De La Salle University - Manila

PAASCU awards DLSU Level IV status

Hard work paid off. The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) recently awarded De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU-M) Level IV status. DLSU-M is the first university to be given the highest accreditation. This accreditation is awarded to institutions that excel in a broad area of academic discipline and enjoy prestige and authority comparable to that of international universities. PAASCU sees voluntary accreditation as “…the process whereby a school, which desires to go beyond the minimum standards required by DECS, assesses its goals and organization, its strengths and weaknesses by means of a self-survey.”

To measure its standard of quality, DLSU-M was thoroughly evaluated by a team of outside accreditors. In order to apply for Level IV accreditation status, DLSU-M complied with the rigid criteria set by PAASCU: (1) At least 75 percent of its programs must have attained Level III status for a minimum period of 10 years, i.e., two consecutive terms of five years each; (2) Excellent outcomes in research as seen in the number, scope, and impact of scholarly publications in refereed national and international journals; (3) Excellent outcomes in teaching and learning as proven in the performance of its graduates and alumni and the continuing assessment of student achievement; (4) Excellent outcomes in community service and the impact of its contributions to the economic and social upliftment, on both regional and national levels; (5) Evidence of international linkages and consortia; and, (6) Well developed planning processes which support quality assurance mechanisms.

In his State of the University Address on May 22, System President Brother Rolando Dizon, FSC, extended his congratulations to the assembled faculty. He said that he “…always believed that a university is only as good as its faculty….”