Francisco Nemenzo Jr.

Francisco Nemenzo Jr. is a Filipino political scientist, educator and activist, and was the 18th president of the University of the Philippines. Born to the 'Father of Philippine coral taxonomy' Francisco Nemenzo Sr., he has become a prominent Marxist figure in the Philippine academe.

He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and continues to teach courses in political philosophy and Philippine government at the Department of Political Science.

Education
Nemenzo earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in public administration from the National College of Public Administration and Governance at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1957 and 1959 respectively. During his undergraduate years, he joined the business-oriented Pan Xenia Fraternity. He obtained a Ph.D. in political history from the University of Manchester in 1965.

Career

Administrative experience
Prior to his stint as UP President, Nemenzo served as chancellor of the University of the Philippines Visayas and as a member of the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University, representing the faculty. He was also dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which was split into three academic units: College of Science (CS), College of Social Sciences & Philosophy (CSSP), and the College of Arts & Letters (CAL).

University presidency
Nemenzo was elected UP president against prominent competitors such as former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, former minister of economic planning Gerardo Sicat, and public administration pioneer and sociologist Ledivina V. Cariño. He succeeded Emil Q. Javier.

His term is notable for the institutionalization of the Revised General Education Program (RGEP), comparable to the general education program of Harvard University and other American educational institutions, seeking to provide a holistic development of students through a free choice system of selecting courses in three divisions (Arts & Humanities, Social Science & Philosophy, and Mathematics, Science & Technology) to fit each student's intellectual pursuits. However, a comprehensive review of the program was initiated, linking the introduction of the RGEP to the grade inflation phenomenon. It led to a synthesis of the old general education program and the RGEP which has been adopted the University since 2012.

In 2005, he stepped down as the University's highest official and replaced by Emerlinda Roman of the College of Business Administration.

See also 
 Fidel Nemenzo

References

Category:Filipino academics
Category:Living people
Category:Filipino Marxists
Category:Presidents of universities and colleges in the Philippines
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)