FU@65: Come Alive!
What started as a two-classroom school at the top of the Teves building along Calle Alfonso XIII, now Perdices St., on July 4, 1949, is turning 65 years old next month.
Foundation College, a non-stock, non-profit foundation established by Dr. Vicente G. Sinco, is also Negros Oriental’s first non-sectarian school. It was the third private college to open Negros Oriental.
From its humble beginnings, the College transferred to its present site five years later, and grew in both stature and infrastructure, becoming a University in 1969.
Despite the University’s limited resources, then President Leandro Sinco started a program in 1995 to pump in more investments into infrastructure and the improvement of the competencies of its faculty and staff.
Today, Foundation University is the leading institution in the Philippines in using technology as an educational tool.
In 2010, it pioneered in the use of iPads for teaching high school students.
The decision to adopt the iPad was a no-brainer for Victor Vicente Sinco, vice president for finance & administration, and chairman of the board. “The iPad is no longer the tool of the future — it is the present. If we don’t jump into this, we will be left behind!”
The University also boasts of having one of the most advanced technical infrastructure of any educational institution in the country, through its 10 Gigabit (GbE) backbone for on-campus communications.
Jan Dennis Bungart, head of IT/ICT operations, said no other university nationwide has ever tried to put up such a sophisticated infrastructure with features that are similar to those of carrier-grade networks.
Bungart explained that this system provides hi-speed access for thousands of mobile devices roaming around campus. “The north campus alone will have around 60 access points installed (one per classroom) at the latest by September.”
Another first in the history of Foundation University will be the inauguration on July 4 of its fully-airconditioned high school classrooms. With audio-video facilities, these classrooms come with sliding whiteboards.
The University is also finalizing the installation of its solar panels, which is expected to supply about 30 percent of the power needs of its north campus.
With several course offerings accredited by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Colleges, Schools & Universities (PAASCU), and the Philippine Associaiton of Colleges & Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), hundreds of its graduates have passed government licensure examinations, or have made a name for themselves in their chosen fields of endeavor.
But the University’s latest pride is the 100 percent passing rate of its students in the Agriculture Licensure Exams.
Vherney Cabasag II, Earl Mascardo M. Nodado, Ivy M. Tumobag and Alfred T. Tuting, all BSA Animal Science graduates in March 2014, hurdled the exams on their first try. Other passers in the Agriculture Licensure Examinations were Markim Cu (2009), Jade Mark Darong (2008), Alberto Faburada (2007) and Bebwin Romano (1995).
Sports is also an area where Foundation University proudly excels in. While athletes are expected to prioritize their studies over their sports activities, the University has also expanded its sports facilities to include three basketball/volleyball courts, and a football field. A swimming pool is under construction.
Foundation University has also pioneered in the holding of several athletic events, like the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon, and the organization of the Negros Athletic Association. The University will also host this year’s Unigames in October.
The University also prides itself in its several Corporate Social Responsibility programs, especially those that seek to improve wellness and to restore the environment.
Last year, the University was awarded as the Most Environmentally Sustainable School in the Visayas.
It was also awarded as a finalist in the Anvil Awards for its running advocacy in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental.
