Ateneo de Zamboanga University

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University (), also referred to by its acronym AdZU, is a private, Catholic, co-educational, basic and higher education institution in Zamboanga City, Philippines. Founded in 1912 by Spanish Jesuits as an all-boys parochial school of the Immaculate Conception parish, it is the second oldest Jesuit-administered institution in the Philippines.

History

Founding (1912–1916)

left|thumb|The site of Escuela Catolica at the [[Zamboanga Cathedral|Immaculate Conception parish church.|199x199px]]

In 1912, a parochial elementary school was opened by the Spanish Jesuits as an escuela catolica for the Immaculate Conception parish. Fr. Manuel Ma. Sauras, was the director of the school and Fr. Miguel Saderra Mata, , the parish priest who was formerly the rector of Ateneo Municipal, subsidized the school. Classes were being held in a wooden building that also housed the garage of the Mindanao Transit. It was located near the cathedral along Plaza de Don Juan de Salcedo (now Plaza Pershing), but was later demolished and replaced with the Mindanao Theater. Classes then moved to the ground floor of the church rectory.

Pre-war Ateneo (1916–1941)

left|thumb|The students and faculty of Ateneo in 1917 with Fr. Sauras and Bishop Clos.

In 1916, Bishop Michael J. O'Doherty, the then bishop of Zamboanga, had requested that the Jesuits open a school similar to the Ateneo de Manila to address the need to maintain quality education in parochial schools. An annual subsidy of 1,000 pesos, along with one-fourth of the diocesan revenue, the parish rectory, and financial support from the Catholic Action and various sources, were offered for the new school. With the approval of the Jesuit mission superior, Fr. Francisco X. Tena, , the school was named "Ateneo de Zamboanga" on October 28, 1916 with seven grade levels.

In the 1920s, the Philippine mission of the Jesuits had been transferred from the Province of Aragon to the Province of Maryland-New York, and American Jesuits began to replace the Spanish Jesuits. Part of this transfer was the assignment of Fr. Thomas J. Murray, , an Irish American Jesuit, as parish priest in September 1926. In 1930, management of the school was fully handed over from the Spanish Jesuits to the American Jesuits. During Fr. Thomas' tenure, Ateneo eventually occupied the entire K of C building. The high school was officially recognized by the city government in 1932, and the first graduates were produced in the same year, with Roseller T. Lim as the valedictorian. College classes were opened in June 1938 and offered Commerce and Pre-Law courses. The new campus was shared with students from Pilar College for a year before they moved to their new campus at Cawa-Cawa Boulevard. In September 1947, an extra 1.5 hectares was purchased to accommodate for more buildings.

Post-war college classes opened in 1952 and has since been co-educational. It initially offered two-year courses for Associate in Arts and Pre-Law and four-year courses for Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Education, and Bachelor of Science in Commerce degrees. The high school started offering night classes in 1954 for students working in government offices. The college started offering courses for Pre-Nursing and Pre-Engineering in 1954 and 1955 respectively.

Discussions were held in 1990 between health professionals and community leaders regarding the need for a medical school in Western Mindanao due to the region having the highest infant mortality rate in the Philippines at the time, among other factors. The nearby Western Mindanao State University was the first to be given approval to open a medical school in the region. However, plans were cancelled due to budget constraints. Fr. William H. Kreutz, , the university president during this time, established the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation, Inc. (ZMSF) as a non-stock, non-profit organization in 1991.

University status

On August 20, 2001, the Ateneo de Zamboanga was granted university status by the Commission on Higher Education and is the only higher education institution in Western Mindanao to receive a Fully Autonomous status. it was decided that the new law school was to be a branch of the Xavier University College of Law. A certificate of authority was issued on May 18, 2011, and the Xavier University College of Law – Zamboanga opened in June 2011. Legal Education Board members later granted the Ateneo a permit to open a law school through an order dated January 13, 2014.

Construction started for a new grade school complex that was to be a part of the Kreutz Campus. A groundbreaking was held on July 31, 2012, as part of the university's centennial, with construction starting on August 15, 2013. The grade school transferred to the new complex after its inauguration on June 15, 2015.

Brebeuf gym fire and rebuilding

On July 7, 2016, the historic 67-year-old Brebeuf Gymnasium was burned to the ground; the Sauras, Kostka, and Gonzaga Halls were also damaged from the fire. The Zamboanga City government estimated that the cost of the damages amounted to ₱5 million. As part of rebuilding efforts, the Faustino W. Saavedra Building (FWS Building) and the second Multi-Purpose Covered Court were built on the grounds of the former Brebeuf Gym and were inaugurated on December 8, 2018.

Recent events

In 2019, Lantaka Hotel, the oldest hotel in Zamboanga, was donated to Ateneo though a donation made by the Walstrom Family and was renamed to the AdZU Lantaka Campus. On March 22, 2020, amid COVID-19 lockdowns, it was converted by the city government into a COVID-19 isolation and treatment facility and was temporarily renamed to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi–Lantaka) COVID-19 Facility. In 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic saw less cases during the year, it was returned to Ateneo from the city government and reopened on October 10, 2022, with future renovations planned for the campus.

On June 11, 2024, the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law partnered with the AdZU College of Law (now Rosendo U. Castillo, Jr. College of Law) to offer a Masters of Law program in AdZU.

Academics

The Ateneo offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its three colleges and four schools, with most offering science degrees.

Admissions

AdZU operates with a selective admissions policy. All of the university's courses require, among other things, passing an entrance exam (which, in the case of the Grade School, is instead called an 'assessment test'); past education records are also required for examination. The School of Medicine requires results in the National Medical Admission Test while the College of Law requires results in the PhilSAT; all other units administer through the school's own College Entrance Test initiated by the Admissions and Aid.

Organization and administration

{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%; line-height:1.4em; width:300px;"

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:#04049c;" |<span style="color:#fff;">Ateneo de Zamboanga University Presidents</span>

|Name

|Tenure of office

| colspan="2" |

----

| colspan="2" |Director

|Fr. Manuel Ma. Sauras, S.J.

|1912–1928

|Fr. Thomas J. Murray, S.J.

|1928–1935

|Fr. Juan E. Gaerlan, S.J.

|1935–1936

|Fr. Jose Buxo, S.J.

|1936–1937

|Fr. Walter F. Hyland, S.J.

|1937–1938

|Fr. Eusebio G. Salvador, S.J.

|1938–19411946–1947

|Fr. Andrew F. Cervini, S.J.

|1947–1949

| colspan="2" |Rector

|Fr. Alfredo E.I. Paguia, S.J.

|1949–1953

|Fr. Paul B. Hugendobler, S.J.

|1953–1959

|Fr. Emmanuel C. Regalado, S.J.

|1959–1962

|Fr. Antonio M. Cuna, S.J.

|1962–1965

|Fr. Vincent M. McNally, S.J.

|1965–1969

|Fr. Ramon M. Mores, S.J.

|1969–19711977–1979

|Fr. Asterio J. Katigbak, S.J.

|1971–1977

| colspan="2" |President

|Fr. Ernesto A. Carretero, S.J.

|1979–1989

|Fr. William H. Kreutz, S.J.

|1989–2007

|Fr. Antonio F. Moreno, S.J.

|2007–2013

|Fr. Karel S. San Juan, S.J.

|2013–2023

|Fr. Guillrey Anthony M. Andal, S.J.

|2023–

| colspan="2" |

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Governance

left|thumb|255x255px|The current president, [[Guillrey Anthony Andal|Fr. Ernald Andal, S.J.]]

The Ateneo is governed as a private, nonprofit corporation by a board of trustees responsible for overseeing the long-term interests of the university. The board consists of 15 members with at least 8 Jesuit members.

The Ateneo is administered by a president who is elected by the board of trustees from the Jesuit members of the board to a six-year term. There is no limit to how many terms the president can serve. Under him are four vice presidents with two being the heads of the basic and higher education units, one for administration, and one for the university's formation efforts. Its spaces are also used as a place for students' and staff's retreats, recollections, meetings, seminars, and conferences.

Student life

Campus organizations

The Ateneo officially recognizes over 150 clubs and organizations in its basic and higher education units, including 11 academic organizations that each represent its colleges and schools. College students with at least 12 units and a 1.5 GPA or higher are allowed to join campus organizations. They are also active in community initiatives, such as organizing relief operations during the 2013 Zamboanga City Siege and protesting against the implementation of mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps in the Philippines.

Each academic unit has its own student publication, with the oldest being The Beacon Publications, founded in 1946. It mainly publishes online content through social media platforms and releases print editions in English and local languages. The university's peer-reviewed journal, Asia Mindanaw, is published by the research office.

Athletics

The Ateneo's varsity athletics teams participate regularly at the Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM), the Private Schools of Zamboanga Athletic Association (PSZCAA) Meet, the Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA) Meet, and the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) Regional Games. Some of its teams also compete internationally, such as in martial arts competitions. Its mascot is the Azul Aguila, and its colors are blue and white.

Athletics history

The Ateneo's first athletics teams were formed after the arrival of American Jesuits in the late 1920s. The athletics teams were then disbanded in the early 1940s due to the war. After new athletics teams were formed, they started using the Blue Eagle as its moniker in the year the Brebeuf Gym finished construction, ahead of the Ateneo de Manila.

Notable alumni

Roseller T. Lim, first and only Zamboangueño elected to the Philippine Senate
Cesar Climaco, former mayor of Zamboanga City
Bobby Nalzaro, broadcast journalist, radio commentator and columnist
Beng Climaco, former mayor of Zamboanga City