UST has been renewed as an autonomous institution by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), extending the status the University has enjoyed since 2002 for another three years.
CHEd granted autonomous status to UST and 76 other private higher education institutions (HEIs) under Memorandum Order 7, signed by Chairman Prospero de Vera III on Sept. 16.
UST’s autonomous status is valid until Sept. 17, 2027. The grant followed the evaluation period from July 1, 2019 to Sept. 15, 2023.
With the renewed status, the University can continue launching new undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate programs in its areas of expertise without prior approval from CHEd.
Other benefits of HEIs granted autonomous status are:
- exemption from the issuance of Special Order for its graduates;
- freedom from regular monitoring and evaluation by CHEd;
- priority in the grant of subsidies and other financial incentives or assistance from the CHEd whenever funds are available;
- privilege to determine and prescribe curricular programs to achieve global competence;
- privilege to establish branch or satellite campuses without securing government authority from CHEd; and
- authority to grant honorary degrees to those deserving, considering pertinent provisions of existing CHEd rules.
CHEd evaluated HEIs based on their commitment to program excellence, instructional quality, scholarly work, community engagement, and institutional achievements.
Factors considered in the evaluation included the proportion of accredited programs, the number of Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development designated by CHEd, and international certifications obtained by the HEI.
UST has 18 undergraduate programs certified by the Asean University Network Quality Assurance, 13 Centers of Excellence, and 13 Centers of Development.
Meanwhile, 15 HEIs were granted deregulated status, a tier below autonomous status.
CHEd acknowledged that some HEIs struggled to meet the evaluation criteria and requirements due to challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As these institutions transition from the pandemic to a state of normalization, these circumstances have been taken into consideration,” it said.
“However, it is crucial for these institutions to achieve exemplary performance with the requirements of the grant for the renewal of their status once the current validity period expires,” it added.
