The Department of Social Sciences coordinates and ensures the standardization and implementation of the departmental course offerings within the General Education curriculum.  It participates in the recruitment and development of the Faculty in the specific discipline of the Department.

 

History

In the early seventies, the Department of Social Sciences headed by a chairperson and assisted by the respective Faculty/College/Institute social science coordinators, was directly under the Office of the Rector through supervision of the Office of the Assistant to the Rector for Academic Affairs, and from 1998 to date, under the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research.

 

From the early 1970s to the mid-1980s the Department of Social Sciences consisted of eleven (11)  areas/courses:   PHILO. 2 (Fundamental Logic), PHILO. 3 (Moral Philosophy),  SCL  1  (Rural-Urban Sociology),  SOCOIO  10  (Social Problems and Contemporary Issues),  PECCE (Philippine Economics and Cooperative Education),  PGC (Philippine Government and Constitution),  LRT (Land Reform and Taxation),/ ART (Agrarian Reform and Taxation),  Rational Psychology, General Psychology), Philippine History, and Rizal Course. 

 

In the early 1980s, only the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Faculty of Pharmacy, and College of Nursing offered Rational Psychology instead of General Psychology. In the late 80s, the Institute of Religion claimed the courses Philosophy 3 (Moral Philosophy) because this was similar to Theology 3 (Moral Theology), and Sociology 10 because this was similar to Theology 4 (Papal Encyclicals and Social Issues). In the early 1990s Philippine Economics and Cooperative Education (PECCE) was incorporated to Taxation and Agrarian Reform (TAR) or Agrarian Reform and Taxation (ART). In 1988, some social science faculty were commissioned by the Office of Academic Affairs to write textbooks in  Sociology (SCL 1), Philippine Government and Constitution  (PGC), Philippine History (PHILHIST), Agrarian Reform and Taxation  (ART), and Rizal Course in Filipino. These courses were then taught in Filipino. 

 

From 1998 to 2004, the Department of Social Sciences was renamed Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy due to the strong recommendation of philosophy instructors and professors.

 

From 2004-2006, the two University-wide Departments (i.e. English and Humanities, Social Sciences and Philosophy) went temporarily extinct.  The courses under these Departments were then supervised by the chairperson for general education (Prof. Nancy Eleria, Ph.D.) under the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (then Prof. Armando F. De Jesus, Ph.D, 2006-2009).  A new office was put up and named the “General Education Curriculum (GEC) Office” under the Office of Academic Affairs.  The said office is tasked to provide assistance to the Vice- Rector for Academic Affairs in the supervision and development of the curriculum, the training and development of the faculty members and formulation of plans for the general education.  Due to the big number of general education faculty from the social Sciences and Philosophy, English, Literature, and Humanities, Dr. Eleria (an industrial engineer from the Faculty of Engineering) designated faculty members who would comprise the University-wide chairs for the Committees on English, Literature, Humanities, and Social Sciences.  Prof. Fernando R. Pedrosa was designated as chair for the Social Sciences, while Prof. Joyce Arriola, Ph.D. for Literature and Philosophy, and Prof. Marilu R. Madrunio, Ph.D. for Languages. In 2006, the three of them received their formal appointment from Dr. De Jesus as chairs of their respective Departments.

 

From 2006 until 2010, the course Philosophy 2 (Logic) was added to the Department of Humanities.  But, during the academic year 2010-2011, the Department of Philosophy was finally established.

 

The Chairpersons of the Department of Social Sciences:

 

• Assoc. Prof.  Rosario Cabrera

• Assoc. Prof. Teresita  S. Buensuceso

• Prof. Armando F. De Jesus, Ph.D.  (1998-2000)

• Assoc.Prof.  Narita Ellar  (2000-2003)

• Asst. Prof. Oscar R. Diamante  (2003-2004)

• Prof. Fernando R. Pedrosa, Ph.D. (2006-2012)

• Assoc. Prof. Arlene Calara (2012-present)

•  

The “General Education Curriculum (GEC) Office” is headed by the six Department Chairpersons namely:

 

• Department of English – Assoc. Prof. Camilla DJ. Vizconde

• Department of Social Sciences – Assoc. Prof. Arlene D. Calara

• Department of Literature – Dr. Luciana L. Urquiola

• Department of History – Dr. Augusto V. De Viana

• Department of Filipino – Dr. Roberto D. Ampil

• Department of Philosophy – Dr. Paolo A. Bolaños

 

Vision

Consistent with the vision of the  University of Santo Tomas,  the Department of Social Sciences envisions itself to be the nation’s  highest and leading  academic  institution  in the  learners’  multi-disciplinary development   towards their holistic formation, and   to be optimally functional members of society who are morally upright, critical-minded,  and globally-competitive.

 

Mission

To  ensure that its faculty are equipped with substantial knowledge, competence, skills and values, continuing social science  education,  training, and research  must be undertaken  for  professional improvement and advancement,  and for  the multi-dimensional  and holistic development of the learners.

 

Administrators

Assoc. Prof. Arlene Domingo Calara

Chairperson Department of Social Sciences

 

Services offered

• Oversees the programming and implementation of the course offerings of the Department common to the collegial units in consonance with the Mission and Vision of the University and the CHED mandate on the general education curriculum.

• Reviews and updates the course offerings with regard to course content, subject sequence, pre –requisite courses, instructional materials and reference textbooks.

• Serves as liaison among Deans for needed faculty.

• Organizes in-house training and continuing education programs for the faculty.

• Develops and directs programs for the faculty to improve their professional qualifications, to do research and extension services and to write for publication.

• Recommends the procurement of Library materials, recent textbooks, references and publications for the discipline.

• Establishes academic and professional linkages for the department.

• Participates in the recruitment, screening, retention, removal, evaluation and development of faculty members in the specific discipline of the department.

 

Contact Information

Department of Social Sciences

Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs- General Education Office

Ground floor, Main Building

University of Santo Tomas

España, Manila(02) 749-9779, 406-1611 Loc. 8236

e-mail: ustdeptofsocsci@yahoo.com