The University of St. La Salle, a non-stock and non-profit corporation, was established in 1952 by three American Brothers under the Philippine Province of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, an international institute of religious Brothers dedicated to the human and Christian education of the young, especially the poor.
MISSION-VISION STATEMENT OF THE
LASALLIAN FAMILY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Preamble
Deeply moved, as St. John Baptiste de la Salle was, by the plight of the poor and youth at risk, we, the members of the Lasallian schools in the Philippines, commit ourselves to the LaSallian Mission of providing a human and Christian education to the young, especially in schools, with the service of the poor as priority, in order to evangelize and catechize, to promote peace and justice, accomplishing these together as shared mission. We draw strength from the many Lasallians committed to incarnating our charism in our country today to serve the needs of the Filipino youth, especially those at risk.
Declaration
Inflamed by the Holy Spirit, God's own fire, we declare our commitment to the following;
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We shall work together as a national network of Lasalllian schools in the Philippines for the efficient and effective implementation of the Lasallian Mission, following the directives of the De La Salle Brothers and the Philippine Lasallian Family as set by the General Chapter, the District Chapter and the Philippine Lasallian Family Convocation;
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We shall ensure the integrity of the Lasallian Mission by setting direction and standards applicable to the Philippine Lasallian schools and by monitoring their implementation;
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We shall promote the Lasallian Mission by fostering synergy, collaboration and sharing among the Lasallian schools; and
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We shall uphold the Lasallian values of faith, zeal in service and communion in mission.
Prayer
In all these, we, together and by association, dedicate our life and work to God, who alone guarantees the fulfillment of our Lasallian dream.
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION STATEMENT
True to our Catholic tradition and inspired by St. John Baptist de La Salle, the University of St. La Salle is a learning community that forms persons of integrity committed to the care of peoples' and the earth in shared mission.
OUR ROOTS
One Man and a Dream
Our story starts with one man and a dream, over three centuries ago.
The man - John Baptiste de la Salle - was born to a wealthy family in Rheims, France on April 30, 1651. The dream was to provide education for the poor, for John Baptiste de la Salle believed that education gave hope and opportunity for men to lead better lives of dignity and freedom, lives which all men deserve as children of God.
De la Salle was a man of refined manners, a cultured mind, and great practical ability, in whom personal prosperity was balanced with kindness and affability.He lived in times not unlike our own, where society is characterized by a great disparity between the rich and the poor, and where the few who are rich control the lives of the many who are poor, helpless, hopeless and powerless.
Convinced that he could serve God more devotedly and concentrate on his mission more dedicatedly as a religious, de la Salle consecrated himself to God and finally became a priest at the age of 27.
Disturbed by the disparity he saw and felt around him, and firmly believing that all men and women ought to live lives more fitting for them as children of God, de la Salle devoted himself to the education of the poor, starting with recruiting young men who were out of work, training them to become good Christian teachers right in his own home, and later on transferring to other sites when his family and friends refused to accept his recruits into their homes.
Despite the strong objections and criticism from his family and friends, he pursued his mission with relentless perseverance and determination and unflagging faith and zeal, leading him to found the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1684, when he was only 33 years old. Through this congregation of young men dedicated to serve God through the education of the poor and the Christian formation of the youth, De La Salle led the way in establishing charity schools and teacher training institutes.
Today, after over 300 years, the La Salle Brothers serve the youth in schools, colleges, universities and other apostolates in 80 countries throughout the world.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY
In 1946, an opportunity for the Brothers to set up a second La Salle school in the country came when then Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Montelibano, Sr., offered them a ten-hectare lot where the University stands today.
In 1952, La Salle-Bacolod was established through the guidance and efforts of its three Founding Brothers: Bro. Felix Masson, Bro. Hugh Wester and Bro. Dennis Ruhland, the first Director of the school.
La Salle-Bacolod opened with 175 male students from Prep to Grade 5, under seven faculty members. The school building was unimpressive, built amidst sprawling muddy ground and bordered by cane fields of adjoining lands.
The following decade saw the expansion of La Salle from Grade School to College.
This was made possible though pledges, donations, and fund drives actively supported by parents, alumni, and benefactors.
In 1966, La Salle College opened its doors to the first batch of female college students whose influence on campus life grew as more and more ladies enrolled in what used to be an exclusive school for boys. In 1987, the Integrated School started to admit female students as well.
As a Catholic institution of learning offering to both men and women an educational program designed to develop their talents and abilities towards becoming truly contributing members of society, the University of St. La Salle is committed to a curriculum that emphasizes person- development as an integrated and wholistic process of spiritual, social, intellectual and physical growth.
In 1984, the College of Nursing and the College of Engineering were opened, in addition to the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Accountancy, Education and the Graduate School.
The institution was elevated to University Status on July 5, 1988
In AY 1993-1994, the College of Law was opened, and the College of Medicine
The Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Accountancy and Education have obtained PAASCU Level 3 accreditation and the College of Engineering Level 1.
In 2000, the following programs were designated as CHED Centers of Development:
Business and Accountancy, Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, and Computer Engineering.
By 2001, the University was conferred the Autonomous Status by the Commission on Higher Education, one of among 30 institutions in the country granted with this prestigious and esteemed recognition.
In 2002, as an expression of its Golden Jubilee theme "Keeping Faith," the University enshrined the statue of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the Patron Saint of Teachers, at the San Sebastian Cathedral.
Since then, the University and its stakeholders have collectively earned various recognitions and awards. Among these are -- Levels 1 to Level 3 accreditation of various programs granted by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges & Universities (PAASCU), the designation of Centers of Development in a number of academic programs by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and remarkable ranking and topnotchers in several licensure examinations.
In 2008, USLS was among the first higher education institutions (HEIs) to earn its Institutional Quality Assurance and Monitoring Evaluation (IQUAME) rating of A(t), recognizing it as a premier teaching institution.
In 2009, the following programs were again recognized by CHED as Centers of Development (COD) from 2009 to 2012 and was extended until May 31, 2014:
Accountancy, Chemical Engineering, and Computer Engineering. The College of Education was also recognized by CHED as COD in Teacher Education for the period April 2016 to December 2018.
The Autonomous Status of the University was renewed by CHED on April 1, 2016 and is valid for a period of three years.
In AY 2016-2017, USLS was recognized by CHED as one of the Delivering Higher Education Institutions (DHEI) for ten (10) graduate programs as well as one of the Sending Higher Education Institutions (SHEI) for graduate degree programs during the K to 12 Transition period.
In January 2018, the College of Business and Accountancy was renamed Yu An Log College of Business and Accountancy, as an expression of gratitude to the Yu family for its benevolence and to honor the life and legacy of Yu An Log whose generous spirit and genuine compassion are manifested in his support for various academic institutions and scholarships. The naming rights provided additional funds in support of the college's scholarship grants, faculty development program, professorial chairs, lecture series, and facilities improvement.
