By Joseph B.A. Marzan
West Visayas State University (WVSU) is set to become the first state university in the region to open its doors to future lawyers under its new Juris Doctor program for Academic Year 2020-2021, as confirmed by University President Joselito Villaruz to Daily Guardian on Wednesday.
The opening of the university’s College of Law was delayed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
The opening of the WVSU College of Law was announced during the president’s official investiture in January 2020.
Villaruz clarified that the delay was not on the part of the university administration.
“I would like to clarify that this delay was not on our side because we were waiting for the [Legal Education Board]. We were bent on opening the program for [Academic Year] 2020-2021, but we were waiting for the go signal,” Villaruz said.
In a phone interview, Villaruz told Daily Guardian that while there was no official communication from the Legal Education Board (LEB), the university was informed via email that they can proceed with admitting students for the incoming school year.
The curriculum was drafted based on the LEB’s minimum requirements, but the university was also given free rein to modify its own curriculum.
Classrooms in the famed Quezon Hall are now dedicated for the program, with several rooms converted into a Law Library and a Moot Court.
“This is unofficial, but we received an email [from one of the commissioners of the LEB] that we should start admitting students for the College of Law. The curriculum has already been developed, and we had set up a library and repaired some classrooms to comply with the LEB’s standards,” Villaruz said.
While the faculty members have yet to be hired, the College of Law already has a working dean, whom Villaruz refused to name.
The members of the Law faculty, according to Villaruz, will be based on standards by the LEB.
“We haven’t been able to hire faculty yet. The LEB would really love to have faculty members teaching in the College of Law. As with any other program, even with the Doctor of Medicine program, we require faculty members who have teaching experience in other schools. We will choose the best faculty who can deliver the best for our students,” he said.
The specific admission process for the program is still being finalized, but it has been outlined when WVSU applied for approval with the LEB.
Official announcements will be posted outside the university’s premises and in their official website.
“The admissions process is clearly detailed in the application for the Juris Doctor program we submitted [to the LEB]. We will probably have to institute a locally prepared entrance exam or aptitude exam for our pioneer students. We will also submit them for an interview. There will also be a [General Weighted Average] requirement,” he said.
Upon advice of experts and former mentors of the university, the program will only accept 25 students for its initial run.
WVSU will accept both fresh applicants and transferees for the program, but they will undergo the same process of examinations, interviews, and grade requirements.
Transferees will have to restart their freshman year if they wish to join the pioneering batch.
“We will only accept 25 students for this opening of the College of Law because we want this to be a very good program. We will start with a very small program as advised by our educators and former mentors. We will take care of them for the rest of our journey, and when they take the Bar Exams, we want this to be a very good batch of students,” the president said.
Classes will be held after office hours but under remote learning for the meantime.
Villaruz said it remains to be seen when face-to-face classes will begin.
