SPUQC History

      St. Paul University Quezon City is one of thirty-six (36) schools operating under the management of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) in the Philippines.

      The Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres transferred their Novitiate and Provincial House from busy Herran Street in Malate, Manila to a more quiet site in what is now known as Quezon City in 1931.
      In 1941, after a decade of peaceful living in the very tranquil residential area, the Sisters and the Novices had to give way to a diametrically opposed group, the Japanese occupational forces. The Novitiate and Provincialate, which then occupied the compound, became a garrison for Japanese soldiers. The end of World War II in 1945 found the Novitiate Building in ruins. After reconstruction, a Grade School was opened on July 7, 1946 to answer the educational needs of the post-liberation years. Soon after that, a permit to open First Year High School was obtained in May 1947. A second building was constructed in 1950. The reconstructed building housed the school and the Sisters’ Convent while the newly constructed building was occupied by a new group of novices on December 8, 1950. Later, the Novitiate and Provincial House were transferred to Antipolo, Rizal. In July 1966, the College Department was opened upon the request of the Parents of the Paulinian High School Graduates. In June 1973, the Grade School was transferred to Pasig, Metro Manila but the school maintained its High School and College Departments.

      Situated on a gentle slope of what was originally known as New Manila, the SPUQC campus now occupies an entire block bordered by busy Aurora Boulevard, Gilmore Avenue, Third Street, and Doña Magdalena Hemady Street in Quezon City. Presently sharing the compound is the convent of the Sisters who are assigned to the school. A number of construction projects have taken place within the last twenty five years. Enrollment has increased tremendously, too. The former one-section-per-year level in the High School Department has been raised to four sections per year level, despite strict admission requirements. In the College Department, more programs are now being offered. To respond to the signs of the times, SPUQC established the Center for Career Development, a night school program of the Community Extension Program. It also opened its own co-educational pre-school department and the Institute of Graduate Studies in June 2004 and re-opened its Grade School Department to boys and girls in June 2005. In June 2006, SPUQC started to open its doors to young men who desire to undergo their college education and formation in St. Paul University Quezon City.

      Committed to academic excellence, SPUQC continually upgrades the quality of Paulinian education. The Colleges of Liberal Arts and Commerce were first granted Level II accreditation status by PAASCU in 1983 along with the High School Department, which was granted Level I accreditation status by the same accrediting body. Both departments have periodically obtained re-accreditation status since then. While tremendous changes have taken place, one very important factor has remained constant: the SPUQC Paulinian, be she/ he a religious, a faculty member, a non-teaching staff member, or a student, has remained warm, simple, and active.

Highlights

1930 Laying of the cornerstone of the oldest building on campus, followed by a year of construction.

1931 Blessing of the building to become known as the Sisters of St. Paul Novitiate and Provincial House.

1941 Japanese occupation of SPCQ.

July 1946 Opening of the Elementary Department with 150 enrollees, comprising the boys’ and girls’ sections, at the site of the old Novitiate destroyed during the Japanese occupation. The seven pioneer Sisters were Sr. Isabel of the Angels Narciso, Principal; Sr. Luz de l’Agnus Dei Fajatin, Sr. Maria Veronica Marcelino, Sr. Clemencia Dimalibot, Sr. Domitilla del Rosario Nañola, Sr. Mary Richard Jardenil, and Sr. Maria Ancilla Garcia.

May 1947 Granting of government recognition of the Elementary Program and issuance of a permit to open the First Year High School.

1948-1951 Consecutive opening of the Second, Third, and Fourth Year High School Classes. The first High School graduation was held in 1951.

July 1951 Government recognition of the complete Academic Secondary Program . Enrollment went beyond 500.

Mid-50’s SPCQ became an exclusive girls’ school with the phase-out of the boys’ section in the Elementary Department.

July 1966 Opening of the College Department upon the request of the parents of Paulinian High School graduates, with an initial enrollment of some 70 students for First Year in Bachelor of Arts (AB) and Diploma in Secretarial Science (DSS).

July 1967 Opening of the Bachelor of Science in Commerce Program.

1971 Celebration of the Silver Jubilee of SPCQ.

June 1973 Transfer of the Grade School Department to St. Paul College, Pasig. Opening of a two-year program in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

1977 Appointment of Sr. Mary Angela Barrios, SPC as First President of SPCQ.

1982 Granting of Government permit to open Bachelor of Science with majors in Psychology, Mathematics, Biology, Secretarial Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Nutrition and Dietetics.

1983 Granting of Level II accreditation status by PAASCU to the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Commerce and Level I status to the High School Department.

1984 Inauguration of the gymnasium, the Mérè Marie Micheau Hall.

1986 Granting of Level II Accreditation status to the High School Department by the PAASCU.

1987 Granting of Level III Accreditation to the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Commerce by the PAASCU.

1988 SPCQ makes it to the top twenty among 489 schools offering Accounting. SPCQ ranked number 16. Opening of two new majors, Computer Education and Religious Studies.

1989 Granting of five-year Level III Accreditation status to the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Commerce and Level I status to the Bachelor of Science program by the PAASCU.

1990 Appointment of Sr. Teresita Bayona, SPC as Second President of SPCQ.

1992 Granting of five-year Level II Accreditation status by the PAASCU to the Science Programs and to the High School Department.

October 1994 Appointment of Sr. Lilia Thérèse Tolentino, SPC as the Third President of SPCQ Signing of Memorandum of Agreement between St. Paul College Quezon City and Red River Community College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on the establishment of the Centre for Career Development. Opening of the SPCQ Museum.

1995 Establishment of the Centre for Career Development (CCD), a night school program of the Community Extension Program (CEP). Forging of linkage of SPCQ and the Red River Community College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, for the establishment of the CCD.

1996 Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of St. Paul College Quezon City, Tricentennial of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, and the centennial of the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. Granting of five-year Level III re-accreditation status to all programs of the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Commerce and Level II to the Science Programs by the PAASCU. First Commencement Exercises of the Centre for Career Development.

1997 Granting of second five-year Level II re-accreditation status by the PAASCU to the High School Department. Signing of the St. Paul College Quezon City-Red River Community College (Manitoba, Canada) Sister-School Agreement. Establishment of the Courseware Development Office.

1998 Full automation of the Library Information System and installation of the Internet access in libraries, Internet Laboratory, and administrative offices. Start of the construction of the Father Louis Chauvet Chapel and the James B. Reuter, S.J.Theater. Celebration of the centenary of the Philippine liberation from Spanish colonialism and the 50th anniversary of Philippine independence from American sovereignty.

1999 Approval of the CCD Project II, the establishment of Regional Centres for Development, by the Canadian International Agency (CIDA) with a 1999-2003 time frame. Launching of the Early Childhood Program at Barangay Valencia and Barangay Ober da Bakod.

2000 Celebration of the Great Jubilee Year 2000. Blessing of the Father Louis Chauvet Chapel, Sacristy, Chaplain’s Quarters, the James B. Reuter, SJ Theater, and Henry Luce III Plaza. Completion of the fourth floor of the High School Building. Establishment of the Consortium of Women’s Colleges (CWC) with the following co-founders: Assumption College, College of the Holy Spirit, Miriam College Foundation, and St. Scholastica’s College.

2001 Implementation of the approved revised Performance Appraisal System.

July 2001 SPCQ’s 55th Anniversary Granting of five-year Level III re-accreditation status to all programs of the College of Liberal Arts and Commerce Offering of new CCD Programs: Geriatric Care and Executive Assistantship.

August 2001 Enthronement of Our Lady at Father Louis Chauvet Chapel and Blessing of Geriatric Care Laboratory.

2002 The High School Department was granted Level II re-accreditation status by PAASCU.

May 2002 Blessing of the SPC Life and Mission Sculptures, work of art done by Ms. Julie Lluch who was commissioned by the Administration of SPCQ.

2002 Sr. Teresita Bayona, SPC became President of SPCQ for the second time. Launching of SPCQ’s Strategic Plan (2002-2003) containing Key Result Areas that are also called COMPETENCIES OF THE FUTURE.

2003 Awarding of ISO 9001:2000 Certificate by TUV Rheinland Philippines Ltd. On March 9, 2003. The DIN EN ISO 9001-2000 Certification covered the DELIVERY OF ACADEMIC SERVICES AND CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT through the INTEGRATED MODULAR CURRICULUM DELIVERY SYSTEM (IMCDS) Opening of new courses in the College Department: Nursing, Tourism, Management Accounting, Management Entrepreneurship Establishment of the Science Section in the High School department Completion of the High School Building Extension Renovation of the SPCQ Mérè Marie Micheau Hall (Gymnasium).

March 10, 2004 Awarding of the Certificate of Recognition by the Commission on Higher Education to St. Paul University System of which SPCQ is a member; thus changing its name to St. Paul University Quezon City (SPUQC).

June 2004 Opening of the Pre-school Department for boys and girls Opening of the Institute of Graduate Studies offering Master’s programs in Business Administration, Religious Education, Psychology and Teaching Biology; and a One-year Teacher Certificate ProgramRenovation of the College Library.

July 3, 2004 Installation of Sr. Nintha Lucilla Baldado as fourth President of St. Paul University Quezon City.

August 2004 Renovation of the University swimming pool and completion of the Pre-school swimming pool.

June 2005 Re-opening of the Grade School Department for boys and girls Opening of the Education Department Completion of the Mérè Madeleine Building.

July 2005 The Vigil House was transferred to Taytay, Rizal.

January 2006 Start of the construction of the new Hotel and Restaurant Management and Tourism Building.

June 2006 The College Department started to open its doors to male college students.