| AMA Computer University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Never rest on one's laurels" |
| Established | October 15, 1980 |
| Type | Private, For-profit studies |
| President | Amable Aguiluz IX |
| Undergraduates | Approx. 150,000 (entire AMA Education System) |
| Postgraduates | Approx. 51 |
| Location | Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Hymn | The AMA Hymn |
| Colors | Crimson red █ and White █ |
| Nickname | The AMACU Titans |
| Affiliations | NAASCU, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU)[1] |
| Website | www.ama.edu.ph |
AMA Computer University (AMACU), formerly AMA Computer College, was the first ICT University in Asia.[2] The University serves as the flagship brand of the AMA Education System.
AMACU is located in Project 8, Quezon City, Philippines, this educational institution specializes in electronic, information, and communication technologies. It follows a trimestral calendar where a typical four year collegiate education program under a semestral calendar is completed in only 3 years and 3 months.
The AMA Education System has an annual student population of 300,000 located in more than 200 campuses in the Philippines and other parts of the world.
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AMA Computer University, formerly known as AMA Computer College (AMACC) and AMA Technological School (AMATS), was founded by Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz V, who named it after the initials of his father's name, Amable Mendoza Aguiluz, Sr. A visionary, Dr. Aguiluz saw the need and demand for fully trained computer professionals in the country. Sadly, during the said time, no institution in the country was willing to offer computer education to professionals.
Having seen the importance of computers in the corporate world and emerging industries, Dr. Aguiluz saw that existing computer schools then lacked computers and planned to offer a curriculum based on a one computer per student policy.
Aguiluz founded the AMA Institute of Computer Studies with the first computer school located along Shaw Boulevard on October 20, 1980. At that time, AMA Institute of Computer Studies offered only short-term courses in Electronic Data Processing Fundamentals, Basic Programming, and Technology Career. Three student(s) enrolled at the AMA Institute of Computer Studies during the first semester.[3]
AMA Computer College came into existence in June 1981. It extended its services through a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. With only a handful of students in its first year of operation, the AMACC student population rose dramatically from 600 in 1983 to 2,000 in 1985 in its first official campus in Makati City. Shortly after, it established its main campus in Quezon City. Two provincial campuses were then founded in Cebu and Davao City.
With the passage of the Philippine Higher Education Act of 1994, privately controlled educational institutions' academic fees were deregulated. AMA increased tuition fees then solved the problem of low student population by embarking on a marketing, advertising and information campaign. With this type of strategy, profit-oriented schools like AMA started to grow.
The emergence of AMACC also led to the birth of AMA Computer Learning Center (ACLC) in 1986 and AMA Telecommunication & Electronic Learning Center in 1996. The former engages in offering short-course programs for professionals and two-year technical/vocational courses for those who wish to acquire employment skills. The latter is one of the first schools in the Philippines to concentrate on telecommunication, electronics, and related technologies.
It was the first school in the country to fully integrate the Internet into its curriculum. Internet services were provided in all its campuses. Since 1987, all major AMA colleges have been interconnected through a local area network (LAN), which converted them into one nationwide school system. AMA is also the only school in the country to have successfully held a teleconference between its high school students and another high school class in Canada in 1994.
In 1991, Aguiluz was able to gain full accreditation for AMA Computer College in the American League of Colleges and Universities (ALOCU), thus, making AMA the first Filipino and non-American school to do so. Moreover, AMACC became an official member of the John F. Kennedy Educational Institute in Japan. AMACC is also accredited by the National Computing Centre United Kingdom.
AMACU's Quality Management System has been ISO 9001-certified since March 1999 by Société Générale de Surveillance International Certification Services Canada, Inc.
AMA Computer College of Quezon City became AMA Computer University following the conferment of university status by the Philippine government's Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on August 20, 2001.
In 2003, AMA Computer University inked a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's iCarnegie to use its curriculum and courses through e-learning. Previously, ICarnegie had approached STI for the agreement, but opted to stick with AMACU instead. As stated by iCarnegie President and CEO Allan Fisher, "the academic relationship between STI and iCarnegie went well, the business side of the agreement did not go as planned".[4]
The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) did not accredit other AMA campuses to use the title “University” and only permitted to use the title of “College” or “Institute” as these campuses have not met the requirements needed by the Philippine academic regulatory body.
On 2003, AMA Education system brokered a partnership with the government of Bahrain to establish the AMA International University in Manama.
The AMA Education Group has an annual student population of 150,000 and more than 200 campuses in the Philippines and other parts of the world.
In the 1990s, many criticized AMA for not participating in any athletic associations. Many students were surprised when AMA joined the Philippine Basketball League without any signed talents from the AMA Education system. PBL stripped AMA's membership in the basketball league due to failure of payment of fees.[5][6]
In 2000, AMA joined the National Capital Region Athletic Association as it failed to garner support in joining the NCAA. AMA remained in the bottom standings up until today. In 2001, AMA joined the newly created National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU). The AMACU Titans had a rocky start but in 2006, they beat their corporate rivals, the STI Olympians and became the 2006 NAASCU Champions. It participates in the Collegiate Champions League,[7] composed of top ranked varsity teams in the Philippines.
Dataline, the official student publication of the university, has an office on the 2nd floor of the college building, releasing an issue each term. It is one of the two official student organizations of the university, the other being the Student Council (SC).
The Dataline Editorial Board at the start of each academic year undergo a series of examinations, both oral and written, as mandated in the University handbook and through the revised constitution (as of SY 2005-2006). Selected professors from the College of Arts and Science (CAS) serve as the selection committee for the organization. It is an autonomous organization funded and managed by and for the students of AMA Computer University.
The Dataline adviser is assigned by the Editorial board and only serves as a technical adviser.
Despite being part of the university's miscellaneous fees, the publication is being released only two to three times in an academic year. These budget release problems caused the organization to cease its publication early 2004 (after posters calling for the immediate release of the Student Council and Dataline's funds were seen outside the campus). The 2005-2007 editorial boards persisted for release of funds. A partial amount from the accumulated funds was finally released in the first quarter of 2007. By July of the same year, Dataline was finally able to hit the news stands with a magazine type issue and was followed by another issue in September 2008.
Past editor in chiefs include: 2000-Hansche Cuasay, 2001-Lew Herrera, 2003-Ernan Josef Queja, 2006-Gemma Louise Heaton, John Patrick Dua, Virgil De los Santos, Noel Orate and Ramil Adonis. Also in provincial issue of Dataline, Jay Robert del Rosario was the editor-in-chief, year 2000-2001.
In 1999, a student from AMA Computer College Makati named Onel de Guzman submitted a thesis proposal for the creation of a computer program that will hack into computer systems and extract vital information, particularly Internet Service accounts.[8] The proposal was unanimously rejected by the College of Computer Studies academic board. De Guzman was scheduled to complete his studies in 2000 and an academic subject called "Thesis A" was one of his final requirements before graduation. After AMA's graduation day on May 3, 2000, an email trojan called ILOVEYOU spread across the globe and caused delays in several online transactions. The ILOVEYOU virus unleashed a flood of e-mail that hit at least 45 million users in at least 20 countries, according to one estimate. The virus started with ILOVEYOU in the subject line, but several variations appeared soon afterward, including one masquerading as an e-mail joke and another as a receipt for a Mother's Day gift. The virus both replicates itself and steals the user names and passwords of unsuspecting victims. The e-mail replies from angry virus recipients to the creator passed through a U.S. e-mail address, "isp-adm@mail.com", which then forwarded them to the two Access.Net (Philippine Internet Service Provider) e-mail accounts used by the virus creator - "spyder@super.net.ph" and "mailme@super.net.ph".[9]
The virus, according to Guinness World Records, was the fastest spreading computer worm until the release of Mydoom in 2004.[10] The virus was traced to an apartment room in downtown Manila. The tenant was Onel de Guzman. Guzman was invited by the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation for questioning. De Guzman, in an interview, admitted spreading the virus "by accident".[11] In reaction to the news, AMA expelled de Guzman from AMA Makati and considered him as "drop-out" for life. The NBI charged De Guzman for violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act on 1998.[12] But due to lack of sufficiency the Philippine Department of Justice dropped the charges as there was no clear laws regulating the World Wide Web. Due to this incident, on June 14, 2000, Republic Act 8792 known as Philippine Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 was signed.
Amable Aguiluz V was Joseph Estrada's political endorser in the 1998 Presidential elections.[13] AMA was the first educational institution to award Joseph Estrada with a degree of Doctor of Humanities honoris causa. Aguiluz used the AMA campuses in various political rallies and forced students to attend as part of their academic attendance record. In 1998, Estrada appointed Aguiluz as Presidential adviser on Information and Communication Technology and on 1999 as chairman of the Presidential Commission on Year 2000 Compliance. Aguiluz brought officials of AMA into the commission and many business leaders criticised the commission from being an extension of AMA. Aguiluz resigned from the Commission in November 1999 due to a controversial purchase of equipment by the commission from a subsidiary of the AMA Group of Companies.
In 2001, Aguiluz switched affiliations to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because Estrada was jailed and Aguiluz was afraid to be handed the same fate. Aguiluz's father Amable Aguiluz Sr. was Diosdado Macapagal' s friend and Aguiluz Sr. served as Chairman and Auditor-general of the Commission on Audit in the 1960s.[14] Arroyo was invited to AMA's sponsored political rallies. In 1995, Arroyo attended a political rally in AMA when she ran for re-election as senator. Arroyo attended all graduation rites for AMA from 2002 to 2005.[15] Arroyo cited AMA for not participating in cause oriented and student activist groups.[16] Arroyo appointed Aguiluz as Presidential Adviser for the Middle East.[17]
The 2005 Hello Garci scandal, also known as the 2004 Presidential election rigging controversy, is one of the controversies against the President Gloria Arroyo. AMA commissioned four related SWS national public opinion surveys dated October 22 and 27, 2005.[18] These questions are:
1) The Congress and Senate are just wasting money and time in their investigations regarding jueteng and the Garci tapes, 2) The opposition does not have a clear plan for the country. Its only objective is to bring down the current administration, 3) Often, news on television, on radio and in newspapers are purely negative and are no longer helping the country, 4) In spite of the accusations being hurled against Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she still continues to implement good reforms.
Many militant groups and opposition politicians questioned the survey questions. The results of the survey are:
On January 23, 2007, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the National Labor Relations Commission declaring as illegal the termination of Zenaida Garay, a high school principal.
Garay was promoted as high school principal May 13, 1996 but an incident four days later led to her illegal dismissal by AMA. An AMA cashier, Sarah Pechardo, carried a brown envelope containing PhP 47,299.34 to the comfort room of the high school. While inside, she placed the envelope on top of the toilet bowl tank. After she left the room, she realized the envelope was left behind, hence she returned to the comfort room, but the envelope was already gone. Pechardo reported the incident to Carmelita Condenuevo, AMA area director, and told her that the only person she recalled entering the comfort room after her was Garay. Condenuevo immediately ordered the investigation of Pechardo and Garay. Garay was subjected to physical inspection and her office was searched. But the school officers did not find the envelope. Thereafter, Garay was brought to the barangay office and the incident was entered in its blotter. On May 20, 1996, she was preventively suspended.
School officials served Garay several notices to appear during the hearings and to submit her written explanation. Garay complied but the hearings were always cancelled. On June 19, 1996, AMA terminated Garay’s employment effective June 20, 1996 on the ground of loss of trust and confidence. On June 21, 1996, school officials sent her another notice directing her to appear on the June 27, 1996 hearing and to submit a written explanation. The hearing was, again, cancelled. On July 1, 1996, AMA finally terminated Garay’s employment.
On August 14, 1996, Garay filed a complaint for illegal dismissal. On September 14, 1998, NLRC Labor Arbiter Eduardo Carpio rendered judgment finding that Garay’s employment was terminated on mere suspicion. He ruled that there was no material and direct evidence to show that Garay took the collections. According to him, while AMA conducted a lengthy investigation to comply with the due process requirement, there was no evidence that established Garay’s guilt during this investigation. NLRC ordered AMA to immediately reinstate her to her former or substantially equal position and pay her backwages computed in the amount of P300,000.00 (July 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998 = 30 months. P10,000.00 x 30 months = P300,000.00), moral damages of PhP 100,000.00 and exemplary damages of PhP 50,000.00.
AMA appealed to the NLRC. NLRC affirmed February 11, 2000 their decision, with the modification that the backwages shall include 13th month pay and five days’ service incentive leave pay. AMA elevated the case to the Court of Appeals, which denied their petition for certiorari and their motion for reconsideration January 16, 2004. AMA then filed the instant petition before the Supreme Court for review. The Supreme Court denied the petition for lack of merit.[19]
On November 10, 2004, Judge Wenceslao Ibabao of the Regional Trial Court dismissed the case against 48 students and granted the students' motion to discontinue the proceedings after getting assurance from the school administration that they can continue with their studies. The students were ordered dismissed by school management October 4, 2004 for holding a protest rally in front of the school.
The students were dismissed from the school by area director Fortunato Enghog Jr., school director Ernesto Raphael Robillo and the school's disciplinary board after they held a protest rally in front of the school campus without the necessary permit. They said that the dismissal of the students was based on a resolution dated October 9 issued by Student Disciplinary Tribunal, which states that holding of rallies or any related activities without the necessary permit from an authorized school officer is a major offense that merits dismissal as provided for in the student handbook.
The students filed a 13-page civil suit with damages against the school for illegally dismissing them without factual basis. They also claimed their dismissal was null and void and violates their freedom of expression as enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. They said they held the rally to show support for the preventive suspension of several regular teachers, the implementation of the webcast teaching system and other unresolved issues regarding miscellaneous fees.
Ibabao issued a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) dated October 21 against the dismissal of the 48 students in order for them to protect their right to education and freedom of speech. Ibabao then issued an order to police authorities to accompany the dismissed students in going back to school.[20]
[21] On September 20, 2011, The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided one of the country’s top computer schools, AMA Computer College, and seized some P10 million worth of pirated software installed in its computer sets Tuesday in Manila
Head Agent Rommel Vallejo, NBI-Intellectual Property Rights Division (NBI-IPRD) chief, told reporters that agents swooped down on AMA’s branch at 5486 South Superhighway following the complaint of Autodesk Systems, Inc., distributors of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe CS2, Adobe Premier CS2, Adobe ReaderX, Adobe Premier Pro 2.0, and Macromedia Dreamweaver.
Autodesk Systems lawyers had complained that AMA was using pirated software.
Armed with a search warrant, NBI agents raided Laboratory No. 3 and 4 at the second floor and Laboratory No. 5 at the third floor of the AMA Computer College branch and found 59 computer sets loaded with pirated software.
The 59 computers with pirated software were seized and taken to the NBI headquarters on Taft Avenue, Manila.
College of Computer Studies
College of Engineering
College of Business Administration and Accountancy
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Education
AMA Computer University also has pre-school, elementary, and high school programs under the brand St. Augustine International School.
From the 1999 curriculum to the present, students under the College of Computer Studies are given the opportunity to pursue certification within the curriculum course. The payment for the certification and examination is covered in the tuition fees, and as such, no extra payments are usually required to take the examination. Representatives from Microsoft Corporation and the school's head office in Panay Avenue, Quezon City oversee the examination proper of the certification.
Networking courses are co-handled by Cisco Networks, who also forged a partnership with AMA Computer University. As a result, Cisco recognizes AMA students who pass their basic CCNA networking courses with a certificate. It is also possible to pursue the Cisco Certified Network Administrator certification in AMACU.[22]
The iCarnegie 10-course curriculum and certifications are written by Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. All academic enrollments in AMA's campuses fall under the iCarnegie program.[23]
Oracle Corporation, a multinational computer-technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing database management systems forged a partnership that will assign AMA Computer University an "Oracle Academy" in the Philippines. Based on their agreement, it will integrate two of the Oracle academy courses, Advanced Computer Science (ACS) and Enterprise Business Application (EBA), into AMA Computer University curriculum. Thus students who are taking up Computer Science, Information Technology and Information management will be given exposure to Oracle’s software and integration to IT applications.[24]
The AMA Education Group is planning a campus named University Town. Expected to complete in celebration of its 35th year in 2015, the AMA Computer University Town is a 50-hectare property in General Trias, Cavite.It draws its inspiration from old universities in the western world that spurred rapid development in the Host Township.[25][26]
The University Town will serve as another type of multi-use development, a primary institutional complex in a park-like setting. A network of open space and walkable distances from once destination to the other is laid out to encourage users to walk instead of using vehicles.
The AMA Education system also has sister schools. Unlike the Quezon City campus, whose land is wholly owned, some of the campuses are on rented real estate. The campuses are overseen and monitored by government departments, such Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Maritime and Naval Agency (MARINA), for Norwegian Maritime Institute. Student population mainly determine the longevity of the campuses. Only the main campus of AMA, in Project 8, is accredited with a University status; all else are under study for proper accreditation.
Pursuant to TESDA compliance, the school offers ladderized education as well, a program that allows vocational students to pursue college easily, having their previous vocational course merits credited into their college curriculum.