AMA Computer University

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Motto:	"Never rest on one's laurels"
Established	October 15, 1980
Type:	Private
President:	Amable Aguiluz IX
Staff:	Approx. 50
Undergraduates:	Approx. 2500
Postgraduates:	Approx. 50
Location	Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Campus:	25,000 m²
Hymn:	The AMA Hymn
Colors:	Blue █ and Gold █
Nickname:	The AMACU Titans
Mascot:	Jolens
Affiliations:	NAASCU, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU)
Website:	www.ama-university.com

Coordinates: 14°39′53.46″N, 121°0′47.63″E AMA Computer University (AMACU) is a university located in Project 8, Quezon City, Philippines. It focuses mainly on electronic, information, and communication technologies. It is one of the brands of the AMA Education Group. It follows a trimestral calendar where a typical four year collegiate education program under a semestral calendar is completed in only 3 years and 3 months.

AMA Computer University was founded by Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz V, who named it after the acronym of his father's name, Amable M. Aguiluz, Sr. Dr. Aguiluz resolved to provide education on the field of computer technology, based on his experience in computer sales. Aguiluz founded the AMA Institute of Computer Studies with the first computer school located along Shaw Boulevard on October 20, 1980. At that time, AMA Institute of Computer Studies offered short-term courses in Electronic Data Processing Fundamentals, Basic Programming, and Technology Career. Only 13 students enrolled at the AMA Institute of Computer Studies during the first semester.

University Entrance gate in Quezon City

AMA Computer College came into existence in June 1981. It extended its services through a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. With only a handful of students in its first year of operation, the AMACC student population rose dramatically from 600 in 1983 to 2,000 in 1985 in its first official campus in Makati City. Shortly after, it established its main campus in Quezon City. Two provincial campuses were then founded in Cebu and Silicon Gulf, Davao.

With the passage of the Philippine Higher Education Act of 1994, privately controlled educational institutions' academic fees were deregulated. AMA solved the problem of low student population by embarking on an aggressive marketing, advertising and information campaign. With this type of strategy, profit-oriented schools started to grow.

The emergence of AMACC also led to the birth of AMA Computer Learning Center (ACLC) in 1986 and AMA Telecommunication & Electronic Learning Center in 1996. The former engages in offering short-course programs for professionals and two-year technical/vocational courses for those who wish to acquire employment skills. The latter is the one of the first schools in the Philippines to concentrate on telecommunication, electronics, and related technologies.

AMA has adopted a principle of being the first to do things. It was the first school in the country to fully integrate the Internet into its curriculum. Internet services were provided in all its campuses. Since 1987, all major AMA colleges have been interconnected through a local area network (LAN), which virtually converted them into one nationwide school system. AMA is also the first and only school in the country to have successfully held a teleconference between its high school students and another high school class in Canada in 1994.

In 1991, Aguiluz was able to gain full accreditation for AMA Computer College in the American League of Colleges and Universities (ALOCU), thus, making AMA the first Filipino and non-American school to be so honored. Moreover, AMACC became an official member of the John F. Kennedy Educational Institute in Japan. AMACC is also accredited by the National Computer Center of the United Kingdom.

AMACU's Quality Management System has been ISO 9001-certified since March 1999 by Société Générale de Surveillance International Certification Services Canada, Inc.^{[citation needed]}

AMA Computer College of Quezon City became AMA Computer University following the conferment of university status by the Philippine government's Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on August 20, 2001.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, AMA Computer University inked a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's iCarnegie to use its curriculum and courses through e-learning. As stated by iCarnegie President and CEO Allan Fisher, "the academic relationship between STI and iCarnegie went well, the business side of the agreement did not go as planned".^[1]

The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) did not accredit other AMA campuses to use the title “University” and only permitted to use the title of “College” or “Institute” as these campuses have not met the requirements needed by the Philippine academic regulatory body.

On 2003, AMA Education system brokered a partnership with the government of Bahrain to establish the AMA International University in Manama.

The AMA Education Group has an annual student population of 150,000 and more than 200 campuses in the Philippines and other parts of the world. However, the AMA USA campus is still not accredited.

In the 1990s, many criticized AMA for not participating in any athletic associations.^{[citation needed]} Many students were surprised when AMA joined the Philippine Basketball League in 1999 without any signed talents from the AMA Education system. AMA backed out in the basketball league in the same year.

In 2000, AMA joined the National Capital Region Athletic Association as it failed to garner support in joining the NCAA.^{[citation needed]} AMA remained in the bottom standings up until today. In 2001, AMA joined the newly created National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU). The AMACU Titans had a rocky start but in 2006, they beat their corporate rivals, the STI Olympians and became the 2006 NAASCU Champions. It currently participates in the Collegiate National Championship^[2], composed of top ranked varsity teams in the Philippines. However, AMA was eliminated in the early competitions.

The Official Student Publication

Currently holding offices at the 2nd Floor of the College Building at the Quezon City campus, the publication is required to release an issue each term. It is one of the two official and recognized student organizations of the university, the other being the Student Council (SC).

The Dataline Editorial Board at the start of each academic year or upon a vast vacancy of positions undergo a series of examinations, both oral and written, as mandated in the University handbook and through the revised constitution (as of SY 2005-2006). Selected professors from the College of Arts and Science (CAS) serve as the selection committee for the organization.

The Dataline mascots created by Guadha Peralta are Demi and Demet, who appear in the cartoon section "The Misadventures of Demi and Demet."

Due to budget release problems, the organization had ceased publication from 2003 and was only able to release an issue as of July 2007. Past editor in chiefs include: Ernan Jose Queja, Gemma Louise Heaton, John Patrick Dua and Ramil Adonis.

In 1999, a student from AMA Computer College Makati named Onel de Guzman submitted a thesis proposal for the creation of a computer program that will hack into computer systems and extract vital information, particularly Internet Service accounts.^[3] The proposal was unanimously rejected by the College of Computer Studies academic board. De Guzman was scheduled to complete his studies in 2000 and an academic subject called "THESIS A" was one of his final requirements before graduation. After AMA's graduation day on May 3, 2000, an email trojan called ILOVEYOU spread all throughout the globe and caused delays in several online transactions. The virus, according to Guinness World Records, was the most widespread computer virus of all time.^{[citation needed]} The virus was traced to an apartment room in downtown Manila. The tenant was Onel de Guzman. Guzman was invited by the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation for questioning. De Guzman, in an interview, admitted spreading the virus "by accident".^[4]. In reaction to the news, AMA expelled de Guzman from AMA Makati and considered him as "drop-out" for life. The NBI charged De Guzman for violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act on 1998.^[5] But due to lack of sufficiency the Philippine Department of Justice dropped the charges as there was no clear laws regulating the World Wide Web. Due to this incident, June 14, 2000, Republic Act 8792 known as Philippine Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 was signed.

Amable Aguiluz V was Joseph Estrada's political endorser in the 1998 Presidential elections.^[6] AMA was the first educational institution to award Joseph Estrada with a degree of Doctor of Humanities honoris causa.^{[citation needed]} Aguiluz used the AMA campuses in various political rallies and forced students to attend as part of their academic attendance record.^{[citation needed]} In 1998, Estrada appointed Aguiluz as Presidential adviser on Information and Communication Technology and on 1999 as chairman of the Presidential Commission on Year 2000 Compliance. Aguiluz brought officials of AMA into the commission and many business leaders criticised the commission from being an extension of AMA.^{[citation needed]} Aguiluz resigned from the Commission in November 1999 due to a controversial purchase of equipment by the commission from a subsidiary of the AMA Group of Companies.

In 2001, Aguiluz switched affiliations to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo because Estrada was jailed and Aguiluz was afraid to be handed the same fate.^{[citation needed]} Aguiluz's father Amable Aguiluz Sr. was Diosdado Macapagal' s friend and Aguiluz Sr. served as Chairman and Auditor-general of the Commission on Audit in the 1960s.^[7] Arroyo was invited to AMA's sponsored political rallies. In 1995, Arroyo attended a political rally in AMA when she ran for re-election as senator. Arroyo attended all graduation rites for AMA from 2002 to 2005.^[8] Arroyo cited AMA for not participating in cause oriented and student activist groups.^{[citation needed]} Arroyo appointed Aguiluz as Presidential Adviser for the Middle East.^{[citation needed]}

Later on, as disclosed by a former officer of AMAES of a high position, a case lost by the AMA Group of Companies ensured retrenchment of offices and lay-offs. This eventually lead to the hasty implementation of e-Learning courses so as to cover loss of instructors. Yet, some branches, like AMA Davao, were not granted permit to carry on with e-Learning courses because the commission considers these as Open Learning/Distance Education courses unless these courses are supplementary.^{[citation needed]}

On November 12, 2004, 23 Philippine nursing schools were disqualified, including AMA Computer College, Makati. CHED chairman Rolando dela Rosa ordered these schools to close. The 23 schools were not granted permits (upon recommendation of Technical Committee for Nursing Education (TCNE) and regional offices) because they failed to comply with these requirements: a qualified dean, a compliant curriculum, a faculty staff with masteral degree in nursing, a base hospital where students can hold their actual training. A few weeks after, dela Rosa resigned after AMACC appealed the case to President Gloria Arroyo.

Many of the offered courses in most of the AMACC and ACLC small branches are not accredited. There was this case of electronics and communications engineering students were not allowed to take the board exams because their course were not recognized by the Commission on Higher Education.

Graduation Ceremony in Quezon City

College of Computer Studies

B.S. Information Technology
B.S. Computer Science
B.S. Information Management

College of Engineering

B.S. Computer Engineering
B.S. Electronics and Communications Engineering
B.S. Industrial Engineering

College of Business Administration and Accountancy

B.S. Business Administration Major in Management
B.S. Business Administration Major in Financial Management
B.S. Business Administration Major in Management Information Systems
B.S. Business Administration Major in Marketing
B.S. Accountancy

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Education

B.S. in Elementary Education Major in Computer Education
B.S. in Secondary Education Major in Computer Education

M.A. in Computer Education
M.S. in Computer Science
M.S. in Business Administration
M.S. in Public Administration
Juris Doctor (J.D.)

AMA Computer University also caters pre-school, elementary, and high school programs under the brand St. Augustine International School.

As of AMA Computer University's 1999 curriculum to the present, students under the College of Computer Studies are given the opportunity to pursue certification within the curriculum course. The payment for the certification and examination is covered in the tuition fees, and as such, no extra payments are usually required to take the examination. Representatives from Microsoft Corporation and the school's head office in Panay Avenue, Quezon City oversee the examination proper of the certification.

Networking courses are co-handled by Cisco Networks, who also forged partnership with AMA Computer University. As a result, Cisco recognizes AMA students who pass their basic CCNA networking courses with a certificate. It is also possible to pursue the Cisco Certified Network Administrator certification in AMACU.^[9]

The iCarnegie 10-course curriculum and certifications are rooted deeply in the traditions of Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. All academic enrollments in AMA's campuses fall under the iCarnegie program. ^[10]

The AMA Education Group is now drawing a blueprint of a wide campus named University Town. Proposed to complete in celebration of its 30th year in 2010, the AMA Computer University Town is a 50-hectare property in General Trias, Cavite. It draws its inspiration from old universities in the western world that spurred rapid development in the Host Township and created neighborhoods that are safe, liveable and walkable.^{[citation needed]}

The University Town will serve as another type of multi-use development, a primary institutional complex in a park-like setting.

A network of open space and walkable distances from once destination to the other is laid out primarily to encourage the end-users to walk instead of using motorized vehicles.

Central Park.

The AMA icon is found in the area that serves as venue for congregation and maximum social contact.

Interactive Hub.

A network of open areas and sheltered places supports IT Activities through utilities that allow hooking up to the internet service and power supply for computer notebook users. The hub also pertains to other areas like the Internet cafes, bars, clubhouses, cooperative houses or student joints. It is called interactive since it encourages real-time interaction among students and other users at anytime anywhere in the world.

Town Center.

A township in itself, the town center will serve the more commercial needs of the university such as retail, entertainment, neighborhood services and computer-related activities which can be found within a walking distance from any point of origin. The idea is to achieve a self-contained development and at the same time to service the other neighboring communities in the vicinity.

Main Boulevard: University Avenue.

This tree-lines major road will serve as the Main University Avenue where vehicular and pedestrian circulation is regulated by traffic signs and controls.

River Walk.

The damning of the creek will serve as the potential river walk that will be a highlight of the open space of the University.

IT Center.

As the architecture centerpiece, the IT Center is envisioned as an IT Park of e-learning and global on-line university. It serves as the university icon, symbolizing AMA’s vision towards excellence in IT education and technology.

Institutional Area.

Accentuated by the Ester delos Reyes Aguiluz Memorial Medical Hospital, the Institutional Area incorporates the different buildings, facilities and equipment of the University that are dedicated to education.

Residential Community.

The master-planned residential enclave within the university's premises is an income-generating prime real estate. The faculty, students, executives or those who are interested to live in the University have choices from single detached to multiple family dwelling units.

The AMA Education system also has sister schools under their wing. Unlike the Quezon City campus, whose land is wholly owned, some of the campuses are on rented real estate. The campuses are overseen and monitored by government departments, such Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Maritime and Naval Agency (MARINA), for Norwegian Maritime Institute. Student population mainly determine the longevity of the campuses. Only the main campus of AMA, in Project 8, is accredited with a University status; all else are under study for proper accreditation.

Pursuant to TESDA compliance, the school offers ladderized education as well, a program that allows vocational students to pursue college easily, having their previous vocational course merits credited into their college curriculum.

AMA Computer College. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that offer the same programs as AMACU. The campuses in East Rizal, Makati, Biñan, Pasig, Fairview, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao are among these.

AMA Computer Learning Center. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that has a similar structure as AMA Computer College but only offer short Information Technology-related programs. These programs range from Certificate (3-month), Diploma (1 year) to Associate (2-years). It uses a semestral (5-month) academic calendar.

St. Augustine School of Nursing. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that has a similar structure as AMA Computer Learning Center but only offer short Medical-related programs like caregiver course.

ABE School of Business and Accountancy. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that has a similar structure as AMA Computer Learning Center but only offers short business-related programs like e-Commerce Management.

AMA International Institute of Technology. These are the educational institutions that have a similar structure as AMA Computer Learning Center but only offers short technology-related programs like radio technician course. Formerly AMA Telecommunication & Electronic Learning Center, it is located in EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City.

Norwegian Maritime Academy. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that offer the same programs as AMACU. It focuses only in Maritime-related courses like Marine Engineering.

AMA Medical School. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that offers the same programs as AMACU but is under study for accreditation or recognition by the Commission on Higher Education. It focuses only in Medical-related courses like Nursing.

St. Augustine International (Satellite) School. These are the educational institutions across the Philippines that offer pre-school, elementary, and high school programs but is housed outside AMACU. The institution also claims utilization of the GEMS program for their Math curriculum.

Endorsers: