UPLB College of Development Communication

Infobox University


caption= The College of Development Communication building in the UP Los Baños Campus
name = UPLB College of Development Communication
established = 1954 (Office)1998 (College)
location = UPLB Campus, College, Laguna
website = http://www.devcom.edu.ph/

The College of Development Communication (CDC) is the ninth college established under the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It is recognized worldwide as a pioneer College of Development Communication Profile from the UPLB Website http://www.uplb.edu.ph/cdc] of Development Communication as an academic field. It offered the Philippines' first communication course in 1960College of Development Communication Profile from the CDC Website http://www.devcom.edu.ph/ver1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26] , as a major under the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture curriculum. In 1974, it became the first to offer academic degree programs in development communication. To date, it is the only academic institution in the world offering degree programs in Development Communication at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degree levels. In 1999, the College was named as one of two national centers of excellence in communication by the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education CHED. The College was awarded a KBP Golden Dove Award for best AM station (DZLB) in 1994.

Degree Programs

The CDC currently offers four degree programs:

*Bachelor of Science in Development Communication (BSDC);
*Master of Professional Studies (MPS) (distance mode under the UP Open University);
*Master of Science (MS); and
*Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

It also conducts regular training workshops in coordination with various international and government agencies, and non-government organizations.

Organization

The CDC is currently organized into four departments:

The Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunications (DDBT);The Department of Development Journalism (DDJ);The Department of Educational Communication (DEC); andThe Department of Science Communication (DSC).

Each department represents a field of specialization the undergraduate student can focus on. Graduate students, on the other hand, have the option of choosing a more generalist curriculum.

History

In 1954 the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA) started put up the Office of Extension and Publications (CA-OEP). Among its recruits was Nora C. Quebral, who would later pioneer the academic field. [Cadiz, Maria Celeste H. Nora Cruz Quebral: writer and thinker par excellence in Glocal Times web magazine http://webzone.k3.mah.se/projects/gt2/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=47&issueID=5]

In 1962, the CA-OEP was elevated into the Department of Agricultural Information and Communication (DAIC), which offered the first communication course in the country in 1960, under the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture curriculum. The department was renamed the Department of Agricultural Communication in 1968.

In 1974, the world's first degree programs in development communication was offered by what was renamed the Department of Development Communication. It was again renamed when it was elevated into an institute (Institute of Development Communication) in 1987. It was elevated into a full college of UPLB on 18 December 1998.

Location and Facilities

The CDC is located at the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus in College, Laguna, Philippines. The UPLB campus is about 63 km southeast of Metro Manila. It is at the foot of the legendary Mt. Makiling, which hosts one of the few remaining rain forests in Luzon. It is also situated near international and regional research centers and science and technology parks.

The College's building is within UPLB's administration circle and is among the first buildings one sees when entering UPLB's main gate. It is adjacent to Carabao Park, which is UPLB's alumni plaza, and is right across the University's main administration building.

The CDC's facilities include experimental radio station DZLB AM, which broadcasts at 1116 kHz and serves as a developmental community radio station for Laguna, and its sister station DZLB FM, which broadcasts at 97.4 mHz and serves as the campus radio station. Photography students are allowed to use the college's two darkrooms, and two computer laboratories are intended for students studying instructional materials production and Information and Communication Technologies, respectively.

The CDC's reading room's collection of reading materials is specifically geared towards the use of communication to promote social development.

Organizations

The college is host to a number of student organizations, namely:

*The UP Alliance of Development Communication Students (ADS) - an "academic-civic organization founded on August 20, 1997," envisioning "an organization where Devcom students can be mobilizers of change while maintaining academic excellence and fostering camaraderie among members."
*The UP Community Broadcaster's Society (CBS) - a media-based socio-civic organization established in November 11, 2004 intended "to promote fellowship and camaraderie among Community Broadcasters united towards academic excellence, informative, entertaining and educational broadcasting and community service."
*The UPLB Development Communicators' Society (UPLB DevComSoc or DCS) - an "academic organization emphasizing the role of communication in promoting social change". Founded in 1972, UPLB DCS "advocates the study of development communication from which the Society has been founded."
*The UPLB Jocks- a media-based socio-cultural organization founded on January 15, 1997 by volunteer student broadcasters of DZLB FM 97.4. Each member of [http://www.theuplbjocks.com The UPLB Jocks] is equipped with a five-month long pre-membership training on radio broadcasting, music genres, events hosting and other media ventures.
*The Graduate Students Association of DevCom (GradSADevCom) - an academic organization among graduate students studying at the college.

References

Additional Sources

*Cadiz, Maria Celeste H. CFSC Pioneer: A Conversation With Nora Quebral http://www.communicationforsocialchange.org/mazi-articles.php?id=294
*Brief reference from the FAO. http://www.fao.org/world/regional/rap/susdev_exten_comm_links.asp
*Adaptive Learning Linkages in Community Based Natural Resources Management (ALLinCBNRM) workshop website http://www.allincbnrm.org
*Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) Media Timeline http://www.aijc.com.ph/PCCF/mediamuseum/timeline/timeline-post-war.htm