n educational institution which is practically synonymous and a proud partner of Bacolod City, West Negros University was founded on Valentine’s day in 1948 by three Baptist women leaders, Luciana Aritao, Teresa Padilla, and Rosario Remitio, when the city was still fresh from the devastation of war.  

The school, then West Negros College, first operated as a sectarian educational institution in an old rented Valentine Memorial Hall at corner Rosario and San Juan Streets, offering six undergraduate programs that attracted 710 students and 33 faculty members. 

The first few years of its existence proved expansion was inevitable, that in 1951 the school was re-established as a non-sectarian school on its present location along Burgos Street, utilizing a three-storey wooden building that housed different classrooms and administrative offices.  A separate building was also built for elementary and high school pupils. 

It has since gone through years of providing education responsive to the needs of the community as seen in the continued increase in enrolment.  Taking the challenge, then President Leodegario N. Agustin initiated the construction of a P2.2 million concrete five-storey building.  The building accommodated all department and administrative offices, laboratories, clinic, library, and classrooms.  

To enrich the college life of students, a gymnasium was constructed in 1968 for the school’s extra-curricular and sports activities.  It also hosted convocations, cultural presentations and graduation activities, and extended its services to the community by accommodating, among others, basketball games, boxing tournaments, social gatherings, and concerts.  

The following year, the school’s enrolment rose to 6,843 students, with a pool of 200 faculty members.  The increase has inspired the administration for further expansion, that in 1972 the construction of a concrete three-storey building for the high school and elementary departments was initiated.           

In 1980, responding to the changing times with the advent of computers, the college put up its own Computer Center and expanded its curricular offerings by opening computer courses and short-term or technical programs. It was then considered among the biggest and was recognized among the pioneers of computer schools in Western Visayas. 

Since then, the college experienced spurts of growth in terms of infrastructures, students population, human resources, community services, and as an educational institution as a whole.  Ten Presidents have provided leadership to West Negros College since its founding, whose contributions became part and parcel of what the school has become: Atty.  Serafin V. Aguilar (1949-1952), Atty. Vicente T. Remitio (1952-1953), Mr. Segismundo E. Gelvosa (1954-1962), Mr. Leodegario N. Agustin (1963-1964), Mr. Leo A. Agustin (1965-1969 and 1990-1991), Dr. Alfredo P. Catedral (1969-1971), Mrs. Delia A. Espino (1971-1975 and 1986-1989), Atty. Alex D. Espino (1975-1979 and 1985-1986), Mr. Roem G. Agustin (1979-1984), and Dr. Suzette Lilian A. Agustin since 1991 to the present.