By Jeaneth Panti, Jane Tricia Cruz and Eruel Geronimo
Striving to serve quality education to students, different colleges in Bulacan State University (BulSU) are now preparing to pass the areas offered by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered College and University of the Philippines (AACUP) for the upcoming accreditation this August.
Eight college programs are now accredited by AACUP and continues to enhance their levels namely: College of Education (CoEd), College of Engineering, College of Information Technology (CIT) and College of Architecture and Fine Arts’ (CAFA) Architecture program on Level III; College of Information and Communications Technology (CICT), College of Science, College of Home Economics on Level II; and College of Nursing and CAFA’s Fine Arts program on Level l.
The College of Arts and Letters (CAL), College of Social Science and Philosophy (CSSP), College of Criminal Justice Education, College of Business Administration (CBA) and College of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (COPERS) on the other hand will begin their journey to reach the first level of accreditation through preparations of documents, facilities and even the curriculum.
“The college or the university is able to check if the program has met certain benchmark of standard,” CSSP Dean Reynaldo Naguit said as he explained the importance of accreditation.
Because of the assurance of quality education to students brought about by being an accredited college, the university through its college deans strives to further improve their level.
The process
An evaluation instrument (aide memoire) serves as the accreditors’ guide to decide if a certain college will pass the accreditation.
“Hindi lang classrooms and laboratories [ang inihahanda]. Una, vision, mission, goals. Kinakailangan naka-display so students should be well-informed, not only students but also different stake holders. Is the curriculum relevant to the present times and passed to the needs of the students?” explained CICT Dean Dr. Fausto Hilario.
Preparation before the evaluation aims to meet the criteria set by AACUP in order to pass the accreditation. This includes the college’s mission, goals and objectives, faculty, curriculum and instruction, students, research, extension and community involvement, library, physical facilities, laboratories and administration.
Hilario then related the difficulties faced by colleges during evaluation. He said that preparations may take months or even years to get fully equipped, yet the hardest part is convincing the accreditors to accept accreditation.
On the other hand, colleges are now preparing for the next stage of their accreditation process.
“Talagang we make sure every day or weekly talaga na makita namin [ang dapat ayusin]. Then, nagkakaroon kami ng emergency meeting. I talk the body na i-discuss that we have the accreditation then nag-assign na ko, then from sa original na task force nabago na naman,” stated CBA Dean Helen Baesa.
According to CAL professor Yolanda Villavicencio, faculty members also have roles on the process to further improve the level of their own colleges.
“The teachers are the ones na nag-aayos ng documents and we are prepared for whatever questions they give us,” said Villavicencio.
Moreover, unaccredited colleges defended themselves and assured their future actions to achieve the first level.
“Bata pa naman ang ating kolehiyo [CAL]. Saka ngayon pa lang [tayo] nakapagpa-graduate,” Dean Victor Ramos of CAL reasoned out.
Likewise, accredited colleges remain hopeful in further improving their level.
Accreditation issues
“No’ng nag-accreditation, napaka-generous ng college namin, ‘yong tipong lahat sagot nila ‘pag may activity, tapos naging ayos ‘yong rooms, naglalabasan mga gamit na no’n lang naming nakita. Pagkatapos no’n, wala na,” lamented a BulSUan who refused to give his identity.
Some BulSUans sees accreditation as a ‘short-length show’ impressing accreditors with sudden development and immediately fades afterwards.
But Naguit denied the allegations and explained that colleges must be prepared all the time and continue developing themselves even without the accreditation.
“The thing is, the college, since the very beginning must be able to produce, to prepare the documents, not necessarily needed for accreditation, but the documents must be there for the smooth operation, offering of the program, the college must be ready for the very beginning and accreditation is just part of the preparation of the college. I mentioned a while ago that the policies, programs, putting up of facilities must be institutionalized from the very beginning.”
Also, despite being high-leveled colleges, students still find their facilities insufficient. For junior education student Angelica Quinto, problems are still present despite her college’s Level III status. “May computer pero hindi ipinapagamit, ‘di namin alam kung bakit. May computer lab pero ‘di sapat sa estudyante.”
“Siguro sa classrooms, like us, fourth year, nagka-klase kami sa Roxas Hall kasi ‘di na kami ma-accommodate, dumarami ang students, yet, ‘yong rooms ganoon pa rin. Library, ‘di gaanong nagpa-function. Sa’n ka nakakita ng library na may nagkaklase? Okay naman siya kaso sana ma-improve pa,” added KC Salazar, Broadcasting student.
In defense, CoEd Dean Dr. Luzviminda Tantoco answered, “’Yong facilities base doon sa kanilang [accreditors] standards, sa instruments na ginagamit e okay naman. Pasado naman tayo sa facilities. Kaya nga lang sobra sa dami ang estudyante natin kaya masasabi siguro n’yo na parang kulang ang facilities.”
BulSU President Mariano de Jesus then told Pacesetter that students must learn how to appreciate the things the university provides instead of looking for the ones the university haven’t given yet.
“I do not really know ano ba ‘yong facilities [na kulang], kasi kung ini-expect nila na 100% perfect na perfect, it is impossible. Ang tinitingnan lang kasi nila [students] ay ‘yung hindi nila nakikita, ang tinitingnan nila ‘yong hinahanap nila,” de Jesus ended.
Striving to serve quality education to students, different colleges in Bulacan State University (BulSU) are now preparing to pass the areas offered by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered College and University of the Philippines (AACUP) for the upcoming accreditation this August.
Eight college programs are now accredited by AACUP and continues to enhance their levels namely: College of Education (CoEd), College of Engineering, College of Information Technology (CIT) and College of Architecture and Fine Arts’ (CAFA) Architecture program on Level III; College of Information and Communications Technology (CICT), College of Science, College of Home Economics on Level II; and College of Nursing and CAFA’s Fine Arts program on Level l.
The College of Arts and Letters (CAL), College of Social Science and Philosophy (CSSP), College of Criminal Justice Education, College of Business Administration (CBA) and College of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (COPERS) on the other hand will begin their journey to reach the first level of accreditation through preparations of documents, facilities and even the curriculum.
“The college or the university is able to check if the program has met certain benchmark of standard,” CSSP Dean Reynaldo Naguit said as he explained the importance of accreditation.
Because of the assurance of quality education to students brought about by being an accredited college, the university through its college deans strives to further improve their level.
The process
An evaluation instrument (aide memoire) serves as the accreditors’ guide to decide if a certain college will pass the accreditation.
“Hindi lang classrooms and laboratories [ang inihahanda]. Una, vision, mission, goals. Kinakailangan naka-display so students should be well-informed, not only students but also different stake holders. Is the curriculum relevant to the present times and passed to the needs of the students?” explained CICT Dean Dr. Fausto Hilario.
Preparation before the evaluation aims to meet the criteria set by AACUP in order to pass the accreditation. This includes the college’s mission, goals and objectives, faculty, curriculum and instruction, students, research, extension and community involvement, library, physical facilities, laboratories and administration.
Hilario then related the difficulties faced by colleges during evaluation. He said that preparations may take months or even years to get fully equipped, yet the hardest part is convincing the accreditors to accept accreditation.
On the other hand, colleges are now preparing for the next stage of their accreditation process.
“Talagang we make sure every day or weekly talaga na makita namin [ang dapat ayusin]. Then, nagkakaroon kami ng emergency meeting. I talk the body na i-discuss that we have the accreditation then nag-assign na ko, then from sa original na task force nabago na naman,” stated CBA Dean Helen Baesa.
According to CAL professor Yolanda Villavicencio, faculty members also have roles on the process to further improve the level of their own colleges.
“The teachers are the ones na nag-aayos ng documents and we are prepared for whatever questions they give us,” said Villavicencio.
Moreover, unaccredited colleges defended themselves and assured their future actions to achieve the first level.
“Bata pa naman ang ating kolehiyo [CAL]. Saka ngayon pa lang [tayo] nakapagpa-graduate,” Dean Victor Ramos of CAL reasoned out.
Likewise, accredited colleges remain hopeful in further improving their level.
Accreditation issues
“No’ng nag-accreditation, napaka-generous ng college namin, ‘yong tipong lahat sagot nila ‘pag may activity, tapos naging ayos ‘yong rooms, naglalabasan mga gamit na no’n lang naming nakita. Pagkatapos no’n, wala na,” lamented a BulSUan who refused to give his identity.
Some BulSUans sees accreditation as a ‘short-length show’ impressing accreditors with sudden development and immediately fades afterwards.
But Naguit denied the allegations and explained that colleges must be prepared all the time and continue developing themselves even without the accreditation.
“The thing is, the college, since the very beginning must be able to produce, to prepare the documents, not necessarily needed for accreditation, but the documents must be there for the smooth operation, offering of the program, the college must be ready for the very beginning and accreditation is just part of the preparation of the college. I mentioned a while ago that the policies, programs, putting up of facilities must be institutionalized from the very beginning.”
Also, despite being high-leveled colleges, students still find their facilities insufficient. For junior education student Angelica Quinto, problems are still present despite her college’s Level III status. “May computer pero hindi ipinapagamit, ‘di namin alam kung bakit. May computer lab pero ‘di sapat sa estudyante.”
“Siguro sa classrooms, like us, fourth year, nagka-klase kami sa Roxas Hall kasi ‘di na kami ma-accommodate, dumarami ang students, yet, ‘yong rooms ganoon pa rin. Library, ‘di gaanong nagpa-function. Sa’n ka nakakita ng library na may nagkaklase? Okay naman siya kaso sana ma-improve pa,” added KC Salazar, Broadcasting student.
In defense, CoEd Dean Dr. Luzviminda Tantoco answered, “’Yong facilities base doon sa kanilang [accreditors] standards, sa instruments na ginagamit e okay naman. Pasado naman tayo sa facilities. Kaya nga lang sobra sa dami ang estudyante natin kaya masasabi siguro n’yo na parang kulang ang facilities.”
BulSU President Mariano de Jesus then told Pacesetter that students must learn how to appreciate the things the university provides instead of looking for the ones the university haven’t given yet.
“I do not really know ano ba ‘yong facilities [na kulang], kasi kung ini-expect nila na 100% perfect na perfect, it is impossible. Ang tinitingnan lang kasi nila [students] ay ‘yung hindi nila nakikita, ang tinitingnan nila ‘yong hinahanap nila,” de Jesus ended.