Loyola Schools

Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Schools
Mga Paaralang Loyola ng
Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila
Established 2000
President Fr. Jose Ramon T. Villarin, S.J.,S.T.B.,M.S.,Ph.D.
Vice-president John Paul C. Vergara, M.S., Ph.D.
Location Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Website http://ls.ateneo.edu

The Loyola Schools is the higher education unit of the Ateneo de Manila University that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the Arts and Sciences. It operates under the statutes of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is located in the Loyola Heights campus of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Institution

The Church of the Gesù

The Loyola Schools is headed by a Vice-President, appointed by the Board of Trustees. The vice-president's term usually lasts three years. Each of the schools, in turn is headed by a dean. The current Vice-President is John Paul C. Vergara, Ph.D.

Schools

The Loyola Schools is composed of the School of Humanities, the John Gokongwei School of Management, the School of Science and Engineering, and the School of Social Sciences.

School of Humanities

Dean: Ma. Luz C. Vilches, Ph.D.

The building housing the School of Humanities was named after the eminent Filipino Jesuit Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J.

Official Website: http://soh.ateneo.edu/

John Gokongwei School of Management

Dean: Rodolfo P. Ang, MBA

The John Gokongwei School of Management building

Official Website: http://ls.ateneo.edu/jgsom

School of Science and Engineering

Dean: Fabian M. Dayrit, Ph.D.

The Science Education Complex

Official Website: http://sose.ateneo.edu/

School of Social Sciences

Dean: Fr. José M. Cruz, S.J.

The Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall

Official Website: http://socsci.ateneo.edu/

Academic Programs

The Ateneo Loyola Schools confer the following degrees: Forty-eight Bachelor of Arts (AB), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees at the undergraduate level, forty-four Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees, and twelve Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees at the graduate level. Concentrations vary and are offered as different degree programs.

Aside from the degree programs, the Loyola Schools also offer minor concentration programs in different fields. These are meant to allow students to pursue studies in other fields of their interest, as well as provide a wider range of career options.

A focus on student-centered development

The Ateneo de Manila's teaching methods are geared toward student-centered learning. Faculty undergo training by the Loyola Schools' Teacher Formation Institute. Teaching materials and methods are planned with under a student-centered framework, with participation, individual and group projects, individual and group mentoring by faculty and selected individuals, and other similar elements given a premium over other coursework.

Students are also encouraged to work with their professors, especially in areas of their interest. All faculty are evaluated by students each semester, and there are annual faculty activity reports and faculty peer evaluations.

Facilities are also developed with this mindset. In 2004, the Matteo Ricci Study Hall was completed. In 2006, the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership was completed. The Center for Student Leadership houses student organizations as well as numerous student services units.

Core Curriculum

Aside from their major concentration subjects, all undergraduate students are required to take up subjects that form a multidisciplinary core curriculum. This curriculum is split across the four or five year-long programs, and consists of classes in English and Filipino language and literature, foreign language (Spanish, Russian, German, Portuguese, French, Italian, Latin, Bahasa Indonesia, Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese are currently offered), mathematics, natural sciences, sociology and psychology, political science, and history. Classes in philosophy and theology are billed as the centerpiece of the core curriculum.

Centers of Excellence and Development for Excellence

Centers of Excellence (COEs) and Centers of Development (CODs) are institutions which, as identified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), have demonstrated the highest degree or level of standards along the areas of instruction, research and extension. They provide institutional leadership in all aspects of development in specific areas of discipline in the various regions by providing networking arrangements to help ensure the accelerated development of HEIs in their respective service areas.

COEs/CODs in the different disciplines were identified and carefully selected for funding assistance. Funds released to these centers were utilized for student scholarships, faculty development, library and laboratory upgrading, research and extension services, instructional materials development, and networking of existing COEs and CODs.

The following is a list as of December 2007.[1][2][3]

Centers of Excellence

Centers of Development

CHED-FAPE Evaluation of Graduate Programs

In 2003-2004, the CHED and the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) conducted a nationwide survey and evaluation of graduate programs focusing on teacher education, covering the eares of curriculum, instruction, faculty, students, institutional support, physical facilities, learning centers, and research and extension services. The Loyola Schools emerged as the top-ranked institution for graduate programs in teacher education.

Research

Aside from teaching, the Loyola Schools engages in research work through various research units within the Loyola Schools and with other units of the Ateneo de Manila University. Faculty are given incentives by the Loyola Schools and other grant-giving organizations.

Scholarly publications

Among the scholarly publications published by the Loyola Schools are:

Student research and creative work

Students also engage in research and creative work as part of their academic formation and extracurricular development.

Student research publications include:

The School of Science and Engineering also awards outstanding student research, as well as outstanding science writing, photography, and science-related creative work.

Student news and creative publications are organized into the Council of Publications and include:

The Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts gives recognition to outstanding work by graduating students in the following categories: creative writing (fiction, poetry, drama, essay), dance, graphic design, music, photography, screen arts, theater arts, and visual arts. There is also a Fine Arts Festival held by the students in the Fine Arts Program, featuring original plays, multimedia exhibits, and readings of literary works. Outstanding work in student journalism is also recognized by the Raul Locsin Awards for Student Journalism.

Research centers and facilities

Student Services and Units

In 2006, the Commission on Higher Education cited the Loyola Schools for having the most comprehensive student services program in the Philippines.[4]

Campus

View of the Loyola Schools from above.

The Loyola Schools still clings to its past as a single College of Arts and Sciences, and this is no more evident than in the arrangement of its academic buildings.

College Quad

The Loyola Schools campus is organized around what is commonly called the "College Quad", a square which is bounded by the first academic buildings to rise in the Loyola Heights campus: Kostka Hall, Gonzaga Hall, and Berchmans Hall. Kostka Hall houses the Office of Admission and Aid; Gonzaga Hall is home to the College Cafeteria, the Fine Arts Program, and the Immaculate Conception Chapel; Berchmans Hall hosts the Placement Office and the College Guidance Office. Both Kostka and Berchmans halls hold classrooms that are shared by the schools of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The EDSA Walk starts in front of the College Cafeteria at Gonzaga Hall, passing through the entrances to Berchmans and Kostka, and ends in Xavier Hall, which is home to the Office of the University President and the cashiers.

College Lane

Other buildings in what used to be the central campus include the old Rizal Library building, with the special collections and Ateneo Art Gallery, and the Rizal Library Annex, housing the University Archives and Rizal Mini-Theater; Schmitt Hall, home to the Department of Chemistry; the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership (built on the site of the old Colayco Hall), which houses offices of student organizations and the University Bookstore, and Colayco Pavilion. All of these buildings are located along College Lane, on which also stand the Social Sciences Building, home of the University Registrar and the Psychology and Communication departments; De La Costa Hall, the home of the School of Humanities; Faura Hall, which houses the departments of physics, computer science, and engineering, and the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

The portion of College Lane stretching from the entrance at University Avenue until just after Faura Hall is paved with brick and is off-limits to vehicles. From Schmitt Hall to the exit at Father Masterson Drive, the road is asphalted; part of it serves as a parking area for faculty and student carpoolers.

Science Education Complex, PLDT Convergent Technologies Center, and John Gokongwei School of Management

Beyond College Lane is the Science Education Complex, composed of three buildings, each housing classrooms, plenary lecture halls, and science laboratories. The SEC is also home to the office of the dean of the School of Science and Engineering, the departments of Mathematics and Biology, and the Health Sciences program. Specialized facilities include a small collection of stuffed, preserved animals and a greenhouse. The SEC was built in 1997 as part of an aggressive expansion program. The buildings' architecture were inspired by the old Ateneo Municipal in Intramuros.

Joining the SEC via a covered walk are the PLDT Convergent Technologies Center and the John Gokongwei School of Management. The PLDT Convergent Technologies Center houses classrooms, lecture rooms, and laboratories for engineering students. The JGSOM building, on the other hand, hosts the Ching Tan Lecture Room and the faculty offices of the JGSOM. While the Rizal Library was being renovated in the middle of the 2000s, the Circulation Section was transferred to the JGSOM classrooms. Both the PLDT-CTC and JGSOM buildings were finished in 2002 and follow almost the same template as the SEC buildings.

Between and behind SEC buildings B and C is the Matteo Ricci Study Hall, and behind the PLDT CTC is the JGSOM Student Enterprise Center. Behind the JGSOM and PLDT CTC buildings are Eagles' Park, a mini-arboretum, and a walk leading to Leong Hall.

The quadrangle formed by the SEC covered walk and College Lane is often used for food sales and student fundraisers. In recent years, it has been host to sportsfests and cultural activities.

Father Masterson Drive

Along Father Masterson Drive, the road linking the Blue Eagle Gym, Grade School, Loyola Schools, and the High School, lie the Manila Observatory, which hosts the Department of Environmental Science; the former Communications Department building, located on Seminary Road, is noted for the mural painted across its facade. Across the Communications Department building are the offices of the Physical Education Department, the tennis courts, the shooting range, and the College Covered Courts.

Residence Hall Area and Church of the Gesu

John Pollock Renewal Center

Further down Father Masterson Drive are Alingal Hall, the Cervini-Eliazo Residence Halls (dormitories for men and women), the Church of the Gesu, the John Pollock Renewal Center, and the University Dormitory. The Church of the Gesu holds 1,000 people and features a nineteen-bell carillon. Behind the Church of the Gesu are the Cervini-Eliazo Residence Halls and University Dormitory that have a combined capacity of more than 800 beds. The John Pollock Renewal Center is used for retreats and workshops.

All the residence halls have a commanding view of the Marikina Valley and the Sierra Madre.

University Avenue

University Avenue starts between the Church of the Gesu and the Cervini-Eliazo Field. Xavier Hall and the Rizal Library Annex are also located along University Avenue, as well as the Social Science Building, Leong Hall (faculty center of the School of Social Sciences), and the new Rizal Library building. The avenue ends at Gate 3, which opens to Katipunan Avenue.

Two hundred meters across Xavier Hall is Bellarmine Hall, which used to be the dormitory before the Cervini and Eliazo Halls were built. Bellarmine Hall now houses classrooms and the Ateneo de Manila University Press. Between Xavier and Bellarmine halls is Bellarmine Field, used for ROTC drills and university-wide celebrations such as UAAP championship bonfires.

Also accessible from University Avenue are the Social Development Complex and the Institute for Social Order.

Athletic Facilities

The Loyola Schools (College) Covered Courts have seven regulation-sized basketball courts which have concrete-floors that can be converted to futsal, a volleyball court, a bodybuilding gym, shower rooms, and a half-Olympic swimming pool that is used by both swimming classes and the varsity swimming teams for training and dual meets. Also in the same complex are the tennis courts, the offices of the physical education department, and a shooting range used by the rifle and pistol varsity team, the first of its kind in the Philippines.

Across Father Masterson Drive are a concrete squash court and the Moro Lorenzo and Ocampo football fields. These football fields are used by the Ateneo soccer varsity teams for training/practice and to host the UAAP soccer tournament. Across the soccer fields near Gate 2 is the Blue Eagle Gym.

The softball field is located along University Avenue, just after entering Gate 3, in front of the new Rizal Library building and Leong Hall.

Students

Ateneo freshmen in a campus tour stop during the Freshman Orientation Seminar, or OrSem. The Church of the Gesù is in the background.

The Ateneo has one of the most robust student organizations network in the Philippines. The latest figures show that almost 80% of the entire student population is enrolled in one organization or another.

A Magna Carta for Students

The Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools is among the first universities in the Philippines to adopt a Magna Carta of Undergraduate Rights. The Loyola Schools, according to the Magna Carta, "upholds the rights of students as one of its foundational principles." Ateneo students are given leverage with regard to their rights as students, consistent with the University's commitment to student-centeredness. Students are granted rights with regard to academics, access to information, freedom of expression, participation in school policy-making, organization, security, and due process (especially in disciplinary proceedings).

The Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila

The Loyola Schools' student council is officially named the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila.

The Loyola Schools Student Council, the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo, is known for its moderate policies and adaptability. The Sanggunian has a history of active and committed social involvement, and brands itself "left-leaning", because of some of its actions and associations. However, the Ateneo's Sanggunian fosters much more moderate ideals than most other Filipino student councils, leading some to criticize it for being too passive in recent years.

Council of Organizations of the Ateneo

Business Cluster

Faith Formation Cluster

Health and Environment Cluster

Intercultural Relations Cluster

Analysis and Discourse Cluster

Media and the Creative Arts Cluster

Performing Arts Cluster

Sector Based Cluster

Science and Technology Cluster

Environmental Initiatives

Recently, the Loyola Schools, as a community, have started major efforts in environmental impact reduction. These come under the banner of the Ateneo Environmental Management Coalition, a synergistic consortium of student organizations, administrative units, academic departments and external partners who share the common goal of fostering environmental sustainability as a common value for the community. The coalition takes pride in the diversity of approaches available to the body in fostering green efforts - allowing a healthy combination of the scientific and the systemic and, at the same time, ensuring maximal impact and participation from the community.

The initiatives have mostly been focused on solid waste management and water and energy resource management though parallel initiatives have been consistent in other areas - green architecture and design is being incorporated into new buildings on campus and major changes on student lifestyles through campaigns and participative exercises are also on the fore.

Image gallery

References

  1. ↑ Ateneo de Manila University
  2. ↑ Ateneo de Manila University
  3. ↑ 2006 Ateneo de Manila University President's Report.
  4. ↑ http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=29&aid=2430

External links