The Isabela State University is a public university in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is mandated to provide advanced instruction in the arts, agricultural and natural sciences as well as in technological and professional fields. Its main campus is located in Echague, Isabela.

The University’s Milestone

The Isabela State University traces its humble beginning in December 1918 to a farm school – the Echague Farm School, constituting of a four-room academic building and a home economics building established through the pioneering efforts of an American supervising teacher Mr. Horatio Smith, under the provisions of the Compulsory Education Act.

With only ten teachers to run the school, it accommodated 100 pupils from grades five to seven to take up elementary agriculture. Soon after, growth was gradually seen when the 100 enrollees increased to 300 necessitating the hiring of more home economics teachers and a farm manager as was provided by the same provision. Subsequently, more infrastructures were gradually constructed in 1925 to include a modest library building, a granary, a poultry swine building, garden houses and a nursery.

More developments soon followed with the conversion of the farm school into a rural high school in 1928. This progress provided for the opening of higher academic levels – the first and second year classes, and the third and fourth year classes thereafter. In response to increasing demands for appropriate higher education programs, the secondary agricultural education and home economics courses were made fully operational.

The year 1935 brought in another development for the Isabela State University when the Municipal Council of Echague, Isabela withdrew its support from the gradually progressing rural high school. Consequently, the school was transferred to Jones, Isabela where it saw the reverting of its status to a farm school again until the World War II.

When the liberation period came in 1946, the farm school was named Isabela Agricultural High School and was relocated to Echague, Isabela. In 1952, it was renamed Echague Rural High School. As the course in forestry was integrated into the agricultural courses of the school in 1960, it was deemed appropriate to rename it as Echague Agricultural and Forestry School. Soon, the school began to gain recognition when in 1963 it earned the status of an agricultural school in the region. With the status came a broader sphere of responsibility as it was now expected to respond to the needs of its clientele not only in the provincial but also in the regional level. This seemed to have served as the cue for more innovations to follow.

More academic programs were offered as demanded by its regional school status supported by the timely reorganization of the administrative advisory structure of the newly created Bureau of Vocational Education which gave greater freedom to the agricultural, trade and fixture schools to plan and implement their educational programs. Concurrent with the agricultural school status, in 1970, the Echague Agricultural and Forestry School was also designated as the Manpower Training Center for the region.

The filing of House Bill 2866 during the Seventh Congress of the Philippines continually elevated the status of the school. The bill made possible the conversion of the Echague Agricultural and Forestry School into a state college. The conversion move was approved by the Lower House on April 17, 1972 and was subsequently passed by the Senate on May 30, 1972. However, its presidential approval was made pending. But shortly after the declaration of Martial Law, the bill was finally signed and the now state college was named Isabela State College of Agriculture. With its new status, the programs in agriculture, forestry and home economics were expanded and engineering, agri-business and post-secondary two-year courses were opened.

The Educational Decree of 1972 promulgated on September 20, 1972 set another direction for the educational system. The decree declared a government policy to re-orient the educational system for an accelerated national economic growth and social development. During this time, the province of Isabela was also experiencing growth in many aspects. As the province saw the need to accommodate the results of its growth and respond to the call for national development through education, it felt the need to integrate and convert the institutions of higher learning into one effective and efficient state university. Presidential Decree (PD) 1434 then emerged two state colleges- the Isabela State College of Agriculture in Echague and the Cagayan Valley Institute of Technology (CVIT) in Cabagan to become the Isabela State University. This also transferred the college level courses of the Isabela School of Arts and Trades in Ilagan; the Jones Rural School in Jones; the Roxas Memorial Agricultural and Industrial School in Roxas; the San Mateo Vocational and Industrial School in San Mateo. As likewise provided in the same decree, Echague campus is the seat of the administration. PD 1437 complemented PD 1434 by defining the composition, powers, and functions of the governing board which was amended by RA 8292 (Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997).

In 1999, the CHED Memorandum Order No. 18 s. 1999 which provides the guidelines for the integration of CHED Supervised Institutions (CSIs) to SUCs, was enacted. Pursuant to this order, the first CHED supervised institution that was integrated into the University is the Cauayan Polytechnic College at Cauayan Isabela in 2000. In 2002 another three CSIs were integrated into the system, namely: the Roxas Memorial Agricultural and Industrial School (RMAIS) with ISU Roxas Campus; the Delfin Albano Memorial Institute of Agriculture and Technology (DAMIAT) in San Mariano, Isabela; and, the Angadanan Agro-Industrial College (AAIC) in Angadanan, Isabela. With the enthusiasms of the Palanan and Santiago City Local Government Units (LGUs), the ISU and the said LGUs had entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to establish extension campuses to their respective places. Palanan campus was established in 2004 while, Santiago City ISU campus last June 2008. To date the university has 11 campuses grouped into 4 clusters strategically located in the four congressional districts of Isabela.

On June 10, 2008, the Isabela State University celebrated its Pearl Founding Anniversary (30th year) of glorious existence and modest contribution to countryside development as it has continually committed itself to its tradition of quality and excellence in education.

University’s Vision and Mission

• Vision

ISU’s Strategic Development Plan of 2007-2011 defines its vision as follows:

The Isabela State University, a globally recognized institution of higher learning for people empowerment and sustainable development embodying excellence, effectiveness, accountability and integrity.

As embodied in the newly approved University Strategic Plan 2007-2011 (BOR Res. 44, s 2007), the University shall exert all its efforts to endeavor in programs that will empower its clients that are undertaken in a sustainable manner. These programs are attuned to global needs embodying the values of excellence, effectiveness, accountability and integrity.

Such vision guided the earlier programs and actions of the University being a major state educational institution in Cagayan Valley to respond to the development challenges confronting the region, and sustain its active role in socio-economic development in order to uplift the quality of life of the people in the province of Isabela and the Cagayan Valley as well.

• Mission

Presidential Decree No. 1434, known as the University Charter, states that the University “shall provide advanced instruction in the arts, agriculture and natural sciences as well as in the technological and professional fields”. This has been the continuing commitment of the ISU since it became a state university in 1978. And, with the drafting of its 5-Year Institutional Development Plan 2007-2011, the marching order of the university is to produce professionally competent graduates in their chosen field of specialization and equipped with sound moral principles. Thus, the standing mission and its core value statements of the University are as follows:

• Mission Statement:

The Isabela State University is committed to train and develop students to become professionally competent graduates who are equipped with sound moral principles; and to serve the community through research, extension and resource generation by way of inspired leadership and responsive manpower.

• Core Values:

* Excellence
ISU commits itself to dispensing its functions with productivity and exemplifying its values with distinction and brilliance. Every work manifests a distinct quality and every individual persistently strives to meritoriously improve his/her performance and value system every single time.

* Effectiveness
ISU desires a far-reaching and long-lasting useful impact on every individual, every institution and on various other entities both in the local and international scenes that can be translated into a holistic growth of people, of the country and of the world.

* Accountability
ISU commits to being answerable to everyone, to every appropriate authority and to the laws of the land and of God in everything that it does. It submits itself to the highest principles of responsibility, responsiveness and moral uprightness.

* Integrity
ISU adheres to high moral soundness internally and externally. It dispenses and upholds honesty in thoughts, in words and in deeds and conducts transactions with transparency and accountability. It submits itself to the highest level of professional standard and individual and corporate wholeness. The Lord God is its icon of integrity.

The Past Administrators

The Isabela State University has seen through 30 years of productive existence because of the stewardship of four committed and dedicated administrators, whose great contributions to the university are worth noting:

• FELIPE B. CACHOLA, Ph. D in Agricultural Education (1978-1986). He was appointed as the university’s first president by President Ferdinand E. Marcos on October 6, 1978. His administration laid down the groundwork needed for a beginning yet fast developing university by promptly drafting the university’s philosophy, mission, goals and objectives and its strategy for growth and survival which has immediately provided direction to the university. He crafted strategies for effective educational management and development programs which elicited the needed loyalty and commitment to the University from his constituents. His conviction that the Isabela State University should not just be another university but one “that can touch and shape the lives of the people in Isabela as well as in Region 2” became contagious. For democratic and effective management, he organized a group of competent men to backstop him in the task of running a system composed of six developing schools.

• RODOLFO C. NAYGA, Ph. D. in Agricultural Education (1986-1999). He served as the second president of the university after his appointment on August 1, 1987. It was during his term that pioneering degree programs in Asia and the country, e.g. B.S.A. in Farming Systems, B.S. Agritech, B.S. Food Engineering, B.S. Development Management Education were established. He started offering doctoral programs major in: Agricultural Sciences, Occupational Education and Institutional Development and Management. He caused the delineation of 3.5 hectares of land which is now the site of the Ilagan campus. He was also instrumental in the construction of four buildings for the campus next to the Ilagan School of Arts and Trades campus. During his term, ISU was named the lead agency in establishing national (Agricultural Education Outreach Project, Environmental Development Program, etc.) and regional (Provincial Agricultural Institute, local government trainings, DA-DENR, etc.) programs and projects. Under his leadership, the University received recognitions in research in the national level (awarding of Dr. Francisco M. Basuel as one of the six (6) Outstanding Young Scientist of the Philippines) and the regional level (creative research on Legulac Technology, PCARRD funded research project).

• MIGUEL P. RAMOS. Ph.D. in Education (1999-2003). He served as the third ISU President. During his time, ISU for one realized the need to align all facets of the academe to the new era. Despite financial setbacks and impending forced financial autonomy from the government, the university strived to take more insistent steps of filling resource gaps to meet its goals. His four years term was consequently focused on competitive instruction, timely Research and Development and Extension (RDE), and aggressive measures for financial stability.

• ROMEO R. QUILANG, Ph. D. At present the university is at the helm of the 4th University President. Dr. Quilang provided the university with new policy directions and sets the new horizons for ISU to strive. To give ISU a boost in its administrative management, Dr. Quilang spearheaded the formulation of campus clustering breaking the long chain of onerous per campus management. To date, there are four clusters comprising the whole ISU system – the Echague cluster constituting of Echague Campus, Jones Campus, Santiago City Campus and Angadanan Campus, Cauayan cluster consisting of San Mateo Campus, Roxas Campus and Cauayan Campus, Cabagan cluster comprising Cabagan Campus and Palanan Campus and Ilagan cluster covering San Mariano and Ilagan campuses. Another milestone in his administration is the formulation of the new University Organizational Structure which placed a better management system, timely in the increasing number of students. As a result, the ISU and their programs qualified to several accretion bodies like SUC Leveling, AACCUP and CHED. It was in 2006 that ISU became SUC level 4. Forestry program in Cabagan campus obtained Center of Excellence by CHED while, agriculture and agricultural engineering programs in Echague campus were qualified recently as Center of Development by the same institution. Most of the core academic programs of the university had gone to level 2 to 3 by the AACCUP. Linkages became strong within and outside the country that helped the university perform better in its quadrangular functions such as instruction, research, extension, and production.

Organizational Structure

The adoption of the new Organizational Structure is an initiative to implement better university management. Adhering to the principles of organization and management, the overall purpose of changing/revising the university organizational structure is to keep it attuned with recent developments and to streamline the institution to become more efficient, effective and economical in responding to the needs of its clienteles.

The significant changes in the organizational structure are highlighted by the clustering of the university campuses. The eleven campuses were grouped into four (4) constituent clusters in which component campuses (smaller campuses) are placed under each constituent campus, namely: Echague Campus with Jones, Angadanan and Santiago City as component campuses, Cauayan Campus with Roxas and San Mateo as component campuses, Ilagan Campus with San Mariano as its component campus and Cabagan Campus with Palanan as its component campus. The constituent campuses are headed by Executive Officers while the component campuses are headed by Campus Administrators.

The Organizational structure (Figure 1) shows the different levels of management both in the administrative and academic levels. The Board of Regents (BOR) is the policy-making and governing board of the University under which is the University President who is the Chief Executive Officer of the University.

Two major councils support the President – the Administrative Council (ADCO) and the Academic Council (ACO). The President chairs both councils. The ADCO reviews and recommends to the BOR for appropriate action policies governing the administration, management and development plans of the University while the ACO reviews and recommends the curricular offerings and rules of discipline of the university subject to appropriate action of the BOR. It fixes requirements for the admission of students as well as for the graduation and the conferment of degrees, subject to review and/or approval by the BOR through the University President. Supporting the Office of the President are the Presidential Management Staff and the Internal Audit Services.

Directly under the Office of the President are the four Offices of Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance, Research, Development, Extension and Training and Planning and Development. Also directly under the President are the four Executive Officers of each constituent campus/cluster under which are the deans and campus administrators.

The colleges, institutes and schools constitute the academic units of the University and are headed by the Deans. The Deans report directly to their respective Executive Officers. Associate Deans of Colleges/Schools/Institutes report directly to the Deans concerned on matters pertaining to academic policies and programs. Departments of academic units are headed by the Chairmen who report directly to their respective Deans or Associate Deans.

All administrative departments and offices provide support services to the organic/academic units and are headed by directors. They perform the following functions:
1. Provide an efficient and effective mechanism supportive to instruction, research, extension, and recourse generation;
2. Provide direction and adequate administrative support to the four major thrusts of the university;
3. To ensure efficient management and utilization of resources to effectively deliver quality services, and;
4. Ensure accessible and affordable administrative services to all stakeholders.

The Main Four Thrusts

To uphold its mandated vision and mission, the Isabela State University strategies its efforts in its four main thrusts namely: Instruction, Research, Extension and Production to live up with its goal of providing structured and high quality education directed towards rural upliftment.

Instruction

The Instruction Program of the University is capitalized in educating and training competent professionals who are equipped with the appropriate knowledge, values, skills and technology needed to help improve the productivity and the quality of life of the rural poor, in the fields of agriculture, industry, rational use of natural resources, education, development communication and arts and sciences.

To attain this goal, the Instruction program shall:
1. Provide quality tertiary and advanced that meets global standards;
2. Provide relevant curricular programs that cater and respond to the needs and demands of the local and global market;
3. Continuously promote wise use of resources and faster delivery of quality services to the targeted customers, and;
4. Provide clientele access to higher and advanced education.

Research

The Research and Development Program of the University is basically geared towards countryside development. It is designed to promote the development of rural community and farmers through the generation, verification and adaptation of appropriate technologies for increased agro-industrial productivity. It also seeks new knowledge and/or alternative for the maintenance of a balanced ecosystem.

ISU Research Program shall focus on the attainment of the following objectives:
1. To promote countryside development through generation, verification, adoption and commercialization of appropriate technologies and strategies for sustainable development;
2. To develop a mechanism to ensure relevance of researches;
3. To provide efficient services to various stakeholders, and;
4. To increase access of various stakeholders to research findings and services;

Extension

The Extension and Training Program of the university aims to use the technologies/ alternatives generated by research in promoting productivity, self-reliance and self-sufficiency among the rural poor.

Towards the attainment of this goal, extension services of the University shall seek to attain the following objectives:
1. To provide a distinctive and replicable extension service and modality that will enhance the transfer of appropriate technologies to various stakeholders;
2. To provide extension and training programs that will address the needs of concerned stakeholders;
3. To establish a functional mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of extension and training programs, and;
4. To provide an equitable extension and training programs accessible to the concerned stakeholders.

Production

The University’s Resource Generation, Planning and Information Support Services Program aims to generate additional income, plans and information for decision making which is intended to support and complement instruction, research and financial resources of the University. To attain this goal, it seeks to:
1. To provide quality resource generation programs, planning mechanism and information support services;
2. To develop a mechanism that will ensure timely and relevant implementation of resource generation programs, planning and information support services;
3. To demonstrate effective delivery of services through prudent use of university resource, and;
4. To provide stakeholders’ equal access to resource generation programs, planning and information support services.

Main Campus in Echague

• Graduate Studies

* Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences
* Major in: Crop Science and Animal Science
* Ph.D. in Community Development
* Ph.D. in Institutional Development and Management
* Doctor of Public Administration
* Ph.D. in Occupational Education
* Master of Science in Agricultural Sciences
* Major in: Crop Science and Animal Science
* Master of Science
* Major in: Mathematics Education, Biology Education, and Chemistry Education
* Master of Arts in Teaching / MAEd
* Major in: Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English
* Master of Arts in Psychology
* Master in Biology
* Master in Chemistry
* Master in English
* Master in Mathematics
* Master in Psychology
* Master of Science in Science Education
* Master in Public Administration
* Master in Business Administration
* Master of Arts / Science in Development Management Education
* Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering
* Master of Arts in Teaching / MAEd
* Major in: Filipino, Home Technology, and Social Science

• Undergraduate Courses

* Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
* Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Food Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
* Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Ladderized
* Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry
* Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
*Major in: Crop Science, Soils, Farming Systems, Animal Science, Crop Protection, Post Harvest Technology, and Horticulture
* Bachelor of Science in Agri-Business
* Major in: Agri-Business Management, Economics and Cooperative Development
* Bachelor of Science in Forestry (first 2 years)
* Bachelor of Science in Rural Development
* Bachelor of Science in Biology
* Bachelor of Science in Criminology
* Bachelor of Science in Nursing
* Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
* Bachelor of Arts
* Major in: English, Psychology, Political Science, Peace and Security, and Mass Communication
* Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
* Major in: Human Resource Development & Management, Marketing Management, Management Accounting, and Business Computer Application
* Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration
* Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
* Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship
* Bachelor of Elementary Education
* Bachelor of Secondary Education
* Major in: English, Filipino, Technology & Livelihood Education, Mathematics, Practical Arts, MAPE, Social Science, Library & Information Management

• Non-degree Courses

* Two Years Computer Programming
* Two Years Computer Secretarial
* Associate in Agriculture

Cauayan City Campus

• Masters in IT
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (headed by Jess M. Lindo)
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology ( Mr.Dionisio Gante )
• Bachelors in Laws and Letters
• Bachelors in Arts and Sciences
• Bachelors in Education
• Bachelors in Criminology
• Bachelors in Hotel and Restaurant Management (Ladderized)
• Bachelors in Entrepreneurship
• Bachelors in Business Administration
• Bachelors in Agricultural
• Vocational Courses

Cabagan Campus

• Doctoral in Education
• Doctoral in Philosophy
• Masteral in Arts
• Masteral in Sciences
• Bachelors in Education
• Bachelors in Agriculture and Forestries
• Bachelors in Arts and Sciences
• Bachelors in Computer Studies (IT)
• Bachelors in Criminology
• Vocational Courses

Ilagan Campus

• Masteral in Education
• Bachelors in Nursing and Fields
• BS Architecture
• BS Industrial Technology
• BS Electrical Engineering
• BS Civil Engineering
• BS Industrial Education
• Bach. of Technical Education Teacher (Automotive, Electrical, Electronics, Food & Service Management)
• BS Information Technology
• BS Information Technology - Ladderized
• Bachelor of Secondary Education
• Midwifery
• Computer Programming
• Computer Secretarial