MSU holds investiture of its 6th president today

MARAWI CITY , Philippines - At least 70,000 students university-wide including chancellors, vice chancellors, deans, directors, faculty, staff and alumni and other guests from international, national and local officials will arrive today at the Dimaporo Gymnasium here to witness the investiture of Mindanao State University’s (MSU) 6th regular president, Dr. Macapado A. Muslim.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and MSU Board of Regents (BOR) chairman Dr. Emmanuel Angeles will lead the investiture rites accompanied by the members of the BOR.

Angeles’ message sent to Dr. Muslim’s investiture have expressed their warmest greetings to the administrators, faculty, staff, alumni and students of the MSU System, adding “as you hold the induction today of your 6th president which will highlight yet another important milestone in your institution’s development. We have high hope that Dr. Muslim will continue to inspire the whole MSU community to renew its pledge in initiating development programs that are in accordance with the national agenda of bringing self-sufficiency and economic prosperity in the country.”

As this develop, Angeles urged university constituents to work together to make MSU System a successful higher education institution that would contribute to the growth and development of the higher education sector in our country.

Former MSU president Dr. Camar Umpa said that the decision of Malacañang to appoint Dr. Muslim from acting president to regular president is timely to continue instituting reforms in the university and to assist the new administration of President Benigno Aquino III strengthen our educational system.

Umpa added that since he assumed office last January 2008, his accomplishments were noted, such as having increased the income of the university from P1 million to P57 million; implementation of the promotion of 100 faculty members both tertiary and secondary; increase the salary of utility workers; payment of performance bonus to all university including contractual and casual workers; implementation of new salary rate for contractual faculty members.

These major accomplishments of Dr. Muslim were corroborated by CHED Commissioner Hadja Luningning Misuarez-Umar, saying he was able to demolish hundreds of illegal squatters on MSU’s land which is one of his major missions to accomplish with the help of former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

MSU Office of the President consultant and former Department of Education-ARMM Secretary Prof. Salipada Tamano said Dr. Muslim’s priority has always been and will always be the academe. He has pronounced it several times that his administration will focus on providing the basic academic needs and requirements of the colleges.

Meanwhile, Dr. Muslim said that he will continue his quest to strengthen the academic operation of the university including the high school units, stressing P1.4 million worth of books will be added to the collection of the university library to enable students to either rent or borrow needed books.