10th Charter anniversary: Roles of Gullas, Fernan in helping CNU lauded

Cebu Normal University president, Dr. Ester B. Velasquez, has thanked Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st District) and the late Senate President and Supreme Court Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan for their roles in making the school a university since 10 years ago.

As CNU celebrates its 10th University Charter anniversary today, Velasquez recalled how Gullas helped the school by sponsoring the House bill, with Fernan as the author of the counterpart Senate bill, converting Cebu State College to Cebu Normal University on June 27, 1998.

Velasquez, in a press conference the other day at the CNU Student Activity Center, also announced the university’s achievements and programs, and the activities for the anniversary celebration, which has the theme “Transforms of Excellence in a Decade of Fiscal Discipline.”

Part of their celebration today will be opening and blessing of the new school gate, which Velasquez named as “THE CNU” gate. Adding the article “the” to CNU puts “a distinction that the school is not only beautiful and vibrant but also full of dreams, said Velasquez.

“The entrance will have the CNU as the Character Nurturing University and as the student exits, the school is already the Competence Nurturing University, which is so true with the well-established system of the school,” she said. “CNU is one of the most beautiful schools all over the country.”

The blessing rites will be followed with a Eucharistic Mass and a program to be held at the CNU Social Hall that would include the confering of awards of recognition to Velasquez for maintaining the school’s excellence through a decade of good fiscal management.

Under Velasquez’s administration, the school’s income had quadrupled, earning her the distinction of the perfect home manager.

Other activities today is the opening of cultural exhibit, entitled “A Decade of University Status and the Living Hands: The Legacy of Fidel Araneta, Museum” at the Student Activity Center.

Velasquez will receive recognition as the founding member of distinguished standing of the American Biographical Institute, and as the highest ranking university professor by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), the accrediting body for state universities and colleges in the Philippines.

The CNU will be offering new courses in addition to the Graduate School, College of Teacher Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Nursing, she said.

New offered degrees are the Doctor of Arts in Literature and Communication, to be headed by the Dean of CAS, Dr. Angel Pesirla, and Performance Thesis for master’s degree. CNU is the only school offering the Doctor of Science in Nursing with concentration in Gerontology.

For the Normalites, the tag for CNU students, 150 scholarship grants are now offered in addition to the Senate President Manny Villar-sponsored student loans that will be availed by graduating students who may be unable to pursue their last year in college due to financial problem.

Velasquez announced also that a CNU campus will be opened in Medellin, in addition to the CNU-Balamban campus. Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob has even talked to Velasquez for the establishment of a CNU campus in his town.

CNU has expanded its program for the disabled, such as the special education (SPED) for the visually- and hearing-impared students from its present five classes.

Velasquez said that CNU has done great achievements so far to become the biggest graduate school in the country with 1, 500 graduates last semester.

CNU graduate school has 11 PhD programs, 37 MA programs, 3 diploma programs, 2 post-baccalaureate programs, and 35 baccalaureate programs. —Marigold P. Lebumfacil/RAE