Formerly known as the Colegio de San Jose – Recoletos, the University of San Jose – Recoletos is a private, sectarian university. It was founded in Cebu City by the Order of Augustinian Recollects in 1947.
The university originally started with elementary and secondary education services. Back then, classes were held in a portion of the convent and an old building, which was along Magallanes St. In 1965, the Recoletos Church was demolished to give way to expansion, amidst conservatives’ protests. In 1968, the six-storey building at P. Lopez St. was constructed to accommodate an increasing student population. The facilities and other instructional resources of the school also benefited from the expansion. The years following 1970 was a period of continued development for USJR, then CSJ-R.
The university currently has three campuses: (1) the Main Campus, which is situated at corner P. Lopez and Magallanes Streets; (2) the Basak Campus, which is at the Cebu South Road, in Basak, Pardo; and its newly built third campus, (3) the Balamban Campus, which is located in Barangay Arpili, in the Municipality of Balamban, within Cebu province.
USJR offers complete pre-school, elementary education (grades 1-6) and secondary education (1st to 4th year). It has five colleges, specifically the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Commerce, College of Engineering, College of Education, College of Information, Computer and Communications Technology (CICCT), College of Nursing, and the School of Law. It offers a number of baccalaureate courses, with graduate and post-graduate degrees. It also offers Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program, which is an alternative educational scheme.
The university also has three review centers: (1) Recoletos Bar Review Center; (2) Certified Public Accountant Review Center; and (3) Licensure Examination for Teachers Review Center.
USJR has autonomy status by the Commission of Higher Education and Accredited Level III by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools Colleges, and Universities. The CHED cited USJR as one of 17 Excellent Schools of Higher Learning and was lauded by the Cebu City Government as “Most Outstanding Institution of Learning” for three times. The CHED also named it as a Center of Excellence for Teacher Education, Center of Development for Excellence in Business and Management Education, and Center of Development for Excellence in English. It was ranked by the Professional Regulation Commission as the second Top Performing School in CPA Licensure Examinations.
For more information, one can visit USJR’s main campus at Magallanes St., in Cebu City. You can also contact them at (032) 253-7900 or you can also check their Web site at www.usjr.edu.ph.
