8/3/2019 Accreditation Press Release

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Accreditation ….. The Way Forward

By: Feliciano L. Bolisay, Jr. Ph.D.

Director, University Program Accreditation

Throughout its history, higher education has always played an important role in

Philippine society. While the major contributions to the larger society have changed over time,higher education has always enjoyed the status of self-governance. As a part of the social

contract with the larger society, higher education has built its reputation and role in a democraticsociety on the principle of the necessity of autonomy and academic freedom. Accreditation is

one manifestation of this position, since it serves as a mechanism for peers, to judge the worth,

value and merit of the academe.

Accreditation is a status granted to an academic institution or program that meets

established criteria of educational quality. The purpose of accreditations is to assure program

quality and assist in program improvement. Accredited programs have undergone a rigorous process of self assessment and peer review and have met standards established by the profession

itself as essential to prepare graduates for competence in entry level positions in the field. Ingeneral terms, this is accomplished by conducting a periodic review of the program’s vision,mission, goals and objectives; faculty; curriculum and instruction; support to students; research;

extension and community involvement; library; physical plant and facilities; laboratories and

administration.

Accreditation in higher education is a collegial process based on self and peer 

assessment for public accountability and improvement of academic quality. An accreditation of 

an academic program or an entire institution typically involves three major activities:

• The faculty, administrators, and staff of the institution or academic program conduct a

self study using the accrediting association's set of expectations about quality (standards,criteria) as their guide.

• A team of peers selected by the accrediting association reviews the evidence, visits thecampus to conduct interview, observations and documentation review and writes a report

of its assessment including a recommendation to the commission of the accrediting

association.

• Guided by a set of expectations about quality and integrity, the commission (a group of 

 peer faculty and professionals) reviews the evidence and recommendation, makes a judgment, and communicates the decision to the institution and other constituencies if 

appropriate together with recommendations to continuously improve the program.

The importance of accreditation can be viewed in terms of its three pivotal roles, briefly

describe as follows:

1. Sustains and enhances the quality of higher education. Accreditation serves as a focal point for establishing a culture of quality in colleges and universities. It serves as a

gatekeeper for assuring a threshold level of quality when identifying institutions and

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 programs that do not yet have sound academic and fiscal practices leading to quality

operation.

2. Maintains the academic values of higher education. Accreditation reinforces academic

values of higher education such as institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and

collegial governance. Emphasis is on a mission-based approach to quality review, strong

support for the authority of faculty in all academic matters, a collegial process of peer review, and models the value of shared governance.

3. Serves public interest and need. Accreditation is a significant factor for students and

families when selecting a college, university, or program; governments require accredited

status when granting additional institutional aid; employers require that new employees

 provide evidence of graduation from accredited institutions and programs as a conditionfor hiring; and employers require that employees attend accredited institutions and

 programs as a condition for financial support for additional education.

The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST), as a state university is

 being accredited by Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities (AACCUP), Inc.which was established in 1987 which is a member of the National Network of QualityAssurance Agencies (NNQAA). Since 1996, NEUST has subjected its various academic

 programs for accreditation. As of today, these programs have attained different accreditation

status summarized as follows:

Academic Programs Accreditation Status

Civil Engineering Level III Re-accredited

Electrical Engineering Level III Re-accredited

Mechanical Engineering Level III Re-accredited

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Qualified for Level III

Master of Educational Management (MEM) Qualified for Level III

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Qualified for Level III

Master of Public Administration (MPA) Qualified for Level III

Secondary Teacher Education Qualified for Level III

Industrial Teacher Education Qualified for Level III

Architecture Candidate – Level I

Business Administration Candidate – Level I

Industrial Technology Candidate – Level I

Agriculture Candidate – Level I

Other academic programs of the University are also in the pipeline for accreditation.