VSU president bares 2012 accomplishments

Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, who is now in his second term of office as VSU President, bared his accomplishments for the Calendar Year 2012. For convenience and easy retention among those who will browse what the VSU President had accomplished, Dr. Bacusmo divided his presentation into four major classifications, namely: instruction, research and extension, administration and finance, and planning and resource generation.

Instruction. Dr. Bacusmo emphasized that his administration fully embraced quality assurance. As such, the University was awarded by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), Inc. with "Qualified for Level IV Accreditation Status" for its Agriculture Program. Moreover, the Education and the Graduate Programs of VSU that were assessed by the AACCUP were awarded "Assessment on-going to Qualify for Level IV" with few areas to be revisited.

The VSU's Department of Development Communication was also awarded Center of Development (COD) by the Commission on Higher Education, the only COD for Development Communication in the Philippines, with the College of Development Communication of UP Los Baños and the Department of Communication Research of the College of Mass Communication of UP Diliman as Centers of Excellence in Development Communication and Communication, respectively, in the entire country.

The College of Agriculture of VSU Main Campus has maintained its reputation as Center of Excellence given by CHED. On the other hand, VSU-Tolosa retained its accolade as Regional NAFES School and its BS in Criminology course has been recognized for offering as a degree program. Dr. Bacusmo also reported that the offering of BS in Meteorology program in VSU Main has been approved by CHED.

He also mentioned that VSU graduates fared well in Licensure Examinations. In fact, two of its graduates made it in the top ten. Jackson Abelardo Bellen placed 3rd in the Agricultural Engineering Licensure Exam and Jefferson T. Cello ranked 10 in the Geodetic Engineering Licensure Exam. Moreover, the performance of VSU graduates in licensure examinations brought honor to the University as most of the Board Examinations taken by the VSU graduates registered much higher institutional passing percentages as compared with the national passing percentages in the following Board Exams: Chemist Licensure Exam – 41.66%; Veterinarian Licensure Exam – 35.29%; Forester Licensure Exam – 62.50%; Agriculturist Licensure Exam – 47.92%; Nursing Licensure Exam – 53.33%; and Licensure Examination for Teachers – 66.67% (Elementary) and 73.68% (Secondary).

The VSU President also revealed that a number of faculty and staff are pursuing graduate studies broken down as follows: (externally-funded) master's degree - 3, and doctoral degree - 4; and (internally-funded) master's degree - 3, and doctoral degree - 9. There are also a total number of 12 faculty members who finished their graduate studies on a scholarship and reinstated to work.

Because of his concern in enhancing access to higher education among VSU students and other stakeholders, Dr. Bacusmo was able to scout benefactors who offered 263 new scholarship slots which the students are now enjoying. He even said that a training-writeshop on developing on-line course materials was also conducted and that the University is now offering the TESDA Skills Training on Welding with the first batch of 20 trainees.

The University did not stop reaching out and connecting with other institutions through internationalization and networking. VSU is continuously exchanging students with the University of Hohenheim, Hiroshima University, and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. It also entered an academic exchange under the Erasmus Mundus Program in which VSU is one of the only three universities in the Philippines that are able to participate in the program. It also entered a MOA with PhilRice on access to laboratories. Dr. Bacusmo's attendance and active participation to the AAACU Meeting in Seoul Korea paved the way for his election as Second Vice President of the Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities.

Research and Extension. VSU is very active in terms of research and development planning, monitoring and evaluation. The University has a strong partnership with other national and international funding institutions. Aside from its active participation in the ACIAR and DA planning meetings, it is also involved in conducting annual RDE review.

Dr. Bacusmo said that the University was able to source fund amounting to P26,056,885.82 for research and development in 2012. He added that based on the 2012 In-House Review, there were 39 new projects approved and funded, 20 research projects completed, 24 extension projects implemented, 31 technologies for generation, 22 information for generation, 12 technologies for commercialization, 30 information for dissemination, and 19 technologies for protection.

Some VSU researchers were also involved in workshops and conferences whether as organizers or as participants, such as the 13th International Seminar-Workshop on Tropical Ecology and the Jackfruit FIESTA.

Several faculty researchers and a consortium were also recipients of various awards from the local, national, and international award-making bodies. Among these were: four faculty members garnered UPLB Alumni Awards, ViCARP as Ugnay Award Finalist, RMIS and RACO coordinators awarded by PCAARRD, researchers win awards in PSAS-VC Convention, Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP) Award for Instruction, PMCP Best Poster Award, 2nd Placer in the Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology, and AFMA Best Paper Awards.

VSU has cemented a strong R&D network leadership and partnership that brought the University the designation as TUKLAS Lunas Center by DOST Health Council, leadership in the Regional Land Use Consortium, leadership in the Regional Climate Change R&D Center, leadership in the Regional GIS Network, leadership in the Task Force on Agriculture Statistics for the Regional Statistics Coordination Committee, and establishment of Innovation Technology Support Office (ITSO) @ VSU.

Administration and Finance. Dr. Bacusmo pointed out that the University has created 52 new plantilla positions through scrap and build scheme. Likewise, a total of 52 academic staff who were on contractual basis were given temporary items. The University also facilitated the conduct of the EHEM training, gender sensitivity training and sexual harassment orientation, and seminar-workshop on harmonized gender development guidelines.

In terms of infrastructure/facility development, the University has initiated the following projects: VSU Casitas expansion and repair, renovation of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry Faculty Room, repairs of nine buildings/facilities in relation to accreditation, construction of Lily Pond and Fountain, construction of the viewing pavilion, construction of a 50-meter covered walk, renovation of the 3rd Core Value Cottage, expansion of the OVPRE building, tiling of the ground floor of CCE, renovation of the DASS Faculty Room, renovations of the VSU Hospital, establishment of the VSU Records Office Archive, and renovation of Alumni Heritage House. Moreover, the VSU Hospital has acquired x-ray and other diagnostic equipment.

Planning and Resource Generation. The VSU President also stressed that the Office of the Vice President for Planning and Resource Generation is annually conducting the Income Generating Projects Review to assess how the different IGPs of the University are going on and to thresh out problems and solutions. Dr. Bacusmo also said that the University is doing its best in submitting on time complete Normative Financing Data and proudly revealed that we are the first institution in the country to have its Strategic Performance Management System approved by the Civil Service Commission.

As regards the satellite campuses, VSU-Isabel has been awarded Level I Accreditation Status by the AACCUP for its BSED, BEED, and BS Agribusiness programs. Similarly, the other three satellite campuses went through the Preliminary Survey Visit with their respective programs: VSU-Tolosa for its BSED, BEED and Fisheries; VSU-Alangalang for its BSED, BEED, and BS in Environmental Management; and VSU-Villaba for its BSED, BEED, and BSA. Dr. Bacusmo also reported that the 2012 Grand Alumni Homecoming hosted by Batches '82 and '85 was a resounding success. The activity was hinged on the tagline "MagKiTiPay (Magkita-kita, Magtigum-tigom, Maglipay-lipay) na sab ta sa ViSCA."

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