What is now the Department of Humanities (DHUM) traces its roots from the UP College of Agriculture’s English Department, a unit that was never formally established but took charge of the offering of English courses for college students (later renamed the Department of Languages during the Second World War). From offering basic English courses to address students’ rather weak command of the language, the department eventually offered general education (GE) courses and during the 1960s, adopted its present name, Department of Humanities (UPLB Commission on the Humanities, 1984).
Upon the creation of the College of Sciences and the Humanities and the establishment of UPLB as an autonomous unit of the UP System through PD No. 58, Dean Legaspi split the department into two: DHUM and what is now the Department of Social Sciences (DSS). Professor Gloria S Argosino became the first Chair of the new department (UPLB Commission on the Humanities, 1984).
The BA Communication Arts program is DHUM’s first degree offering, first implemented during the academic year 1974-1975. The MA Communication Arts was first implemented in 1995 and the BA Philosophy program in 1998.
Mission
The department aims to graduate scholars who can engage the world critically, communicate their ideas effectively, contribute to humanities scholarship and creative production, and act as responsible citizens. By promoting appreciation of the arts and letters and developing the students’ analytical and creative skills, the department seeks to contribute to their lifelong intellectual and ethical development to enable them to integrate and apply humanistic thinking in our complex, diverse, and increasingly technological world.
Vision
To envision itself as a center of development in one or two disciplines in the humanities within five years as it intensifies its research and public service engagement while fulfilling its primary charge of offering arts and humanities GE courses and undergraduate and graduate programs in key areas in the humanities.
