DUMAGUETE CITY—Silliman University (SU) led by Dr.
Betty Cernol McCann, SU president with Grace Ty, SU Board of Trustees (BoT)
resident member; and Wilfred Steven Uytengsu formally open the Uytengsu
Transformative Learning Center at the Robert B. and Metta J. Silliman Library
on January 20, 2025 to usher in a new era of learning and innovation at Silliman
University.
“The Uytengsu Transformative Learning Center is
our response to the changing demands of education in the digital age. This addition strengthens the University’s
commitment to academic excellence, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of
innovation in education,” SU president, Dr. Betty Cernol McCann said.
The newly donated project by the Uytengsu
Foundation, Inc., through Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, is set to transform the
educational experience at SU. Equipped
with integrative mini-laboratories, the facility is designed to foster
interdisciplinary approaches to research, instruction, community engagement,
and service-learning, reinforcing the University’s commitment to academic
excellence and innovation, she bared.
McCann said that the constantly evolving
educational landscape necessitates revisiting the teaching-learning process to
meet the needs of the time, and extended her gratitude to the generous donation
of the Uytengsu Foundation, Inc.
The Uytengsu Transformative Learning Center as
the latest addition to the enduring legacy of the Uytengsu family at SU. For decades, the family has supported
initiatives that inspire innovation and create opportunities for the Silliman
community, McCann noted.
A hub of
innovation and learning
Wilfred Steven Uytengsu noted that the Center
has created a different ambiance to the Silliman Library. “The Silliman Library has now been
transformed to a digital center that will feature a series of integrative mini
laboratories designed to promote interdisciplinary approaches in research,
instruction, community engagement, and service-learning, furthering the
university’s dedication to academic excellence and innovation,” he added.
A section on the third floor of the SU Library
is decked with benches and chairs for students to sit on. Recounting his visit in 2019 to meet with
McCann and see how the Uytengsu Foundation could continue to do things to help
Silliman University, Uytengsu said that the building was a darker image of
itself than what it is today.
“I’m really proud of these windows that bring
in natural light. But I’m even prouder of the respect for the heritage of what
was, and to contemporize that look to make it a comfortable and exciting place
for students to come for many more years,” Uytengsu smiled.
Uytengsu also announced that the Foundation
will be reactivating the Wentworth Uytengsu Memorial Scholarship so that we
“can support many more law students in the years to come.”
The The Wentworth Uytengsu Memorial
Scholarship, established in 1953 by SU alumnus and former Trustee Don Tirso
Uytengsu, honors his son Wentworth, a pre-law student who, during World War II,
wanted to enlist in the military but was deemed ineligible due to his alien
status and ended up making the ultimate sacrifice for his birthplace,
supporting the resistance movement prior to his arrest and execution.
Don Tirso also contributed significantly to the
development of key university facilities, including the Uytengsu Hall for the
College of Engineering and Design and the Alaska Basketball Court. The Uytengsu
Foundation further enriched Silliman’s infrastructure with the construction of
the Uytengsu Foundation Computer Center in 1994, the Computer Studies Hall in
2007, and the Apps Incubation and Development Laboratory in 2015, the latter in
collaboration with Apple, Inc.
The evolution
of the Silliman University Library
Dr. Dave Marcial, director of the Dr. Mariano
C. Lao Global Studies Center and proponent of transformative learning spaces at
Silliman University, acknowledged the Library’s decades of dedicated service
and underscored the need to evolve beyond traditional library operations by
reimagining it as a dynamic hub for both learning and innovation.
“Today’s libraries are more than repositories
of knowledge. They are dynamic spaces
where technology and human creativity converge to inspire innovation. This Transformative Laboratory equips
students and faculty with the tools to explore, create, and innovate. It is a
pioneering initiative that embraces a transdisciplinary and holistic approach,
integrating advanced mini-labs that redefine Silliman University’s library
services. By prioritizing technology,
collaboration, and adaptability, it ushers in a new era of learning and
innovation,” Dr. Dave Marcial, director of the Dr. Mariano C. Lao Global
Studies Center, explained the exciting changes in store for students, faculty,
and staff in the use of the new SU Library.
Marcial said, he Silliman University Library
has always been committed to its vision of being the Resource Center of
Excellence in the fast delivery of relevant, updated and automated information
and research services not only to the bonafide Silliman students, faculty and
staff, but also to the larger community of professionals, scholars, and
researchers here and abroad.
It started with only two bookcases in 1906,
which then grew to over 100,000 collections, subscriptions, and pamphlets. In
its history, it has undergone multiple relocations until its present building
was constructed in 1977 through funding from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), Marcial bared.
Four years later, SU and the Uytengsu
Foundation Inc. signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the creation of
the Uytengsu Transformative Learning Center under then vice president for
Development, Enterprise, and External Affairs (VPDEEA) Asst. Prof. Jane Annette
Belarmino.
“The Library is a gift and a testament to the
Lord’s love and faithfulness to Silliman University. Also, its transformation
was a collaboration of the President’s Office, the Strategic Partnerships and
Enterprise Development Office, the Mariano C. Lao Global Studies Center, SU
Library, architects, engineers, finance and legal, suppliers and contractors,
and so many more,” Belarmino said in a separate interview.
According to Asst. Prof. Sarah Angiela Ragay, SU
Librarian that the transformative library will have upgraded technology that
will be complemented with competent librarians and staff who will facilitate
the new services that the library will offer.
Ragay explained that the ground floor is
divided into three major spaces: the STEAM Digital Library, the Allied Health
Transformative Lab, and the Immersive Technology and Exhibition Lab. The second
floor houses the library’s book collection, while the third floor serves as an
open space for collaboration and learning activities.
“A provision of four discussion rooms on the
3rd floor will be available, for small and big groups. These rooms are intended
for ideation, focus group discussions, study groups, virtual meetings, and the
like,” Ragay added.
With these transformations, the library has
also developed innovative services, complementing the traditional offerings
that include Hybrid & Remote Access, Personalized Research Assistance,
Digital Well-Tech Hub, Borrowing Beyond Books, Knowledge Curation Services,
Community and Collaborative Spaces, and Immersive Hub.
Transformation
challenges
“Transforming the Brutalist-inspired edifice
into a modern, inclusive, and technology-driven hub was a challenging task
entrusted to the design team,” said Arch. Vittorio Alejandro Vinarao, chair of
the Department of Architecture at SU College of Engineering and Design.
Arch. Vinarao, walked the audience through the
renovation of the SU Library. He
explained that the team recognized the importance of striking a balance between
modernity and preserving the building’s architectural legacy.
This understanding guided their design
philosophy, which sought to address the evolving needs of the University by
integrating technological advancements while safeguarding the structure’s
iconic identity and historical significance.
Their design approach encompassed several key
modifications. The exterior was modernized with the replacement of steel-framed
awning windows with curtain-wall glazing, enhancing both the façade’s
contemporary appeal and the flow of natural light.
Interior
renovations focused on functional improvements, including better circulation
spaces and enhanced safety features such as widened fire exits. Accessibility
and inclusivity were prioritized through the installation of an elevator and
the renovation of restrooms to accommodate the needs of differently-abled
individuals and the elderly.
The design also introduced a transformative hub
with flexible spaces and state-of-the-art technology, seamlessly integrated
into designated areas to foster innovation and adaptability. The SU Library will
open very soon. While it primarily serves the SU community, Ragay said that its
doors are also open to Dumagueteños and Negrenses as a whole.
“We strive to provide access to educational
resources… ensuring we meet the community’s information needs. Additionally, we
aim to offer access to advanced technologies that outside users may avail but
with an associated fee,” Ragay added. (Photos: SU Office of Information & Publications)
