Grace L. Ferrer, Melanie Jimenez, News, Communication Management Office
The Poytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is the biggest winner in this year’s Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) Conference with six (6) awards including back to back win as top Internal Quality Assurance Unit among State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), March 11, 2021. Among universities and colleges that underwent accreditation for year 2019, PUP was recognized as Top 1 with the most number of programs granted Level 1 accredited status, Top 2 with the most number of programs awarded Level 3 accredited status, Top 1 with the Most Improved Internal Quality Assurance, and Top 5 with the highest percentage of accredited programs among programs assessed by AACCUP from 1992 to 2019.
For the year 2020, PUP was recognized as Top 2 with the most number of programs granted Level 4 accredited status, and Top 3 with the most number of programs given Level 3 accredited status.
The annual conference with the theme, “Paradigm Shift in Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Responding to the Challenges of the New Normal,” is a three-day event that highlights the past year’s accomplishments of AACCUP and its member SUCs. It is also the avenue for the AACCUP to direct the path of Quality Assurance as the theme suggests. CHED Chair, Hon. J. Prospero “Popoy” E. De Vera III was the keynote speaker. He gave insights on the best practices that transpired during the pandemic. On the other hand, Lone District Representative of Baguio City, Hon. Marques Go, was invited to discuss the congressional initiatives concerning the challenges of the paradigm shift in QA. Moreover, CHED Commissioner Lilian A. De Las Llagas centered her talk on the roles of The Coordinating Council on Accreditation and CHED as they face the ‘new normal’.
Other invited speakers for the conference were Dr. Angela Hou Yung Chi, Professor & Associate Dean, College of Education, National Chengchi University, Taiwan Executive Director of Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan from 2016 to January 2021, and Dr. Conrado Inigo, Jr., Chairperson Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), to discuss Trends in Accreditation in the Asia-Pacific Region: Addressing Pandemic Academic Needs and Paradigm Shift of Accrediting Bodies in Quality Assurance, respectively.
PUP, Major Awards Recipient
With program accreditation as one of the top priorities of the University, PUP leaped big as it was able to return in the arena of champion SUCs. In the span of three years, the academic sector was able to rise and conquer the challenge of accreditation – submitting 70 and 73 programs in 2018 and 2019, respectively. With almost a hundred percent passing rate, the University soared high in 2019 when the fruits of love and labor out of the dedicated and determined executive officials, deans, directors, chairpersons, faculty, students, and other stakeholders paid off.
One of the notable accomplishments of the University in the last years is the submission of the PUP Branches for accreditation. There are now forty-two Level I accredited programs in the PUP Branches. It played a vital role in securing the top spot for Level I Accredited Programs in 2019.
Another special citation from the six awards is for the first time, PUP was able to rank in the highest number of Level IV Accredited Programs in 2020. This is meaningful as it is for two major reasons: one, Level IV is the highest level of accreditation; and two, the award was given during the pandemic. This was a trying time for the PUP Community, yet, being the light of the nation as PUP is, it never ceases to rise above challenges and even emerge as victor.
All these accolades can be attributed to the Most Improved Internal Quality Assurance Unit award which the Quality Assurance Center received back to back 2018 and 2019. With the guidance of President Manuel M. Muhi andunder the able leadership of QAC Director, Dr. Sanjay P. Claudio, the increase in program accreditation application and accreditation in 2018 and 2019, and supported by the administration in terms of budget allocation – from 6 million to 10 million in 2018 and 2019, and 13.7 million in 2020 – the quality assurance culture was put to place.
Chief of Quality Assurance for Branches and Campuses Mary Joy A. Castillo was also an awardee in the event. She ranked 6th Performing Accreditor (Active in Service Category) based on the number of Accreditation Visits made in 2019.
”To our Executive Committee led by our President, all the Deans, Chairs, Academic and Administrative officials, faculty members, staff, our beloved students and other stakeholders of the PUP Main and our 23 branches and campuses, Maraming Salamat po sa lahat ng pagod at sakripisyo. To my teammates in the QAC, thank you for the hard work and patience! Despite the many limitations and disruption brought by the pandemic, we found our way to come together and rise above the challenges. Surely, we accomplish more if we have each other’s back,” Dir. Claudio’s statement when asked about the recent AACCUP awards of PUP and QAC.
The year 2020 was rough and taxing as it had almost hampered the University in achieving set goals, not to mention the transition to a new leadership which transpired at the beginning of the year. But with the resilient, resourceful, determined, and dedicated workforce, PUP was able to pull it off and managed to receive these highly esteemed awards. The challenge of shifting from physical to virtual accreditation visit did not hinder the University to perform its best.
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