School Year 2013-2014 formally commenced on June 3, 2013. As the continuing students regularly reported to their respective classes, some 2,000 freshmen and transferees were personally welcomed by the VSU President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, during the New Students' Orientation Program on June 3 at the VSU Gymnatorium.

As the VSU President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, continuously propels the Visayas State University, he said he has charted his plans and challenges before his term ends in 2015 and presented them during the Grand VSU Alumni Homecoming on April 17, 2013 at the VSU Convention Center.

With some 100 alumni in attendance, Dr. Bacusmo discussed his topic entitled "Challenges, Direction and Plans of VSU for 2013-2015." The VSU president started his presentation with a question, "How will we realize a dream if we will not dream at all?" He also encouraged everyone to "dream with our feet on the ground."

In his presentation, Dr. Bacusmo narrated that the University was once an agricultural high school that blossomed into an agricultural college in the 70s and 80s. "Now, we are a comprehensive University with agriculture and natural resource management as the core offering. We are the most prolific in research and research publication in the Visayas," the VSU President said.

He also revealed that the University operates at about P500-million budget this year, in which four-fifths (80%) of the operating budget each year comes from the national government while the other one-fifth (20%) comes from fees, businesses, and grants.

The President also mentioned that the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) represent about 10% of the General Appropriation Act (GAA) in which P16-million is budgeted for electricity. Dr. Bacusmo also added that VSU's enrollment is increasing every year and most of the students come from poor families, thus increase in fees is remote under his administration.

"We are at a defining moment for Philippine Higher Education, especially now that there is a proposal for amalgamation of higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the country," Dr. Bacusmo stressed. In Region 8, for example, there will only be one university to be named as Eastern Visayas University System from among the 10 existing state colleges and universities whose leadership has yet to be determined.

In the past two decades, VSU follows the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) system in the conduct of in-house reviews. Following this system, experts come not only to evaluate but also to select winners for the best papers. This is good, said Dr. Victor B. Asio, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), during the opening of the two-day Agency In-House Review of CAFS held on May 30-31, 2013 at the e-FARMI Conference Room.

Three hundred seventy-three VSU alumni from the different parts of the country and abroad gathered during the Grand VSU Alumni Homecoming on May 17-19, 2013. Hosted by Batches 1986 and 1987, this year's convergence focused on the theme "Hisgutay, Agik-ikay, og Tinabangay VSU Alumni."

Dr. Erlinda A. Vasquez of VSU's Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops) is the recipient of the 2012 Regional "Gawad Saka" Award (Outstanding Agricultural Scientist) for Eastern Visayas. Dr. Vasquez received a trophy and a cash award of Php 30,000 from Regional Executive Director Antonio G. Gerundio during the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Unit 8's (DA-RFU 8) culmination of the three-day celebration of the Farmers and Fisherfolks Month on May 29, 2013 at the DA-RFU 8 Multi-Purpose Hall, Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City.

The Visayas State University (VSU) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) have entered into a Memorandum of Undertaking (MOU) for a joint venture on "Coconut Planting and Replanting Project." The MOU was signed on May 17, 2013 by VSU President Jose L. Bacusmo and PCA Administrator Euclides G. Forbes in the presence of Mr. Edilberto V. Nierva, PCA-8 Regional Manager III, and Dr. Maria Juliet C. Ceniza, Director of the National Coconut Research Center-Visayas (NCRC-V), at the VSU Office of the President.

The First Analytical Services and Technical Cooperative or its tradename F.A.S.T Laboratories or simply FASTLab has recently granted a scholarship to Mr. Marino C. Salilin Jr., a third year BS in Chemistry student of the Visayas State University.