Oct. 27, 1:23 p.m. – The College of Science has obtained Level 4 accreditation, which means autonomy for academic programs for the next five years.
The accreditation status, granted by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities’ Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa), also authorizes the University to offer graduate programs related to the Level 4 courses of the college, as well as open learning or distance education and extension classes without prior approval from the Commission on Higher Education.
The announcement was made by the Psychology department through its twitter account @ustpsych yesterday.
The Varsitarian sought comment from the dean’s office and the College of Science Student Council, but they declined to give a statement “until [the college] receives the certificate.”
The College of Science is the first college in UST to receive Level 4 accreditation from Pacucoa. It was also the first in the University to get Level 3 status in 2006.
Accreditation procedures include consultancy visits, self-surveys, a preliminary survey visit, a formal visit, a re-accreditation survey visit, and assessments.
Accreditors examine the school’s philosophy and objectives, faculty, instruction, library, laboratories, physical plant and facilities, student services, social orientation, community involvement, and organization and administration.
Pacucoa, a private accrediting agency, gives formal recognition to a college or university by attesting that an academic program “maintains excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives.” B. D. Nicolas
I am so happy about the recent development in my alma mater. I graduated with a BS Biology degree from the UST College of Science in the mid 1980s and am presently teaching Biology and General Science here in North America. Having the autonomy or independence to create its own curricula for all the degree programs will greatly improve the education of our students. More important subjects that are specific to the degree programs will come. This will equip the students with more relevant knowledge which they can apply once they are already in graduate school, research, laboratory work, etc.. I am strongly in favor of a well-rounded education but in the case of the college of science, I personally think that there are too much cultural or minor subjects. Our dean and professor even told us during our Biology seminar class, “I agree with you. You have many subjects that should be removed.” But no one can defend its stand from the decision of Dept. of Education and this autonomy is a great leap. During my four years of study at the college, our BS Bio program was like BS General. We had so many minor subjects but less Biology classes. That improved in the years to come but there is still room for more.
It’s high time for the prestigious College of Science to stand as a pure institution of natural sciences. Its image as a liberal arts institution should have been a thing of the past many decades ago when the AB courses separated and joined the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters to become the Faculty of Arts and Letters. Perhaps it’s not a bad idea to add more courses like BS Molecular Biology, BS Environmental Science or make BS Psychology into BS Psychology and Neuroscience (there’s a program like this in some countries) to make it more clearly defined from AB’s Behavioral Science. Congratulations, good luck and more power to the College of Science of our very own University of Santo Tomas!