Mt Prov college to become university

By Dexter A. See

BONTOC, Mountain Province – At least 26 congressmen recently filed a bill in the Lower House to convert the only college in the province into a university.

Led by Baguio Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan and Kalinga Rep. Manuel S. Agyao, who is also caretaker congressman for Mountain Province, the congressmen stipulated in the bill that Mountain Province State Polytechnic College would be renamed Mountain Province State University.

This, as the Cordillera office of the Commission on Higher Education has endorsed the application of MPSPC for university status after rigid assessment of its compliance to omnibus regulations promulgated by the Commission relative to conversion of college to a university.

MPSPC has submitted itself to the rigid evaluation by the CHED on its compliance to a 13-point requirement imposed to schools aspiring for university status.

At the same time, the school’s board of trustees also approved the desire of the only State-run higher education institution in this province to become a university.

While the CHED team found several deficiencies in its compliance, the CHED evaluation team found the school has satisfactorily complied with the other important requirements, thus, it endorsed its bid to become a university in the future depending on the action of Congress.

Since 2005, MPSPC had an average annual enrollment of 4,600 per semester which is way above the CHED requirement of at least 2,500 enrollees per semester in order to qualify for a university status.

The school consists of a total of 145 faculty members with 117 or 81 percent are permanent in full-time status while the rest are casual but are serving in full-time status.

Furthermore, 79 faculty members or 54 percent of its faculty have master’s degree in their areas of specialization. a total of 72 or 49 percent of its faculty with master’s degree are on full-time status.

Dr. Nieves A. Dacyon, MPSPC president, cited the results of the CHED evaluation will serve as a basis in the formulation of appropriate work plans in order to satisfactorily comply with the requirements prescribed by the agency in order to achieve the university status in the future.

She said what is important for the institution is to improve development of the institution to provide quality education to the youth.

The university status of MPSPC was also favorably endorsed by barangays, municipalities and the province.

MPSPC was established through the efforts of the late Rep. Victor S. Dominguez who envisioned the creation of a university in the province.