The University of San Agustin – Iloilo, also referred to by its acronym (USAI or as San Ag), is a private, Roman Catholic, research, coeducational, non-profit basic and higher education institution run by the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, Philippines of the Order of Saint Augustine in Iloilo City, Philippines. It was founded by the Augustinians in July 1904. The Spanish Augustinians with the help of their American confreres established in 1904 a school for boys. It had initially an enrollment of 40 students. In 1917, it was incorporated and became Colegio de San Agustin de Iloilo. In March 1953, San Agustin attained university status making it as the first university in Western Visayas. San Agustin is likewise the first Augustinian university in the Asia-Pacific region. University of San Agustin now provides academic programs from Basic Education up to post graduate studies in the areas of Law, Business, Education, Computer Studies, Arts and Sciences, Performing Arts, Music, Engineering, Medical Technology, Nursing and Pharmacy. In 2013, the university celebrated its 60th year as an institution of higher learning. The University is a Center of Development in Teacher Education as recognized by the Commission on Higher Education. History Founding The Spanish Augustinians were the first Christian missionaries of any religious order to enter the Philippines and begin its conversion to Catholicism. Later after the revolution, Spanish Augustinian friars were removed from 194 parishes and left the Philippines in 1899, eventually turning over their churches and mission stations to secular clergy. The Order retained only a few parishes, including their main foundations in Cebu, Manila, and Iloilo, with American friars taking over them. On 15 July 1904, American members of the order along with Filipino and Spanish friars from Spain belonging to the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines, founded the university and established it with assistance from their confreres from the Augustinian U.S. Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. It began as a preparatory school for boys during the American colonial period. On 12 December 1912, it was granted government recognition for its various course offerings. Later on 5 February 1917, it was formally incorporated under the name Colegio de San Agustín de Iloilo. In 1928, one of the country's oldest campus publications, The Augustinian Mirror, was established, producing some of the country's well-known writers. The 1930s saw rapid growth with the opening of three