College of Health Sciences

The Mandate of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), then Mindanao Institute of Technology (MIT) is to excel in agriculture, trade and education. With changing realities in the global workplace, the USM has to reengineer itself by aggressively responding to and addressing the demands for quality health care.

Upgrading of the University’s school clinic to a 50-bed hospital by the USM President, Jaman S. Imlan in 1980 paved the way for then President Kundo E. Pahm to open the School of Midwifery by virtue of the Board of Regent (BOR) Resolution No. 16, series of 1991. For ten years, the Midwifery excelled in the board examinations. However, due to the flagging demand for health workers then, the program was closed in March 2002.

A year and a half later, on December 12, 2003, the College of Arts and Sciences faculty and staff through its Dean, Dr. Anita B. Tacardon, with the full support of the University President, Dr. Virgilio G. Oliva, the Vice-President for Finance and Administration, Dr. Palasig U. Ampang, in collaboration with the University Hospital staff, and the BOR which strongly approved the offering of the BS Nursing in order to meet the demand specifically for nurses abroad. The program was approved on February 27, 2004, per BOR Resolution No. 58, series of 2004. The Nursing program officially began in June 2004 with eight sections composed of 397 students. It became the 8^th department of the College of Arts and Sciences, chaired by Prof. Geraldine J. Arendain, RN, MCH, MAN.

On June 19, 2007, the BOR, under the chairmanship of Hon. Hadja Luningning Misuarez-Umar pushed through the separation of CAS-Nursing Department into a full-pledged College by virtue of BOR Resolution No. 3 series of 2007 under the deanship of Geraldine Arendain, RN, MCH, MAN. The College with its constituents is envisioned to become the center of excellence for Nursing Education in the region.

Due to the increasing demand in the offering of the Midwifery Program and to provide a fallback alternative for nursing students who cannot afford to continue nursing, re-offering of the Midwifery program under the College of Nursing was approved in principle by virtue of BOR Resolution No. 24, series of 2007. But the application of the re-opening took a little time; thus it was only offered in June 2010 by virtue of BOR Resolution No. 38, series of 2010. With 24 enrollees, the Midwifery Program became the second department of the College of Nursing with Mr. Carlo Magno M. Balagot, RM, RN, as principal.

Cognizant to the fact that the College of Nursing is currently offering not only BS in Nursing but also two-year midwifery program, and being aware of the capability and potential of the college to offer other health science- related courses or programs as a request and renaming of the college was done. The College of Nursing was renamed as College of Health Sciences effective 1^st Semester of SY 2011-2012 with Prof. Emmalyn M. Mamaluba RN, MAN as the OIC Dean and became the full-pledged Dean immediately after the first semester. The renaming was done by virtue of BOR Resolution No. 28, series of 2011.

To further expand the health science-related programs offered by the College, a new curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy was proposed by the College of Arts and Sciences under the leadership of the CAS Dean, Evangeline A. Tangonan. This new curriculum was approved through BOR Resolution No. 30, series of 2011, under the College of Health Science, in close collaboration with the proponent unit, the College of Arts and Sciences, effective School Year 2011-2012. The BS Pharmacy became the third department of the College of Health Sciences with 153initial enrollees, under the leadership of Ms. Marianne I. Meriales, RPh as program head.