History
In February 1948, Don Jaime Hernandez Sr. invited Bicolanos to join him as incorporators of a planned new school. The incorporation papers were signed on May 9, 1948, by Hernandez himself, Jaime Reyes, Jose T. Fuentebella, Edmundo Cea, Atty. Buenaventura Blancaflor, Nicole Tado Sr., Juan F. Trivino, Antonio M. Sison, Manuel Abella, and Domingo Abella, among others. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the incorporators on May 18, 1948.
The school officially started operation on July 1, 1948, as the Nueva Caceres Colleges. The initial courses offered were Liberal Arts, Commerce, Education, and high school with a total enrollment of 958. The students of the newly opened school had their classes in the rented Flordeliza Building fronting the public kiosk (now Plaza Quezon) and the Governor Andres Hernandez residence along Burgos Street (now Grand Imperial Plaza).
In the ensuing years, additional courses were offered: elementary (1949), graduate school (1953), law (1951), engineering (1949), nursing (defunct 1955–2005), secretarial (1955) and kindergarten (1993).
In September 1951, the university administration acquired the Rey property and transformed it from a marshland to its present condition. By early 1952 almost half of the site was filled, and buildings began to rise. Bishop Pedro P. Santos blessed the new campus and the first two buildings, the original Dato Hall and Alba Hall, on July 11, 1952. Other buildings were soon built to address the needs of a growing student population. Under the leadership of university president Dolores H. Sison, there is an ongoing multimillion infrastructure program to further modernize the institution.
On July 30, 2018, Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya was appointed as the fourth president of the university.[6]
Ayala Education, Inc.
On July 28, 2015, the Ayala Group raised its stake in the Philippine education sector by investing ₱450 million to acquire 60 percent of University of Nueva Caceres.[7] As a result of this investment, Ayala Education will hold the majority of UNC's board seats. In addition, UNC appointed Ayala Education's CEO, Alfredo Ayala, as the president of the board of trustees.
