UST HAS kept the distinction of having the most number of programs accredited by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa) for the 10th straight year.
Pacucoa, which has so far accredited 48 programs in UST, gave the University five awards during its 31st general assembly on Dec. 4.
UST recorded the highest number of Level 4 re-accredited programs and candidate programs in the Philippines. It was also cited for having the first Level 3 re-accredited BS Entrepreneurship program in the National Capital Region.
Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Cheryl Peralta said the 10-year sweep was due to the efforts of all academic and support units, including the library, student services and administration.
“Collaborative work towards enhancing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses help us elevate our programs to greater heights,” Peralta told the Varsitarian.
Of the 48 accredited programs, 27 have a Level 4 accreditation, the highest in the five-level accreditation system of Pacucoa. Twelve programs were granted Level 3 accreditation.
Accreditation is a quality assurance process that checks whether a school complies with educational standards.
Criteria for accreditation include teaching and learning outcomes, research productivity, community service, linkages and consortia, career planning and student development, and planning process.
Peralta said the shift to remote instruction and work arrangements were not considered as the awards were based on the status of the programs before the pandemic.
Pacucoa has shifted to remote virtual accreditation. The College of Nursing has undergone the Level 4 reaccreditation process, whose results are expected to be out on Dec. 10.
