University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters

History

The University of Santo Tomas started offering courses in liberal arts and philosophy since its foundation in 1611. These courses were later institutionalized with the establishment of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in 1896. A College of Liberal Arts was also established in 1926 which was known for its preparatory courses for Law and Medical schools.

The College of Liberal Arts is divided into Arts and Pure Sciences. The Pure Sciences department has diversified due to scientific advancements in the era and it has developed into the University of Santo Tomas College of Science. Consequently, the College of Liberal Arts merged with the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in 1964. Thus, modifying the faculty's name into "Arts and Letters".

At the onset, the Faculty offered limited number of programs--Associate in Arts (A.A.), Bachelor of Arts (A.B.), Bachelor of Literature (Litt. B.), and Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph. B.). In the course of time, new courses and majors gradually developed.

In 1971, the Faculty started offering Bachelor of Arts degree programs in Asian Studies, Behavioral Science (originally Liberal Arts-Commerce), Communication Arts, Economics, Journalism, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and Translation. The A.B. major in Translation was eventually phased out due to lack of enrollment and funding.

In 1994, the Faculty started offering a major in Legal Management, an interdisciplinary degree program in business management and law designed to suit the needs of students intending to go to law school after graduation with intentions to have other career prospects.

In 2005, the Faculty teamed up with the UST College of Education to offer a double degree—Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Social Sciences/Studies (AB-BSE). The program was discontinued in 2007 because of Philippine government regulations that would stretch the time to complete the AB-BSE degree to at least 5 years and 4 summers.

In June 2011, the Faculty started offering A.B. History and A.B. English Language Studies.

Faculty Hymn

The AB Hymn was written by the highly respected S.E.A. Write Awardee writer, Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta, who also served as the Dean of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters. The tune was composed by Paulo Zarate, the founding conductor of the Faculty's official choir, the UST Chorus of Arts and Letters.

The AB Hymn
Carved from the mighty rock of faith
Shaped by traditions of old
Steered by God's guiding hands
Towards farther shores of our dreams
Fitful vessel on the high seas
Surging, undaunted, and free
Sunlit decks ring with voices
Resounding in one hymn at praise
Life, Love, and Lore brimming full
Tempered by His gentle hand
The seas' lucent blue to the distant white
The minds' calm reason and the hearts' delight
We are lovers of beauty
Seekers after truth
Pens ever-geared for sweetness and light
Arts and Letters, our Glory and Pride

Student population

The college has approximately 4,000 students, unevenly distributed among twelve different disciplines.

It offers the third highest number of academic programs in the university, with 12 academic degree programs, next only to the UST Graduate School and the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music.

In recent years, it has been yielding one of the largest number of graduates (approx.750) next only to the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Engineering and UST College of Commerce and Business Administration and University of Santo Tomas Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy (approx. 800-900 each).

The largest portion of the population in the Faculty of Arts and Letters belongs to the Communication Arts program.

Academic programs

The Faculty currently offers the following four-year academic degree programs. Each academic major has a local student council which is more often referred to as "societies".

The most popular programs, based on the number of students in recent years are Asian Studies, Communication Arts, Journalism, Legal Management, and Political Science'.

Facilities

The college is located in the first and second levels of Saint Raymund de Peñafort Building in the northeastern part of the UST campus, near Dapitan St. (back of UST). The college shares the building with the UST College of Commerce and Business Administration which occupies the third and fourth levels.

The college had a medium-sized auditorium (Jose Rizal Conference Hall) but was transformed into three expandable multimedia rooms, several audio-visual conference rooms, a fully wired computer laboratory, a student activity center, a faculty hall, fully air-conditioned classrooms, free wi-fi access, and photocopying machines.

Research centers

The college is affiliated with the following research institutes:

UST Benavides Library

Among its many departments, the UST Miguel de Benavidez Library has nine departments which suit the academic requirements of the college:

The library also has conference rooms readily available and free-of-charge to students and faculty upon prior reservation.

Faculty of Arts and Letters Student Council

The Faculty of Arts and Letters Student Council (referred to as ABSC for brevity) - is the primary student governing body of all bonafide students of the Faculty of Arts and Letters. It is currently divided into two bodies, namely, the Executive Board, and the Board of Majors. The Executive Board is composed of the seven faculty-wide elective officers (President, Vice President for External Affairs, Vice President for Internal Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and Public Relations Officer), and the Board of Majors, colloquially referred to as "Bom", which exercises quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial powers, is composed of the highest executive officer of each existing academic society in the faculty. The ABSC Constitution provides for a need to have a Speaker in the Board of Majors. Current initiatives of the Board of Majors include the de facto Deputy Speaker and Secretary.

The contemporary ABSC can trace its roots from the Pax Romana which exercises the functions of a student forum in the university during the Martial Law period in the Philippines under the dictatorship of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. A student council was already in operation when the Marcos administration discouraged the formation of student councils. The former AB Student Council ceased operations. Although, to further put into realization in the context of academic and social liberty as students of the premiere liberal arts college of the University of Santo Tomas, academic societies were founded in the 1970s and are still existing today and are older than many student councils. However, no academic society in the faculty held the specific term "Student Council" and there was no unifying student council for all students of Arts and Letters back then.

Malacañang heard of the students' initiative to create a faculty-wide AB Student Council and summoned its supposed founder into the Palace, Reynaldo Lopez, then President of the Pax Romana, to defend the rationale behind the creation of the student council in front of President Marcos himself. Creation of such organization is something which was not allowed during the era of dictatorship for it might trigger radical ideas and initiate revolt against the idea of a "new society" which Marcos forcefully inculcates the nation with. Through the efforts of this new breed of student leaders, the ABSC was founded as the first student council of its kind in the country, in the year 1980, exercising autonomy and executive powers from the mandate vested upon the council officers by the students of the faculty. The founder, Reynaldo Lopez, became the first vice president, and Ronald Llamas, a member of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino's cabinet, served as the first president of the student council.

The ABSC President, along with other presidents of college and faculty student councils create the legislative branch of the university-wide Central Student Council (which was also reinstituted by ABSC pillar Reynaldo Lopez). They are known as the UST CSC Central Board and they are the counterpart of the more popular executory branch of the Central Student Council, UST CSC Executive Board, who are elected via university-wide voting. Student council elections are held during the last few weeks of the school year. However, it was not until 1991, under the presidency of Angelito Villanueva, that this practice came into surface. Villanueva was the first ABSC President to serve for two academic years (1990-1992). Aside from contributing to university-wide changes, the ABSC is known to lead the portion of Thomasian students who are serving as the front liners in rallies and causes, events of national essence and socio-political gatherings inside or outside the university.

Aside from Atty. Reynaldo Lopez, Sec. Ronald Llamas, Lito Villanueva, Chito Maniago and Jeffrey Espiritu, many alumni of the AB Student Council - both members of the Executive Board and the Board of Majors, are now successful names in their chosen profession. More than the positions ascribed unto them by their respective offices, the experience acquired in the highest governing body of the most active studentry in the campus helps in educating themselves as they graduate.

Other Student organizations

The college is home to various student organizations.

Student regulatory bodies:

Student publications:

Student academic organizations:

Special interest groups:

Student political parties:

Prominent alumni

Some of the college's notable alumni (graduates and former students), in alphabetical order:

Academe

Business

Film and television arts

Government and diplomatic affairs

History and historical figures

Law practice

Literature

Media and broadcasting

Publishing

Society, fashion, and culture

Socio-civic affairs and public advocacy