Bejoc, Ronah Abigail R.

BSA – 1, Block 8
USJ-R HISTORY
Established by the Order of Augustinian Recollects in Cebu City in 1947, the then
Colegio de San Jose - Recoletos held classes in a portion of a convent, which can be
traced back on 1621, and in an old building. On July 25, 1948, CSJ-R's second year
marked the blessing of the college building in the then Carmelo Street, now Leon Kilat
Street. With the rise of the new building, collegiate courses were offered. Liberal Arts,
Education, Commerce, Secretarial, Vocational courses and Pianoforte were the first set
of courses offered by CSJ-R in the college level.
The Augustinian Recollects decided to construct a new college building designed
by architects Imelda Borromeo and Mariano Monasque. The new San Nicolas Building
fronting Plaza Washington (now Freedom Park), was inaugurated on July 25, 1950. The
year 1950 also witnessed another milestone in education, breaking free from the old
system, the school adopted the system of departmentalized colleges appointing one
dean for each college.
In 1955, another structure was added to the ever-expanding CSJ-R, the San
Agustin Hall was inaugurated on August 28, 1955. Responding to the needs of the ever-
increasing student population, the San Agustin Hall Annex was conceived and later
inaugurated on March 19, 1960.
In the year 1965, the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepcion, also known as
the Iglesia de los Padres Agustinos Recoletos, was demolished after thorough and
emotionally charged deliberations as the conservatives of the church fought for its
preservation. On the foundations of the old church, a new church would rise and would
become known as the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and was finally blessed on
March 18, 1966.
Tragedy struck on March 1967, bringing with it a conflagration which destroyed
parts of Colegio de San Jose. The Augustinian Recollects were quick to address this
occurrence and by the year 1969, a six-storey building along P. Lopez Street was
constructed giving rise to what is now known as the San Jose Building.

The Recoletos Coliseum in Basak Campus

 In 1980, CSJ-R bought a new site in Basak Pardo, Cebu City, then built the new
building for the grade and high schools, the Recoletos Coliseum, Open Gymnasium and
the Pope Paul II Retreat House. In 1996, the Talavera House of Prayer was built in the
scenic hills of Quiot Pardo, Cebu City.
June 13, 1981 marked the completion of the CSJ-R Basak Campus; right before
achieving university status, school year 1982–1983 saw the transfer of the elementary
and high school departments to the CSJ-R Basak Campus. Roughly three years later,
the Recoletos Coliseum (now fully air-conditioned) was completed, making June 1984 a
significant date for sports enthusiasts.

The Talavera House of Prayer at dusk in Greenbelt Drive, Quiot Pardo, Cebu City

On September 21, 1984, CSJ-R attained university status. Spanning years of

accreditation and re-accreditation, USJ-R, PAASCU Level 3, was granted Autonomous
by CHED in 2001.
The curricular programs of USJ-R evolved from traditional to innovative course
offerings: Arts and Sciences(started as liberal arts in 1947);Commerce and
Education (founded in 1948); Engineering (1961); Bachelor of Laws (1957); and the
Graduate School (1962). In 2003, the College of Information, Computer and
Communications Technology was created. The Expanded Tertiary Education
Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) followed in the same year. On April
1, 2004, the Vertical Alignment of the undergraduate and graduate schools took effect
which established five graduate schools: Graduate School of Business and
Management, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Information
Technology and Computer Studies, Graduate School of Education and Graduate
School of Engineering.
In June 2004, the B.S. in Nursing started its first operation due to the huge
demand of nurses at the time. The university's College of Nursing held its 1st Capping,
Badge Investiture and Candle Lighting Ceremony in June 2006 at the Recoletos
Coliseum, Basak Campus.
 The colonnaded, arched facade of the University of San Jose–Recoletos Main Campus gives it a
strong Romanesque appeal

Part of USJ-R's campaign is the provision of infrastructures and facilities to aid learning.
Thus the rise of many school buildings like the Nursing Skills Laboratory, the St. Ezekiel
Moreno Building, the International Language Center, the Recoletos Law Center, and the
LET and CPA Review Centers were taken into place.
In 2006, the St. Ezekiel Moreno Building was completely established in the
Basak Campus exclusive for the College of Information, Computer and Communications
Technology (CICCT) and the College of Education (COE).

USJ-R Basak Campus (St. Ezekiel Moreno Building)

USJ-R had also opened some of the latest programs: Doctor of Philosophy in
English, Master of Arts in Education major in Guidance and Counseling, Master of
Media Studies with specialization in Broadcast Media and Journalism, Bachelor of Arts
in International Studies, Diploma in advance program in Special Education and the
English Language Program for foreign and Filipino students.
The years that followed gave the school opportunities to expand. On November
28, 1998, the 52nd General Chapter held in Granada, Spain, voted for the creation of a
new Religious Province in the Philippines dedicated to St. Ezekiel Moreno, OAR. The
Recollect Philippine Province, where USJ-R belongs, now stands as the eighth regional
cluster of communities of the Order of Augustinian Recollect worldwide.
Furthermore, the USJ-R partnered with the Cebu Industrial Park Developers, Inc.
and Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Inc., in the establishment of USJ-R Balamban Campus
in the Municipality of Balamban, Cebu and inaugurated on June 22, 2009.