About Trinity University Of Asia (TUA)

Overview

Trinity University of Asia, formerly Trinity College of Quezon City was founded through the concordant of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in 1963. It started with elementary school, high school and collegiate courses in Liberal Arts, Education and Commerce. Over the years, it expanded its curricular offerings to the Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Medical Technology, Nursing and Graduate School.The University consistenly tops licensure examinations for nurses, medical technologists, and teaches. Now an emerging leader in the education of the country's top artists, computer scientists, bankers, business managers and entrepreneurs.

 

Articulating the thrust of being eminently the best in Christian education and service learning, under the leadership of Dr. Josefina S. Sumaya the fifth and first woman university president together with the able members of the management committee always strive to imbue the students with Christian ideals of Teamwork, Integrity, Innovation, Excellence and Social Responsibility.

 

Brief History

 

 

 

TUA is an educational institution launched by one hundred sixty (160) shares of Procter and Gamble stock. In 1922, Mrs. Mortimer Matthews gave to the Rt. Rev. Gouvemeur Mosher, then Bishop of the Philippines, 60 shares of Procter and Gamble stock, while Bishop Mathews added 100 shares the following year. The total shares of 160 valued then at $25,000 went to a trust fund to be spent in any way the Bishop of the Philippines considered most helpful to the work of the Church. It all started when Paul Matthews, who became Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey, USA in 1951, married Elsie Procter whose grandfather founded Procter and Gamble Company. Both the Matthews and Gamble families were greatly interested in the missionary work of the Episcopal Church. In 1961, the stock had increased to 867 shares valued at $491,361.82. The Rt. Rev. Lyman C. Ogilby, then Bishop of the Philippine Episcopal Church, felt the funds would be best spent to set up a Christian college of high standards. It was then used to purchase the former Capitol City College from the P. E. Domingo family in 1963.

 

TUA was named after Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut, USA whose president then was Bishop Ogilby’s father. Dr. Arthur L. Carson was its first president. Dr. Arturo M. Guerrero, who succeeded him in 1967, served for 16 years until his death in 1983. Executive Vice-President Ester A. Santos was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the College until the third president, Dr. Rafael B. Rodriquez assumed office in 1984. Col. Rizalino Cabanban was Officer-in-Charge from 1996 to 1997. Dr. Orlando B. Molina became the fourth president and served from 1998 to 2001. Presently at the helm of the College is the first lady president, Dr. Josefina S. Sumaya who was installed as the fifth president in 2002.

 

The University started as a one-building campus. The administrative and college units moved to its present tree-lined campus on Cathedral Heights in November 1968 upon completion of the Science Building. It was constructed by a grant from the Netherlands government. Enrollment soared but tragedy struck on November 26, 1969 when fire razed the original plant housing the High School and the Elementary School at 226 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue. However, with the help of students, alumni, and friends here and abroad, an L-shaped three-storey building worth more than a million pesos was constructed. A gymnasium was built which was funded by the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Churchwomen in 1971.

 

Subsequent additions to the campus skyline were the Trinity College Learning Center for Children (TLCC) which was built with funds bequeathed by Miss Mary Niven Alston, now the Alston Hall for the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and the library building named the Wayland S. Mandell Hall after the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mandell Hall was constructed and equipped with a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), American schools and hospitals abroad plus funds from the Booth Ferris Foundation, friends and alumni. A three-storey Elementary School building was funded by donors led by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) based in New York, USA, and St. Margaret’s School in Tokyo, Japan. The two-storey Cabanban Memorial Hall houses the Computer Center for the High School and Elementary School. Donations by the government of Japan and Trinity College supporters made possible the two-storey Trinitian Center for Community Development (TCCD), formerly CAUSE Resource Center, on the College campus for Trinity’s various volunteer outreach projects.

 

The New Millennium saw the constructions of the Health Sciences Center, Ann Keim Barsam Hall, a two-storey canteen, an open auditorium and the swimming pool. The Health Sciences Center houses the College of Medical Technology and the St. Luke’s College of Nursing while the Ann Keim Barsam Hall houses the College of Business Administration, Barsam Mini-Hall, Barsam Conference Room, KOBE International University Research Room and the University Research and Development Center. Expansions are presently on hand to make TUA a center for educational excellence in the country.

 

The University has been entrusted with programs that promote humanitarian spirit through volunteerism. Since 1985, the renowned International Partnership for Service-Learning (IPS-L) has chosen TUA the sole implementor in the Philippines of its summer program in community service-learning. Every year more than twenty student-participants from different countries congregate in TUA to enroll in cross-cultural studies, theology of religions and community service-learning.

 

The Center for Intensive Language Learning of the College of Arts and Sciences offers proficiency courses in English and Filipino to foreign students. The Japan Foundation, Inc. has chosen Trinity University of Asia along with Ateneo de Manila University, the De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines to be a center for Japanology in the Philippines. The United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) supports the professional growth of the faculty through scholarship grants. TUA has also been a UBCHEA recipient of the Iloilo Accord consortium together with Silliman University and the Central Philippine University. The University is also a recipient of the scholarship grant by Hannam University in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to a master’s degree in Information Technology.

 

The success and effectiveness of the University curricula are manifested in the high percentage of students who have passed in government examinations and in the high employment rate of its graduates in prestigious companies and government offices. The St. Luke’s College of Nursing consistently garners a high percentage passing rate in the licensure examinations for nurses with many of its graduates landing on the top 20. Quality education animated by a strong Christian spirit has certainly chartered the path that the University shall take in the successful attainment of its mission. It is noteworthy to cite that most of the programs offered by the University are accredited by the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities – Accrediting Agency Incorporated (ACSCU-AAI) and the Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). 

 

TUA also excels in sports. In 1985, the University joined the National Colleges Athletic Association (NCAA). In 2001, it affiliated with the Colleges and Universities Sports Association (CUSA) where it won several gold medals in basketball, volleyball, swimming, chess and tennis tournaments. Such competition enabled the students to spend leisure time productively through regular fitness and sports development activities.

 

In 1995, the University was recognized by Pres. Fidel V. Ramos as the friendliest school for the disabled. In 2002, the Zobel Foundation gave scholarship grants to the physically challenged through the University’s Disabled Empowerment and Enablement Program (DEEP). The University is also linked up with many non-governmental civic organizations, thereby continuing the tradition of caring for the underprivileged and the disabled.

 

Moreover, the University is deeply involved in community work in the neighboring barangays such as Damayang Lagi, Tatalon, Gumamela, Roxas District, Kristong Hari and far flung communities such as the Aetas’ Barangays in Lawin and Pao-en, Zambales and the poverty-ridden areas in Antipolo and Laguna.

 

Sustaining its image nationally and internationally paved the way to its university status granted on 18 July 2006 by the Commission on Higher Education. This inspired the Management to design the blueprint of its immediate future directions beginning with curricular revisions and possible new offerings such as information technology-related programs, review of application for degrees in science and engineering, reinventing the Mass Communication program, strengthening the Christian Education program, and the Graduate School luring international students because of its reputation for excellence. Another is reinvigorating the University’s sunshine programs such as Nursing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Tourism. Further envisioned are more investment in research, a move to a higher level of voluntary accreditation in program and institutional accreditation status, making TUA as one of the top universities in Asia with an ISO certification, celebration of the University’s golden anniversary with a population of 15,000, and projection of Php 50M for the Endowment Fund.

 

Under-going construction are the Student Services Center with a theater-type auditorium, the University House, and the University Chapel and Prayer Garden.

 

With service-learning at its core, TUA rightfully claims its place of respect and glory in the Philippines, in Asia, and the rest of the world….Pro Deo et Patria….for God and country.