Accreditation Press Release

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 democratic society 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. In general terms, this is accomplished by conducting a periodic review of the programs 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 the campus 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
programs that do not yet have sound academic and fiscal operation.
practices leading to quality
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 condition for 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 Quality Assurance 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 Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Master of Business Administration (MBA) Master of Educational Management (MEM) Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Master of Public Administration (MPA) Secondary Teacher Education Industrial Teacher Education Architecture Business Administration Industrial Technology Agriculture Accreditation Status Level III Re-accredited Level III Re-accredited Level III Re-accredited Qualified for Level III Qualified for Level III Qualified for Level III Qualified for Level III Qualified for Level III Qualified for Level III Candidate Level I Candidate Level I Candidate Level I Candidate Level I
Other academic programs of the University are also in the pipeline for accreditation.

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Accreditation .. The Way Forward By: Feliciano L. Bolisay, Jr. Ph.D.

practices leading to quality

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