ACADEMIC Year 2013-2014 produced 713 honor graduates, with the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) again awarding the most number of medals.
The number of graduates this year decline by 7 percent to 6,734 from last year’s 7,234, statistics from the Registrar showed.
CTHM produced 166 honor graduates out of 421, which meant that 39.4 percent received medals in their solemn investiture, higher than last year’s 28.9 percent.
Sought for comment, CTHM Dean Ma. Cecilia Tio Cuison said the students worked hard for their honors, which would serve as an advantage in their job hunt.
“What motivates our students to become the best and excel is the family atmosphere that we have here. If they hear a member of our family winning or topping, everybody is happy and celebrating” she said in an interview.
The Conservatory of Music and the Faculty of Pharmacy got identifcal ratios of 20 percent, with six honor graduates out of 20 and 131 out of 644, respectively.
While Music’s honor recipients decreased by almost six percent, Pharmacy’s increased by 2.6 percent from last year’s 17.4 percent with 91 cum laudes, 33 magna cum laudes, and one summa cum laude.
The College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) recorded the highest surge in honor graduates this year after doubling last year’s 8.3 to 16.3 percent, with 74 honor graduates out of 455.
The College of Architecture recorded a ratio 6.1 percent with 18 honor graduates out of 294.
Rehabilitation Sciences produced 14 honor graduates out of 233.
Commerce improved its performance with a recorded percentage of 4.9, with 37 honor recipients out of 757, better than last year’s 3.6.
The Faculty of Arts and Letters, the top producer of honor graduates from 2008 to 2010, produced 96 Latin honorees, or 10.5 percent out of its 913 graduates. This was lower than 12.5 percent last year and 13.8 percent in 2012.
The Faculty of Engineering, College of Science, College of Nursing and College of Education are also in an all-time low for Latin honors.
Engineering decreased its ratio by one percent, registering at 5.8 percent, with 66 honor graduates out of 1140, from last year’s 6.8 percent. Similarly, Science registered a total of 6.6 percent or 39 honor graduates out of 593, lower than last year’s 7.1 percent while Nursing recorded a total of 3.3 percent (15 out of 457), down from last year’s 4.2 percent. Education dropped from nine percent to 4.3 percent this year, with 19 honor graduates out of 438.
The College of Accountancy and the Faculty of Civil Law both produced the least number of honor graduates, each producing only one cum laude this year.
Acting Accountancy dean Patricia Empleo, attributed this to the change in the college’s curriculum.
“Four years ago we adopted a five-year curriculum which means that BS Accountancy students will take another year instead of the mandatory two summer classes.” she said.
Meanwhile, Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, said that the ratio is due to the “stringent standards” of the college.
“Law is very difficult; therefore, it should not be a surprise that there is only one student who graduated with honors,” Divina added.
Meanwhile, CTHM reclaimed the spot for batch valedictorian after Pharmacy ended its two-year streak in 2013. Travel Management student Jeanie Tan is the University’s top graduate with a general weighted average of 1.089. She bested Hanna Clementine Tan of the Faculty of Pharmacy, who got an average of 1.143.
Batch 2014 had a total of 713 students who graduated with honors—609 cum laudes, 99 magna cum laudes and five summa cum laudes—out of 6,734 students, data from the Registrar’s Office showed.
Excluded from this report are statistics from the Graduate School and the Ecclesiastical Faculties. Arianne F. Merez
