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PAASCU awards CS program Level III status

The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) recently awarded the Computer Science program of the College of Computer Studies (CCS) Level III status. The course is the first Computer Science (CS) program in the country to receive the accreditation -- the highest to date for CS programs.

As certified by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines, the Computer Science program satisfactorily met the standards and fulfilled all the requirements of the PAASCU for Level III status. The said certification is valid until May 2009.

With its Level III accreditation status, the College is entitled to full administrative and financial deregulation and curricular autonomy. Other benefits include priority in government subsidy for faculty development and in terms of available funding assistance for scholarships, library materials, laboratory equipment,and other development activities.

The CCS applied for the Level III status in July 2004. They submitted documentary evidence showing the College’s high standard of instruction as manifested by the quality of its teachers; extent of faculty and staff involvement in the school’s community extension programs; research activities; strong staff development tradition; and working consortia or linkages with other schools.

The College’s CS program is also the first Computer Science program that was given a PAASCU accreditation. It first earned its Level I and Level II accreditations in 1989 and 1993, respectively.

PAASCU is a private organization that accredits academic programs which meet commonly accepted standards of quality education. It was founded on December 2, 1957 and was officially recognized in November 1967 by the Bureau of Education and Culture (now the Department of Education) as an accrediting agency.

The criteria set by PAASCU are intended to serve as a guide for institutions as they strive for excellence and for accreditors as they assess institutional achievement. The standards reflect a realistic appraisal of the school’s resources and their efficient utilization to help the institution achieve its goals.