PAASCU reviews accreditation criteria

Members of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU), among them De La Salle University-Manila, studied the emerging paradigms for quality improvement and made their recommendations during the PAASCU General Assembly last August 24 at Casino Español de Manila.

The gathering also served as venue for the election of the PAASCU Board of Directors, the body that would push for the realization of the association’s plans and programs. These plans include the creation of a proposal to reformulate accrediting standards and processes consistent with international practices.

Two La Salle officials reelected to the Board of Directors were Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, De La Salle University-Manila executive vice president and Brother Jun Erguiza, FSC, superintendent of Lasallian Schools Supervision Office. Both were elected to the Board for the third consecutive term, with each term limited to three years.

Quebengco said the proposal to improve accrediting standards led to the discussion on the integration of output-oriented criteria in the evaluation or assessment of the school. She explained that the proposal was to find better ways to gauge the quality of graduates based on areas like the graduates’ records in board exams, their work success, and other personal achievements.

Schools need to pay attention to their output to be able to answer the needs of the industry, as well as meet the expectations of both parents who invest on their children’s education, Quebengco said.

PAASCU would also look into a recommendation to revise the 1995 Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Order on Voluntary Accreditation to clarify and differentiate the roles of the entities comprising the quality assurance system for higher education. This proposal aims to avoid the overlap of functions
of agencies like the CHED, the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS), and Philippine Regulatory Board (PRC).

PAASCU would also push for a review of the Levels of Accreditation to allow for progression from one level to the next. Quebengco said at present, it takes about 9-10 years to get from Level 2 to Level 3. The proposal is to have it shortened to about 8 years. Another proposal is to allow accreditation per entire institution; the current accreditation practice is only per program.

Another PAASCU recommendation seeks to develop the capability of accrediting agencies to use technology in managing their workload. This will involve the maintenance of websites to serve as source of information on schools and program.

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