanced in June 1995 upon the request of the Southern Mindanao Agricultural Project (SMAP) management to offer the MPS – Rural Extension and Development program for its field technicians. Two other graduate course offerings were MPS-PAM and MAEd. Dr. Rosa Fe D. Hondrade coordinated these projects.
Moreover, the Graduate School embarked on varied extension projects. It adopted barangay schools to undertake improvement projects on infrastructure, classroom facilities and capability training, and rural communities to uplift socio-economic conditions through integrated development programs. USM faculty and staff's health conditions were a concern answered by medical services, especially for FBS, cholesterol, and anti-oxidant screening and bone scanning. Linkages with health service providers facilitated this. The Mothers for Peace Movement was launched to harness women's power in the quest for peace. Seminar-workshops further enhanced women's empowerment on gender and development. These issues were addressed because peace and development is part of the GS curriculum. The Graduate School established a partnership with the United Bangsamoro Movement for Peace and Development, Inc. (UBMPDI)- USM, the service provider for the GREAT CARE project, which caters to the educational needs of 500 officially enrolled out-of-school youth from 12 barangays in Pagalungan and Datu Montreal, both in Maguindanao Province.
Furthermore, it also forged linkage with the Institute for Training and Development based in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. This partnership led to an International Conference on Islamic Education in Contemporary Indonesia and the Philippines on December 11-18, 2006, at USM. Madrasah education was the focus of the conference.
Another project undertaken by the Graduate School with Dr. Rogelio S. Tabora as Dean (November 2000-2005) was the consortium with Sulu State College per Res. No. 95, s. 1999, for the offering of EdD and MPS in Teaching Agriculture. The GS also forged linkage with the DepEd for the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) scholars. Elementary school teachers were enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching Basic Education program for Social Studies, Filipino, Science and Administration and Supervision. Another linkage was with the Department of Agriculture in which the Mindanao Rural Development Program supported scholars to acquire degrees in MS Rural Economic Development. In 2002, construction for the GC building expansion began with funding from local funds and savings from the Advanced Education Foundation. The building with three function rooms for the GC Dean, Secretary, and staff was inaugurated on December 20, 2003.
In the First Semester of 2003-2004, a new academic program was offered – Ph.D. in Rural Development. This is under the Institute of Development Economics and Management management now, College of Business Development and Economic Management. To meet graduate school standards, accreditation was conducted by two agencies – the Evaluation of Graduate Education of the Philippines team, which evaluated these programs: EdD and MS in Education and Master of Public Affairs Managemen'’ and the Accrediting Agency for CharteredColleges and University of the Philippines (AACCUP) which conducts a periodic evaluation.
In the first semester of SY 2005-2006, the Provincial Government of Cotabato, through the Hon. Gov. Emmanuel F. Piňol also started the scholarship program for 23 scholars enrolled in the Master of Science in Rural and Economic Development (MSRED). In the second semester of the same school year, the Local Government Unit of Kabacan, through the Honorable Mar Luzviminda J. Tan, funded 21 scholars for the MPA program. In 2006, two new curricular offerings were added: Master of Science in Plant Breeding and the Master of Arts in Islamic Studies, which had 14 students awarded with scholarships by the Harry Stine Grant of Iowa, USA. This grant was through the initiative of Dr. Abubabakar Murray, Dr. Carmat Amilbahar, and Mr. Rasul M. Busian. Another welcome development was the one-semester stint of visiting professor Dr. Sall Habana-Hafner of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, whose specialization is participatory Action Research. On September 11, 2006, the GS Policies, Rules, and Regulations were revised during a GS Council meeting. The Board of Regents confirmed approved revisions on December 23, 2006.
For resource generation, the deteriorating wooden stage wall in the Function Room at the Ground Floor of the DDCBuilding was replaced with a concrete one. This function room is now being rented out for added income to the GS. In June 2006, provision for a Cyber Nook was established, making the GS area in the DDC Building Wi-Fi zone. Graduate students with laptop computers can access the Internet within the GraduateSchool area. Other USM students avail of internet services at the lowest rate.
For online visibility of the GS and easy access to information, the GS Webpage was opened in November 2000. Newsletter and the bibliography of books n the GS library are presently available. The bibliography and the Handbook of Policies, Rules, and Regulations, and the GS Faculty Manual and Bulletin of Information. After over three decades, the GS continues to line up to its mission of producing competent, updated, and innovative professionals who excel in their area of specialization and contribute to the upliftment of the people's quality of life in the Southern Philippines.

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