Allow me to thank all of you for coming today! Your presence will make this occasion momentous, because you are all part of the accomplishments of this university and I am more than confident that you will always be around to provide the energy, the talent, the creativity, and the genius to sustain the course of action which we have charted for this great institution.
Today, we pause from our routine to gather as a campus community. We will relive our success and the progress that we have so far achieved in fulfilling the mandate that was given to us by God.
As we join in the excitement of this new academic year, let us first review and consider what we have accomplished in the past few years. Those were indeed very special years.
It was March 12, 2004 when I was ushered into the presidency of the Adventist University of the Philippines by the AUP Board of Trustees. It was almost three years ago when you and I were forced by circumstances to the most trying times of our lives—both as educators and as Christians. Only God’s intervention made it possible for us to come out victorious. It was His abiding presence that saved this university from chaos and disintegration. We are survivors, battle-scarred, but not defeated. And for that let God be praised and honored!
Today, AUP is stronger. The world championship garnered by the AUP Ambassadors under Ramon Lijauco, Jr. on July 2006 in Xiamen , China, is a fitting symbol of the heights each one of us can reach, if we commit ourselves to the discipline, devotion to work, and dedication to the Lord’s calling. This institution can soar to greater heights because God is at the helm and because we have put the welfare of our students and this institution foremost.
Permit me to enumerate this morning a few tangible results of the efforts we have made towards making this University an institution we can be proud of. We constructed student classrooms and an apartment, repaired and renovated our dormitories, built structures that will house our programs in the College of Nursing, Music, and Agriculture.
We are at present laying the groundwork for additional three elementary classrooms. The metal structure of the Academy Gymnasium is up and the construction of the AUP gate which will be EASNAC’s birthday gift to AUP on its 90th anniversary, bespeaks of our efforts to make our students’ life as comfortable as we could.
The second phase of the Music Building complex will soon rise with US$60,000.00 on hand, through the tireless efforts of Dr. Heidi Cerna. The road leading to Apartment F, as well as the one leading to Dr. Edwin Balila’s residence, will be cemented soon. The repair of AUP’s perimeter fence destroyed by typhoon Milenyo is complete. The damaged bridge is being eyed next for repairs.
It is a good feeling to see our campus clean and beautiful. I say, it is the administration’s pet project to turn AUP into one beautiful campus. A beautiful and clean place makes people happy and proud!
The improved social and work environment that we are experiencing at AUP has attracted more professors with doctoral degrees and experts in their field. So far, we have six additional doctors to serve this university as professors. One of them is Dr. Romeo Barrios, who is tasked by the Board to head the University Research Center. Drs. Reuel and Miriam Narbarte just arrived from Kenya to join our Faculty.
The following statistics will show our determination for the upgrading of our faculty:
Full time MA – 4
Full Time Doctoral – 8
Part Time MA - 6
Part Time Doctoral – 6
This is aside from many of you who are availing yourselves of the free 6 and 3 units, if you enroll in AUP for your personal advancements.
AUP’s financial standing is very stable. With a working capital of 155% and a liquidity of 110% as of February 2007, I am confident that we can sustain our development programs in many areas. This is the product of wise financial management by our people in the Finance Department. Our service departments are mostly doing well.
Our enrolment reached its highest level the first semester of 2006-2007. We have the most number of foreign students than any other university in the country, with 878 of them enrolled last semester, and coming from 38 different countries. The Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines was amazed when he was told that we have close to 300 Indonesian students studying in our campus.
The thrust of the University for the Next Five years are the following:
1. That AUP will be a spiritual sanctuary for its students, faculty and staff. The ADCOM has set aside a budget of Php1 million for spiritual in-reach and outreach programs.
2. That AUP will be a center for research. I am confident that Dr. Barrios and his team will make this goal a reality. In fact, the University is already being recognized by the CHED Region 1VA as an active player in the field of research.
3. That the facilities of AUP will be at par with the best in the country. We have allocated millions of pesos for building constructions, repairs, and renovations. We have budgeted for other infrastructure repairs of road networks, sidewalks, and campus beautification.
4. Since faculty and staff development is part of our strategy to maximize human resources and promote academic excellence, we have allocated millions of pesos for this specific purpose.
5. And because a strong community connection is a must for AUP to retain its university and autonomous status, we support strongly the community outreaches of the CES.
In the area of the academe, it is with confidence that we can say our connection with other colleges and universities is growing significantly. We now have partnerships with Samyook University in Korea and LERTLAH International School in Thailand . Saniku Gakuin College in Japan is on line as an educational partner. Our College of Dentistry and College of Nursing are strongly connected with Loma Linda University, and we have extension programs in CPAC, MVC, SPAC, and other institutions.
6. Most importantly, I believe that we must have a strong financial capability to execute our plans and sustain their growth.
In spite of all these, we are facing challenges. We know for a fact that proficiency in English is one of the main reasons why students from Indonesia , Korea, and China come to study at AUP. I congratulate the English Department for doing an excellent job of helping our students gain efficiency in this field of endeavor. But I have to challenge some of us, who find English challenging. We simply have to be more proficient in expressing ourselves in English. I challenge all of us to the high expectations with which we were cal led, the English language included.
Our faculty housing, specifically our apartments, are inadequate. We need more and adequate housing facilities for our faculty, students, and staff. To this end, we encourage our faculty and staff to build their own houses nearby. With better housing, we can accommodate more students, especially those who are on the Master and Doctoral levels to come and study at AUP.
Our water supply is no longer sufficient for our growing University population. I am delighted that AWESNA is considering a plan to help us with an additional water pump for AUP. It will surely augment our water supply.
Our Autonomous status will be due for review next year (2008). We have to maintain at least the four programs which already have Level 3 accreditation, namely: the College of Arts , Sciences and Technology; College of Business; College of Nursing; and College of Education . We are also greatly improving our existing programs with Level 2 accreditations, in order to upgrade them to Level 3 accreditations. Our College of Nursing, College of Education, and soon our College of Business are in the process of becoming Centers of Excellence. We encourage other Colleges and Departments to do the same, or at least become Centers of Development. Our VPAA, Dr. Dan Poblete, our very dedicated and capable dean, together with his Committee are deliberating with plans to develop the EQUAME. It is a must, if we are to be accredited again by CHED, when our Autonomous status will be reviewed in 2008.
Our biggest challenge is our Hospital Project. Our plan is to start construction early next year. While our alumni, here and abroad, are working hard to make this vision a reality, we the University, must be sincerely united in making such a project gain momentum. I sincerely believe the adage that the reward of a thing well done is to have it done. I am happy to announce to you that there is a shipment of 100 hospital beds coming for delivery hopefully this coming May 2007. We pay the freight, but the beds are donated to AUP for free. Another alumna from the AWESNA, e-mailed me pledging that she will take care of the Operating Suite. Even our brethren (wishing to be unk nown) from New Zealand have already donated a modest amount for our hospital project. Let us, with all confidence have faith, that God will enable us to take giant steps. He enables.
I insist that what lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. Our prayers and combined efforts will do a lot in making our dreams for AUP come true. While universities must have good coaches to lead, what we need in order to make our vision come true are dedicated and committed players willing to make our achievements gain flesh and blood.
Lastly, we have to humble ourselves and pray. We have proven in the past that
There is no problem too big, God cannot solve;
There is no mountain too tall, God cannot move;
There is no storm too dark, God cannot calm;
If God carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,
I know-- we know -- that He will carry us through.
And He will carry AUP on His shoulders and let it soar to greater heights. AUP shine on! God bless AUP!
