Cebu Normal University


Cebu Normal University, also referred to by its acronym CNU, is a state research university in Cebu City, Philippines established in 1902.
CNU is designated by the Commission on Higher Education as Center of Excellence in both Nursing Education and Teacher Education.

History

Early history

CNU was established in 1902 by Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission as a summer institute of the Philippine Normal University. It was then called "Cebu Normal School" and was the located at Colegio Logarta building at the Colon Street by which the Cebu provincial government pays the amount of ₱200 monthly.
In 1906, the school became an adjunct to the then Cebu Provincial High School and transferred to the new site. In 1924, the school became independent of PNS, obtained the normal school status and moved to its current site in Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City. In 1926, it produced its first batch of graduates as a new educational institution.

CNU during World War II

The CNU campus was used as headquarters of the Kempetai or Military Police of the Japanese Imperial Army during the second World War. CNU also served as the largest POW Camp in Cebu. On March 26, 1945, 5 Filipino suspected guerrillas and 2 captured American airmen were summarily executed by the Kempetai in the southeast corner of the campus. On March 26, 1945, Allied forces landed on Cansojong Beach in Talisay, starting the liberation of Cebu. The United States Army made CNS their base.

Conversion into college

In 1952, the two-year general curriculum adopted in 1946 was changed to the four-year Elementary Education Curriculum, which was later changed to Bachelor of Science in education in 1954. This led CNS to become a tertiary institution. In 1959, BSE was changed into Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. The Graduate School was opened in 1960 and produced its first M.A. graduate in 1966 – Rosemary P. Gellor. The Liberal Arts department was established in 1977 and the department of Nursing was created in 1982.
The school was then renamed as "Cebu Normal College" in 1966, then to "Cebu State College" in 1976 in accordance to P.D. 944. In the 1980s and 1990s the school's population increased rapidly and new buildings were constructed which now house the three colleges of the school: College of Teacher Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Nursing, as well as the University Museum, the Integrated Laboratory School, the Graduate School and Balay Alumni.

University status

On June 27, 1998, Cebu State College attained university status and was named Cebu Normal University under Republic Act No. 8688 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos. Under the Republic Act. 7104, CNU was designated as Panrehiyong Sentro ng Wikang Filipino for Region VII.
In 2005 and 2008, CNU had opened two extension campuses in Balamban and Medellin in Cebu. The university is Region 7's Center of Teacher Development and in August 2009 it became Region 7's sole Center of Excellence in Nursing.

Centennial celebration

On June 13, 2011, CNU celebrated its 100th Centennial celebration, delayed by nine years. The National Historical Commission confirmed its creation in 1902 with Samuel MacClintock as the first principal which was not known by the previous university administration. A strict review of MacClintock's annual report and upon the approval of the Malacañang Palace of the university logo, the administration was convinced that the university was indeed founded in 1902.

Organization and administration

Governance

CNU is governed by a Board of Regents composed of the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, University President, Chairman of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education of the Senate, Chairman of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education of the House of Representatives, Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority, President of the Federation of Faculty Associations of the university, President of the Federation of Student Councils of the university, President of the Federation of Alumni Associations of the university and two representatives from the private and public sectors. The Board of Regents is the highest decision-making body of the university and the regents appoints the University President, confer degrees upon successful candidates for graduation and performs other administrative functions.

Organization

CNU is headed by a university president, appointed by the Board of Regents. The president is assisted by three vice presidents— for Academic Affairs, Administration and Research, Extension and Publication. The extension campuses are headed by a Campus Director appointed by the Board of Regents upon the recommendations of the University President. Dr. Filomena T. Dayagbil is the current Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the CNU President.

Academics

Programs

CNU offers academic programs at the nursery, kindergarten, elementary, junior high, undergraduate, and graduate levels. In early 2020, the university announced of its upcoming offering of a College of Medicine which will offer a five-year degree of Doctor of Medicine with a master's degree in Public Health Governance. 2025 saw its offering of
As is the norm in the Philippine education system, instruction is primarily delivered in the English language with the exception of Philippine and foreign language subjects.

Undergraduate

The CNU undergraduate units comprise the following:

College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences

The College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences of Cebu Normal University was created through CSC Board Resolution No. 35 s. 1982. Through this board, Cebu Normal University entered into a consortium with Southern Islands Hospital. Since then, the college has offered Bachelor of Science in Nursing with only one section for each level. The college had its first graduates in 1986. CNU's Nursing program has been recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Center of Excellence since 2009.

College of Teacher Education

The College of Teacher Education of Cebu Normal University covers within its umbrella the flagship programs of the university. The undergraduate programs include Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education with varying fields of concentration and specialization. CNU's College of Teacher Education has been recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Center of Excellence.
Under the College of Teacher Education is the Integrated Laboratory School wherein fourth-year BEEd & BSEd students perform their practicum. The umbrella department is composed of programs from nursery to junior high school with most grade levels having one section, and some having two.
College of Special Needs, Early Childhood Education, and Lifelong Learning
The College of Special Needs, Early Childhood Education, and Lifelong Learning was established as part of the strategic restructuring of Cebu Normal University's College of Teacher Education. This reorganization brought together several key educational programs under a specialized college, including the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, the Bachelor of Special Needs Education, and the Diploma in Professional Education.

College of Culture, Arts, and Sports

The College of Culture, Arts, and Sports of Cebu Normal University is one of three new colleges which were formerly from the College of Arts and Science created through CNU Board Resolution No. 123, Series of 2023. Undergraduate programs include Bachelor of Arts in Communication, English Language, Literature, and Filipino.

College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Science

The College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Science of Cebu Normal University is one of three new colleges which were formerly from the College of Arts and Science created through CNU Board Resolution No. 123, Series of 2023. Undergraduate programs offered under the college include Bachelor of Science in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

College of Public Governance, Safety, and Sustainability

The College of Public Governance, Safety, and Sustainability is one of three new colleges which were formerly from the College of Arts and Science created through CNU Board Resolution No. 123, Series of 2023. Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Public Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology are offered by the college.

College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Hotel Management

The College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Hotel Management at Cebu Normal University is one of the academic units that emerged from the restructuring of the former College of Arts and Sciences. The college currently provides two distinct Bachelor of Science degrees in Tourism Management: one with a major in Travel and Hospitality Service Management and another with a major in Sustainable Tourism Management.

Graduate School

The CNU Graduate School offers Masters-level and Doctorate programs across the disciplines covered by the three colleges. It was opened in 1960 with Dr. Tecla P. Revilla, another alumna, as its first dean. It produces its first M.A. graduate in 1966 – Rosemary P. Gellor.

CNU-VSMMC College of Medicine

CNU and VSMMC administrators conducted a meeting in 2018 to establish the first state-run College of Medicine in Central Visayas. The program was granted permit under the Commission on Higher Education in early May, 2021. It will offer a five-year degree program in Doctor of Medicine with Masters in Public Health Governance. An official press release from the Senate of the Philippines on November 30, 2019, expressed the support from the Senate President Tito Sotto and Secretary Michael Diño, Presidential Assistant for Visayas. The program was expected to admit 50 students in August 2020 but due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the admission was moved to the Academic Year 2021–2022. To accommodate an increasing student population, CNU has expanded its infrastructure, including classrooms and laboratories on the 6th and 7th floors of the Cancer Center Building at VSMMC. In 2025, the CNU-VSMMC College of Medicine held its graduation of its pioneer batch of "Doktor Para sa Bayan" scholars, dubbed "Batch Primacordis." Twenty-two medical scholars were conferred with their medical degrees in the college's first-ever Investiture and Commencement Exercises.