The second world war razed to the ground the physical facilities of the V.I. at its original site. Undaunted by adversities, Don Vicente reopened classes in Argao, Cebu in 1946. A year later the V.I. moved back to its present site in Colon Street, Cebu City. As early as its founding, the V.I. had pioneered in educational innovations to provide equal educational opportunities for those who have the
capability and the desire for improving themselves. It was the first to conduct night school class for working students in Cebu City in the 1940s. The “study now pay later plan” had been a practice at the V.I. long before it was adopted by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) in the 1980s. In 1948, the Visayan Institute was awarded a University status, the first to become a University in Cebu and was renamed the University of the Visayas. Since then the expansion in its baccalaureate and post graduate course offerings and in its physical facilities has been phenomenal. From an initial enrollment of 37 students the V.I. evolved into a University with an enrollment of 20,000 distributed throughout its various campuses. Today, its alumni have distinguished themselves in government service and public administration, and in the professions of law, engineering and architecture, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, education, criminology, maritime and nautical, computer studies as well as in sports and the arts. The University of the Visayas College of Nursing was first established in 1974 through a Memorandum of Agreement between the University of the Visayas and Cebu Community Hospital . The former faculty of the Southern Islands School of Nursing in the person of Mrs. Lourdes L. Fernan was hired as the Dean of the new college. One hundred twenty (120) qualified students were accepted out of three hundred eighty (380) applicants. In 1975 the Health Aide Course was opened, followed by Midwifery Course in 1983. The Nursing Curriculum has evolved from the GN program to BSN program. In 1976, the BSN five (5) year program was opened, which was later on changed to a four (4) year BSN program in 1977. A Masteral Program was opened in 1981, but it was frozen due to lack of enrollment. It reopened in 2000. After thorough deliberation, an integrated community-based nursing curriculum materialized in 1984. Current changes and demands led to the offering of two (2) year Associated Health Science Education (AHSE) as a preparatory course to the BSN Course which was started in 1998. The affiliate Hospitals and Health Centers where the UV College of Nursing Students have their clinical experience were the following: 1976-1983 Cebu Community Hospital, Army Station Hospital , Tisa Health Center and Mandaue Health Center . In 1984 up to the present, UVCN students have their Related Learning Experience at the Vicente sotto memorial medical Center (formerly Southern Islands Hospital), Don Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital, Tisa Health Center , Opon Health Center and Mandaue Health Center. In 1995, Dean Fernan retired and Dr. Jessie G. Empaces, Alumna and Faculty Member of the College of Nursing , assumed the Deanship. It was in her term that the College of Nursing became a member of HRDP Schools, which institutionalized Community Organizing Participative Action Research (COPAR). She requires all the nursing and midwifery students to go into immersion programs in the community for one month. In 1996, the College of Nursing became a PRC provider for Continuing Education Program. In 2001, the UVCN Alumni Association was founded with the vision of serving the UVCN Alumni and the society through the concerted efforts of the school and its members. It was in the same year that the College of Nursing made a Memorandum of Agreement between Zorginstelligen Rijswijk of Netherlands for employment of its graduates and exchange training program. Another Memorandum of Agreement was also made with the Alliance International Medical Recruitment Corp. for representing their graduates for employment in the United States of America at no cost to the nurses. In 2002, the College of Nursing moved to the new Gullas Medical Center in Banilad, Mandaue City. It boasts of new facilities to cater to the growing demand of nursing education. The administration of the University of the Visayas realized the increasing need for medical and allied medical graduates and so in 2003 the administration approved the expansion and development of its institution's facilities and a four-storey building was constructed together with the improvement of the Don Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital which serves as a training-ground for students. The development has attracted many students and its population is increasing every year. The University of the Visayas College of Nursing has forged serious efforts to provide its students with academic excellence and made it possible to realize the University's vision of LOVE, LEADERSHIP and SERVICE TO HUMANITY.
