SEA History
he School’s success story started with its humble beginnings in 1952 when it initially opened Basic Engineering subjects atop the silversmith shop of what is now St. Louis School Center Elementary Department. In a few short years, complete courses in Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Electronics and Communications, and Industrial Engineering were offered, together with Surveying and Architecture.
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The School topped the enrolment statistics in the University early on. It was a testament to the growing interest and confidence in the technological courses in SLU, albeit new in the field. The popularity of the School in its start-up years was most certainly instantaneous, with its first set of graduates making it to the top notch list of board examinees, and with some of its subjects taught by international experts from the USA and Europe. It was, in fact, named as one of the top five Engineering Schools in the country in the eighties. To this day, students of School of Engineering and Architecture continue to bring in various honors to the University for their inventions, technical creations, ground-breaking researches, and outstanding performance in competitions. Graduates of this School still remain the most employable alumni of the University.
Recognized as a Center of Development
for most of its courses, the School
continues to introduce innovations to
the technological programs in the
University. It now offers a course
in Mechatronics Engineering, a multidisciplinary program that integrates electronics, electrical, computer, mechanical, design, and systems engineering to produce useful creations such as industrial robots. Curriculum updates and enhancement of faculty skills are done regularly to ensure that each program remains relevant. Moreover, the School’s graduate courses are purposely designed to respond to present global concerns such as Environmental Engineering, and Environmental and Habitat Planning. It has recently forged an agreement with Philex Mining Corporation for the re-opening of the Mining Engineering program to provide the country with skilled professionals in this (re)emerging field.
In addition to several well-equipped laboratories, two new research centers were established in the School to support its multifarious academic activities. The Environmental Research Laboratory (ERL) and the Engineering Urban Planning Research Laboratory (EUPRL) are service laboratories at the forefront of activities concerned with improving and monitoring the quality of the physical environment we live in. Through the ERL, the School ventured into studies on air and water quality monitoring in the city and nearby provinces. With the provision of modern equipment and software in the Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, the EUPRL completed and is currently undertaking researches on the use of this tool. The usefulness and versatility of the GIS technology is explored and maximized with projects on remote sensing mapping, crime control, identification of landfill sites, and creation of information base for historical sites and high-input agricultural ecosystems, among many.
The School identifies with the needs of the community, so much so that
it maintains its long-running and hosts new outreach and extension
activities under each department. It is actively involved in safety information
drives, clean up and environmental awareness campaigns, and numerous social
involvement activities. It has active partnerships with leading national and international
institutions on the creation and implementation of disaster management plans, and of solutions to
transportation and traffic concerns especially for the upland regions.
Technology, whether crude or developed, is only as good as its user. The School of Engineering and Architecture therefore strives to be the source of not only competent engineers but also builders and makers whose characters are indubitable. It is not only a place where technical ingenuity is enhanced, but it is also where students are taught that the power of technology should be respected and valued for the good it can do for humanity.
