The Bicol University, a state university in Region V, was created on June 21, 1969 through the passage of Republic Act 5521 but was institutionalized on September 22, 1970 by virtue of Resolution No. 1 of its Board of Regents. Section 2 of the aforementioned Act mandates that the following schools comprise the University: the Bicol Teacher’s College (BTC) with its Laboratory School (BTCLS) at Daraga Albay, the Daraga East Central  School also in the same municipality, the Albay High School in Legazpi City- all of which have become the College of Education with its Laboratory School; the Bicol Regional School of Arts and  Trades (BRSAT) in Legazpi now  the College of Engineering and the College of Industrial Technology; the Roxas  Memorial Agricultural  School (RMAS) at Guinobatan , Albay which now is the College of  Agriculture;  and the School of Fisheries at Tabaco Albay, now the College of Fisheries otherwise known as the “ Bicol  University Tabaco Campus”. These academic institutions most of them founded for more than half a century formed the matrix of Bicol University. 

Through the leadership of historian-lawyer Dr. Ricardo A. Arcilla, who, as Bicol University’s first president, has been given charge over the institution for its decade of existence, the developmental path of BU was charted. Unity and harmony was considerably attained among the initial constituents within the units of the University. Policy making was systematized. To engender powerful forces of forward movement in education and research, Graduate Education was offered in June 1972 with its first batch of enrollees in the Master of Arts and Education Program. In the same year, the College of Arts and Sciences was established, followed by the College of Nursing in 1973. 

The ensuing decade of university existence was marked by a period of linkages with several organizations and agencies, rapid growth, and new spectra of activity such as the Center of Cultural Studies, Computer Center, Audio-Visual production Center, including a number of community and extension projects. With Judge Aquilino B. Bonto running the cogwheels of the University, the decentralization of the administrative and financial management of the University was realized; thereby endowing the colleges with more autonomy. 

It is to his merit that a Medium-term Development Plan of BU was plotted. In 1981, an externally funded program supported by the World Bank was organized – the Regional Institute of Fishery Technology in the College of Fisheries that aimed to give a strengthened Diploma in Fisheries Technology Program. This diploma program remained even after the World Bank’s support ended on December 31, 1988. 

The year 1987 was significant to the BU College of Agriculture (BUCA) for it was the time when the institution was chosen as one of the implementers of the Agricultural Training Institute of the Agricultural Technology Education Program by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Financed by an Asian Development Bank loan, BUCA served as a pilot provincial Technological Institute in Agriculture.

 Five years later, two more achievements were put on line; the rise of the BU Institute of Communication and Cultural Studies (BUICCS) to give way to the Bachelor of Communication Arts curriculum, and the hosting of the Regional Science Teaching Center of the Department of Science and Technology in Region V (DOST). Owing to Dr. Patria G. Lorenzo, the third president who is a multi-awarded educator and leader, infrastructure development was carried out. However, cultural and value transformation was rendered of paramount importance.

The increasing number of enrollees and the changing demands of the times paved the way for the establishment of the BS Forestry Program in 1993; hence the College of Agriculture was renamed “College of Agriculture and Forestry.” Likewise, the College of Fisheries was restructured to be the BU Tabaco Campus. The following year, the Science Teaching Center hosted by BU was made a component unit of the University. Within a span of three years, the BU Gubat Campus was converted into a Bicol University Extension Program, similar to that of Camp Crame. Also, in 1995, the Computer Science Institute was born in response to the extreme mobility of Communication and Information Technology. 

Its founding went hand in hand with the renaming of the School of Arts and Trades as “College of Industrial Technology,” and the shaping of the Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation to manage PE classes and Sports and Recreation programs of the University. All these would not have materialized if not for Dr. Lylia Corporal Sena, the fourth University president who took that bold step to expand BU’s academic, research and extension endeavors. 

From 1999-2003, the decentralized administrative and fiscal system in the University was fortified. Remarkable leaps in the information and Technology programs were achieved, and the drawing of a Comprehensive Development Plan was done. Under the presidency of Dr. Emiliano A. Aberin, the University, likewise, integrated the School of Philippine Craftsmen in Polangui, Albay. The unit is known at present as the BU Polangui Campus. 

Bicol University continued to forge viable ways to be in the forefront of service to the region and the nation. Under the first two-year stewardship of Dr. Susana C. Cabredo, the sixth president of the University, the blueprint of the Comprehensive Development (ComDev) Plan finally took shape. It paved the way for the restructuring of the University’s academic courses that gave birth to at least four new colleges: the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), the College of Science (CS), College of Business, Economics and Management (CBEM), and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP). Dr. Cabredo also effected administrative issuances aimed at achieving the very essence of the ComDev Plan, which included the deployment of personnel and faculty members, clustering of administrative and academic workforce, and designating of officials to new posts.

The establishment of a medical school in Bicol University, was part of the University’s Comprehensive Development Plan 2004-13. Support for this undertaking was made thru the Regional Development Council in its 2009 and 2012 resolutions, and some political leaders. On July 27, 2010, the Academic Council of BU approved the curriculum of the Doctor of Medicine Program crafted by an ad-hoc team composed of the Vice Presidents and BU-College of Nursing faculty who did bench-marking of some medical schools in the country.

  On September 3, 2012, the BU Board of Regents approved the proposal to open the College of Medicine. A week later, a three-person team of the CHED’s Technical Panel for Health Professional Education, and Professional Regulation Commission visited BU and recommended that the medical school heed the world-wide call for transformative education to develop five-star physicians. 

     In June 2014, 62 students were admitted to the pioneer batch of the College of Medicine. As of school year 2018-2019, there have been 320 students from first year to fifth year.

In 2015, Dr. Arnulfo M. Mascariñas succeeded Dr. Fay Patria M. Lauraya as the 8th President of Bicol University. His development plans were geared towards his vision of transforming BU as a “world-class” university. In March 4, 2019, he was confirmed for his second term as SUC President IV of Bicol University. (Student Handbook Revised 2019)

Bicol University is the premiere state university in Bicol region founded on June 21, 1969 through the passage of RA 5521. As an institution promoting Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service as it core values, BU has risen to SUC Level IV status.

Reflecting its culture of excellence, BU is identified as Department of Education’s Teacher Training Center in the Region and the base agency for Bicol Consortium for Health Research and Development and Bicol Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development.

BU has 19 academic units:

East Campus:

1. Institute of Architecture
2. College of Engineering
3. College of Industrial Technology

Main Campus:

1. College of Science
2. College of Arts and Letters
3. College of Nursing
4. College of Law
5. Graduate School
6. Institute of Physical Sports and Recreation
7. Integrated Laboratory School
8. Open University
9. College of Education
10. College of Medicine
11. Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance and Development 

Daraga Campus:

1. College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
2. College of Business Economics and Management

Guinobatan, Albay:

1. College of Agriculture and Forestry

Tabaco City, Albay

1. Tabaco Campus

Polangui, Albay

1. Polangui Campus

Gubat, Sorsogon

1. Gubat Campus

With 7 campuses scattered across the region, BU is home to top notchers in the fields of Accountancy, Engineering, Midwifery, Nursing, Social Work and Education.

As a comprehensive university, it caters to the needs of the society in the following fields: 

• Technology, Engineering, Architecture and Sciences
• Arts and Letters, Culture, Recreation and Sports
• Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• Health and Medicine
• Social Sciences
• Education

BU Profile of Excellence

• Center of Excellence in Teacher Education
• Center of Development in Nursing Education
• Center of Development in Fisheries Education
• Center for Higher Education Research
• One of the 22 Leading SUCs in the Philippines
• SUC Level IV by the DBM Standards
• 3rd Level Institutional Accreditation
• One of the 20 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) included in the British Council-CHED-University of Liverpool Trans- National Education Program
• One of the 20 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) participating in CHED’s Program on Fostering World-Class Education
• Base Agency for Bicol Consortium for Health Research and Development (BCHRD)
• Base Agency for Bicol Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resource Research and Development (BCAARRD)
• No. of AACCUP Accredited Programs: Level I – 20 Level III – 32 Level II – 27 Level IV (Qualified) – 3

Lyrics and Music by: Bobbie A. Garcia

This is a school we wish to sing of
a school to honor and revere
a temple built by men of firmness
a mould for youth who walk with pride
for thee we’ll always be united
although we tread on distant lands
we all shall cherish what you’ve taught us
that you wholeheartedly gave forth

Bicol University
burning torch of wisdom
fount’ of courage hope and love
seat of truth and light

Bicol University
burning torch of wisdom
fount’ of courage hope and love
seat of truth and light

The QS Star Rating System

Core Criteria

Teaching
Employability
Internationalization,
Academic Development

Specialist Criteria

Facilities  

Learning Environment

Program Strength

Advanced Criteria

Arts & Culture
Innovation,
Inclusiveness
Social Responsibility

Introduction

Fostering World-Class Philippine Universities is a CHED-initiated project that aims to ramp up the internationalization initiatives of public universities. It seeks to further drive positively and incentivize the good practices, thrusts, and programs on internationalization that delivers on fulfilling sustainable goals not just on education, but the 17 other goals stated in SDG 2030.

Bicol University has been identified to participate in the Fostering World Class Philippine Universities Project by the Commission on Higher Education and is a recipient of financial support to undertake the project given the project’s relevance to CHED’s internationalization thrust to develop and sustain Internationalization Programs of HEIs per CMO 55 s. 2016, Policy Framework and Strategies on the Internationalization of Philippine Higher Education.  This project will assist Bicol University to showcase its excellence to the world by associating with an internationally recognized brand (QS Star Rating System) for quality international universities by promoting its internationalization initiatives and increasing its global reputation. The variables of the international brand would have the following metrics:

• Core Criteria (Teaching, Employability, Internationalization, Research, or Academic Development)
• Learning Environment (Facilities or Online learning)
• Specialist Criteria (Subject Ranking or Program Strength)
• Advanced Criteria (Arts & Culture, Innovation, Social Responsibility, Inclusiveness)

Bicol University

The Bicol University is SUC Level IV by DBM Standards. It is the 16^th biggest among SUCs in terms of enrollment, 5^th in terms of the number of graduates, and 6^th in GAA budget in the country today. It is adjudged as one of the 22 leading SUCs in the Philippines. Bicol University is also ISO 9001:2015 certified and is CHED’s Center of Excellence in Teacher Education, the Center of Development for Fisheries Education, and Nursing Education. Its College of Education is the base agency for the Bicol Consortium for Health Research and Development (BCHRD) and the Bicol Consortium for Agriculture Resources Research and Development (BCARRD). Most of its programs are AACCUP accredited. BU has been identified by CHED as one of the 10 leading HEIs in the country and is a recipient of the CHED-British Council TNE grant. It has an existing partnership with Liverpool University in London and offers a dual degree program an MSc in Sustainable Food Systems (BU) and MSc in Advanced Biological Science (UoL). BU has active partnerships with universities, particularly in Asia. Through the years, it has maintained its culture of academic excellence and is home to board topnotchers and placers.

As a University, BU has embraced internationalization and has adopted strategies to improve the quality of education that would translate into the development of a competitive human resource capital, has revitalized research undertakings by upgrading research facilities and putting up more research centers to stimulate innovation and technological advancement.

But despite being the lead university in the Bicol Region, BU still needs to enhance its reputation in the global community as a center of higher education specifically in the following identified programs: Nursing Education, Accountancy, Social Work, Entrepreneurship, Fisheries Education, Sustainable Food Systems, and in the English Language.

 In terms of internationalization, while BU has a functional International Relations Office manned by a qualified Director, the University, based on the results of a self-rating using the QS Stars criteria, very much wants an international presence. Based on the enrollment data, it does not attract international students and faculty members. It likewise, has very few international collaborations with other HEIs along research that would yield publications in SCOPUS.

The QS Star Rating System

The QS Stars university rating system is a way to assess institutions more broadly than is possible through rankings alone. With a Stars rating given in eight categories and for the institution’s overall performance, QS Stars allows universities to publicly highlight their areas of strength, and recognize and improve upon areas of weakness. This evidence-based marketing tool provides badges for each rating that the institution may use in its marketing to help attract students. Institutions should use the chart below to choose between alternate categories, with Teaching, Employability, and Internationalization required for all assessments.

QS Stars is a new initiative that works as an auditing tool for Higher Educational Institutions. QS will evaluate Bicol University, the data will be collected by QS and evaluated against four (4) major categories: Core Criteria Categories, Learning Environment Categories, Specialist Criteria Categories, and Advanced Criteria Categories.    The principal objective of this project is to provide universities with an opportunity to highlight their excellence, specialization, strengths, and output to a wide audience. QS will provide a report of the evaluation, namely The QS Stars Development Roadmap, indicating the institution’s overall result and performance within the audit as well as highlighting key strengths and key areas for improvement.

Objectives of QS Star university rating

The University intends to accomplish in the next 5 years, the following objectives as a result of its participation in the CHED project:

1. Improve its academic reputation in the global community through an enhanced web page to promote its flagship programs to attract international students;
2. Engage in international research collaboration with Universities that will yield publications in Scopus and at the same time attract foreign faculty members and researchers to handle classes in the University;
3. Improve the University’s performance along the different criteria used in the QS Stars and thus, boost its global presence through its webpage and QS Stars rating.

Outcomes

The following outcomes are expected:

1. Improved academic reputation in the global community;
2. Increased web presence;
3. Increase in international students;
4. More international research collaborations which will yield publications in Scopus and attract foreign faculty lectures;
5. Increase in citations, and
6. Use the results of the audit to help the University improve its performance.

BU’s strategic options to achieve its vision:

• Promoting a Responsive and Efficient Academic Governance
  Organizational re-structuring, rationalization of personnel assignment, strengthening administrative process, and, innovative mechanism to enhance efficiency of services.
• Enhancing the Resource Endowment of the University
  Consolidation of land resources and secure legal ownership, establishment of S & T Hub and commercialization center; partnership with private sector in developing business potential of land assets; enhancing partnership with alumni; fund endowment and research contracts from public/private sector.
• Offering Market-Driven and Relevant Academic Program
  Offering of programs responsive to market needs, ASEAN Intergration, and K-12; adoption of alternative learning systems (e.g. OL/DE, ETEEAP, MOOCS, & LMS); accreditation of remaining academic programs; adoption of outcome based education; and establishment of additional COEs/CODs.
• Strengthening the Foundation for Research, Development, and Extension
  Creation of additional R & D Centers with TG and TD functions; Enrolling BU with scientific career system of DOST; commercialization of research outputs in partnership with private sector; implementation of community development program using home-grown mature technologies; and RD & E policy enhancements and reforms.
• Developing a Critical Mass of Top Students and Outstanding Faculty
  Provision of scholarship to highly qualified students; other financial support for poor but deserving students; admission of qualified foreign students in BS/undergraduate; support for cutting edge research of students; sandwich program with other top universities in the world; hiring of highly qualified graduates from top HEIs; scholarship for professional and career enhancement of faculty in top HEIs; support for scholarly/IP work of faculty members; faculty exchange program; and adopt “balik –  siyentista” program of CHED and DOST.
• Upgrading/Modernizing Physical/Infrastructure Facilities
  Improving academic support for students and faculty; enhancing IT capability making BU a wi-fi zone area; improving teaching – learning and research facilities; build/upgrade facilities for students; and construction of climate – proof, and disaster resilient infrastructure facilities.