The History of Riverside College
Riverside College is the brainchild of a man of vision, Dr. Pablo Obregon Torre, Sr., who began his professional practice in a family clinic. Over the years, his practice grew and the family clinic was expanded into a full scale hospital, the Riverside General Hospital where the Carmelite nuns were invited to help administer the health facility.
Seeing the need for competent personnel to operate the hospital, Riverside College was established with the School of Midwifery and the School of Nursing as initial non-baccalaureate course offerings. Soon after, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing were opened for baccalaureate degree course offerings. Because of their competence and work ethics, graduates of Riverside General Hospital were accepted for employment in the different parts of the country as well as overseas employment in the United States of America and Europe.
With the rising demand of healthcare and medical attention, in 1972, the general hospital was expanded into what was then called the Riverside Medical Center, and known today as the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Sr., Memorial Hospital. With the growth and expansion of the hospital, in 1976, Riverside College responded by way of offering relevant health-related courses such as Associate courses in Radiologic Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Aide and the Medical Secretarial Course.
In 1987, BS courses in Physical Therapy, Medical Technology, Psychology, Major in Special Education were offered. Certificate courses in Home Health Care and Environmental Health soon followed.
In consonance with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) thrust for quality education aimed at global competitiveness and in line with the requisites of higher educational institutions. Riverside College opened the School of Graduate Studies in 1997 to act as a venue for graduate education of its alumni and other professionals.
Since 2003, Riverside College has pursued remarkable changes in its physical structure and course offerings. In June 2004, a four-storey building for classrooms, an audio-visual room (AVR) and a food court was inaugurated. By June 2005, an adjacent eight-storey edifice with elevator facilities was unveiled to host additional classrooms, laboratories, the new library, a parking area and student lounges.
In additon to its regular Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum, Riverside College now offers BSN programs for second-course students for both paramedical and non-paramedical graduates. In Academic Year 2005-2006, it launched a one-year Certificate Program in Practical Nursing (CPN) and became a pioneer institute vis-avis this course offering.
With its modern, state-of-the-art and world-class facilities complemented by the rigid training and qualification of two of its mentors, in May 2005, Riverside College was recognized as an Accredited Assessment Center for Caregivers for Western Visayas by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and remains to be the only school in the province that has earned its recognition.
Keeping itself abreast with the standards of higher education, the demands of the global workforce and ensuring its continued relevance, in Academing Year 2006-2007, the institution introduced two new courses, namely: a four-year degree program, the Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology, and a five-month certificate program in Medical Transcription.
