ALTHOUGH its re-accreditation for Level III status is still pending, the College of Science (Science) is setting its sight on a possible Level IV status, Science Dean Fortunato Sevilla III said.
According to Sevilla, level III is the highest status that a college can attain. However, the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) is looking into the possibility of adding the Level IV status.
The dean said he remains optimistic of the result of the re-accreditation as the accreditors recommended the College to apply for the higher status.
“The accreditors told us that we should apply for Level IV status (should the new status be realized), and we are looking to that,” Sevilla said.
However, if the new ruling would push through, the College would have to wait for five years before it could apply for the level IV status. Science still needs to comply with the requirements of the new status, which would include a second accreditation for level III.
For the Level III re-accreditation, Science needs to meet other requirements such as a reasonably high standard of instruction, highly visible community outreach, highly visible research community, and a working network with local and international institutions.
The College took a year of preparation to complete the requirements of the second re-accreditation, Sevilla said.
“I believe we have met all of these requirements satisfactorily,” he said.
Among the requirements, Sevilla takes pride of the Colleges high faculty profile. The College has surpassed the 90 per cent PACUCOA requirement with 92 per cent of its faculty, the highest in the University, having post graduate-degrees.
Sevilla said the College is geared for more in the succeeding years as his administration intends to give more focus on graduate and undergraduate research. He is also eyeing international linkages.
“I am looking into the possibility of having international (undergraduate) student exchanges in the future,” Sevilla said. April Dawn Jennifer C. Adriatico
