Any info about PAASCU?

[cebulad]

ano ba talaga ang PAASCU? when, why, and how ma-attain ang level status ng isang private school?
as we all know, DLSU s d only skul na nasa level 4 d b....

[criticguy]

PAASCU?
ok....

info from http://paascu.sphosting.com/index.htm

WHAT IS PAASCU?

PAASCU stands for Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities. It is a private, voluntary, non-profit and non-stock corporation which was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 2, 1957.
PAASCU is a service organization which accredits academic programs which meet commonly accepted standards of quality education.
In November 1967, the Bureau of Education and Culture (now the Department of Education, Culture and Sports) officially recognized PAASCU and endorsed its work as an accrediting agency.

How PAASCU Got its Start

First, the name. When educators are asked to unravel the acronym PAASCU, it is not unusual for them to begin by saying the Private Accrediting Association ….instead of Philippine Accrediting Association. This slip of the tongue is not far off the mark since most of the present member schools of PAASCU are in the private sector. But in the 1950s when the voluntary accreditation movement was in its infancy, representatives from both the private and the public sectors actively discussed the need for better accreditation. Moreover, it has never the public sector.

Why better accreditation?

Because accreditation in the sense of certification or government recognition had been practiced by the Bureaus of Public and Private Education (now united in one Department of Education Culture and Sports) for years. The aim of better accreditation, however, was to set up a standard of collegiate excellence which was higher than the minimum required by the Bureaus of Education.
Back in 1951 Dr. Daniel Salcedo, then Assistant Director of the Bureau of Private Schools, said that the government could not afford "better" accreditation. To maintain an adequate force of competent supervisors was too expensive. He added that the stupendous task of maintaining desirable standards in private schools cannot be and should not be (italics added) the job of the government alone." What was the solution? The private schools would accredit themselves through a system of voluntary accredition.
The Philippine Accrediting Association of Universities and Colleges
In a series of meetings held during the year 1951, the idea of voluntary accreditation was given fuller shape and substance in the guise of an organization called the Philippine Accrediting Association of Universities and Colleges (PAAUC). The ad interim Executive Board of the PAAUC was composed of Dr. Prudencio Langcauon (University of the East) as President; Fr. James J. Meany, S.J. (Ateneo de Manila) as Vice President; and Dr. Antonio Isidro (University of the Philippines) as Secretary.
From the beginning, PAAUC planned to accredit, not entire institutions, but rather individual courses or colleges- what we now call program accreditation. Also in the beginning, accreditation extended only to colleges of Liberal Arts, Commerce and Education. Another feature of the PAAUC plan was to express the greater number of criteria in qualitative rather than in quantitative terms. Likewise, it stressed the need of evaluating a college in terms of college's own objectives and purposes. Thus a college would be judged on the "total pattern" presented by it; failure to meet some of the individual criteria might be compensated for by superiority in other respects.
Just when PAAUC was already well on the way to the accreditation of pilots schools, however, a series of misunderstandings, too numerous to catalog here, derailed the whole movement.
Although Dr. Salcedo had originally suggested that the schools should take the lead and assist the Bureau of Education in the work of regulation and supervision - lest there be "a police state type of supervision," other Bureau officials felt that the initiative for the leadership in accreditation should emanate from the government rather than from the schools. As a result the Philippine Accrediting Association's plan of voluntary accreditation by the schools themselves was quietly laid to rest.
Voluntary Accreditation Redivivus
It was the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP)--with Bro. H. Gabriel Connon, F.S.C. as President--that revived the voluntary accreditation movement. In 1953 the CEAP secured permission from the Philippine Accrediting Association to use the criteria previously developed by the PAAUC. During the school year 1953-54 a number of Catholic colleges of Manila applied these criteria to their collegiate programs and reported that standards were attainable.
A CEAP Accreditation Committee met for the first time in the late 1954 resolving to revise the evaluative criteria by adding sections called Analysis and Evaluation, to determine procedures and to invite the Catholic colleges to apply for accreditation. After preparing survey forms and field testing these criteria in certain Manila Colleges, the CEAP drew up a Manual of Accrediting with self-survey forms for eight different areas:
1.Purposes and Objectives
2.Faculty
3.Instruction
4.Library
5.Laboratories
6.Physical Plant
7.Student Services
8.Administration

By November 1, 1957 eleven CEAP colleges had undergone an institutional self-survey and been visited by an outside accreditation team. These charter members of the first permanent accreditation association in the Philippines were:
·Ateneo de Manila University
·De La Salle University
·College of Holy Spirit
·Maryknoll College
·San Beda College
·St. Joseph's College (Q.C.)
·St. Paul College of Manila
·St. Scholastica's College
·St. Theresa's College (Cebu)
·St. Theresa's College (Manila)
·University of San Carlos
The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
But lest voluntary accreditation be perceived as restricted to Catholic and/or private schools or be in any way, accountable to the CEAP organization, these charter members wisely decided to establish a separate incorporated organization called the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities. Thus, the CEAP Accreditation Committee passed out of existence and PAASCU was born.
Separately incorporated in December 1957, PAASCU held its election of officers and Fr. James J. Meany, S.J became the first president. He held office until 1968 and was the driving force in the early and somewhat lean years. Fr. Meany was succeeded in 1968 by Bro. Paul Hebert, F.S.C. who served three terms from 1968 to 1973, 1975 to 1976, and 1983 to 1984. Dr. Felixberto Sta. Maria became president in 1977 and served until 1982. Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing assumed the presidency in 1984 and when she became Secretary of Education gave way to Dr. Sta. Maria, again. The current president of PAASCU, Dr. Ramon Reyes, was first elected to that office on 1987.

Voluntary Accreditation

For PAASCU, voluntary accreditation means the process whereby a school which desires to go beyond the minimum standards required by DECS, assesses its goals and organization, its strengths and weaknesses by means of self-survey. The school, then, voluntarily submits itself to evaluation by a team of outside accreditors. After passing through the successive stages of Preliminary Survey, Formal Survey and Re-Accreditation Survey--which corresponds to Levels I, II and III for purposes of DECS deregulation--the school can say that it has achieved the level of excellence and the standard of quality that voluntary accreditation intends to foster.

The Members of Accrediting Team

Who does the accrediting?

While there is a small but dedicated office staff who work in the 10th floor of the Aurora Towers in Cubao under the direction of Executive Director, Concepcion V. Pijano, the actual work of visiting and accrediting is done by more than 700 trained accreditors drawn from all three levels. Their transportation, board and lodging expenses are paid by the school being visited but otherwise they serve gratis et amore. Back in 1951, Dr. Vidal Tan, former president of the University of the Philippines, said the members of the team of accreditors must be persons "of sound judgment, of great experience and above all, of unquestioned integrity." Fr. Meany said that, in addition to those qualities, the spirit of generosity exhibited by the accreditors over the years was the greatest asset of PAASCU and the ultimate reason for its success.

What about the Charge of "Elitism"

Nor is PAASCU simply caught up in a numbers game. While the perception of the some in non-accredited schools is that the work of the PAASCU is an exercise in "elitism" or worse, a facade presented by a group of schools which constitute a large "mutual admiration society," the past years of self-surveys, team visits and reports indicate that PAASCU--through the voluntary accreditation movement--has been successful in stimulating the efforts of institutions to improve the standards of education at all levels and in all sectors of the country both urban and rural from Laoag to Jolo.
Moreover, if imitation be the sincerest form of flattery, PAASCU should feel flattered. In 1972, the Association of Christian Schools and Colleges formed its own accrediting association (ACSC-AA) even though some member schools began as and continue to be members of PAASCU. Like PAASCU, ACSC-AA accredits programs at the collegiate, secondary and elementary.
A third accrediting agency is the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities-Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA). Back in the early 50s, PACU was reluctant to join PAAUC but by 1973 they began the accreditation of collegiate programs and they are now some of the charter members of FAAP.
Federation of Accrediting Agencies
The growth of voluntary accreditation agencies encourage the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) to suggest that PAASCU together with ACSC-AA and PACU-COA form one federation to discuss accreditation matters. This led to the formation in 1977 of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippine (FAAP).
MECS Order 36 sought to take FAAP one step further and make it the "one single national (super) accrediting body." But since this move would have destroyed the autonomy of PAASCU, a special General Assembly was convened by then president Dr. Quisumbing. PAASCU's vigorous opposition played a decisive role in the defeat of this proposal. FAAP was restored to its former function of acting as an umbrella organization that does not itself accredit institutions, but certifies to the DECS those schools recommended by the three accrediting agencies.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ACCREDITATION?

The basic characteristics of accreditation are:
·its prevailing sense of volunteerism;
·its strong tradition of self-regulation;
·its reliance on evaluation techniques;
·its primary concern with quality.


WHY PRIVATE, VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION?

In general, all educational institutions in the Philippines go through one form of accreditation--"recognition by the government." Government recognition is, however, inadequate for purposes of identifying and determining educational quality. Thus, private voluntary accreditation provides the opportunity for an educational institution to attain standards above those prescribed as minimum requirements by the government.


WHAT ARE PAASCU'S STANDARD?

The Association does not impose arbitrary standards.
The survey forms developed by PAASCU identify principles and practices which are found in excellent institutions. The statements in the survey forms are more qualitative rather then quantitative. The Association does not have specific formulas to apply or particular patterns of organization to follow. The criteria and survey instruments are merely tools to help the school measure educational quality. They are intended to serve as a guide for institutions as they strive for excellence and for accreditors as they assess institutional achievement.
The standards reflect a realistic appraisal of the school's resources and their efficient utilization to help the institution achieve its goals.


HOW ARE THESE STANDARDS MEASURED?

Much emphasis is placed on the formulation of the school's purposes and objectives. Only when its goals are clear can the school discover the extent to which such purposes and objectives are being achieved.
Essential in the accreditation process is the self-survey made by an institution applying for accreditation. The self-survey is an analysis by its own staff of the institution's educational resources and effectiveness in relation to its own purposes and objectives.
PAASCU judges an institution not by comparison with other institutions but primarily by the degree to which each institution's own avowed purposes are matched by actual practice in the various areas being evaluated. Thus, a school is judged on the basis of the "total pattern" preserved by it.


WHAT AREAS ARE EVALUATED DURING THE SURVEY?

During the survey visits, the following areas are evaluated:
1.College/School Community Involvement
2.Faculty
3.Instruction
4.Library
5.Laboratories
6.Physical Plant
7.Student Services
8.Administration

On the grade school level, the area on laboratories (No. 5 above) is omitted; instead, Student Activity Program is added.


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROGRAM ACCREDITATION AND INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION?

"Program accreditation" refers to the accreditation of academic courses such as liberal arts, sciences, education, commerce, etc. PAASCU's policy extends accreditation by program. This means that individual courses of study, such as liberal arts, sciences, commerce and education are evaluated by PAASCU and given proper accreditation.
In contrast, "institutional accreditation" refers to the accreditation of the school, college or institutions as a whole. Under PAASCU policy, institutional accreditation is not undertaken by itself; only individual programs are accredited. Only when all the programs of an institution are accredited may that particular institution be considered an accredited institution under PAASCU policy.
PAASCU accreditation of a high school and a grade school is considered program accreditation.


WHICH PROGRAMS ARE ACCREDITED BY PAASCU?

On the college level, PAASCU accredits courses or programs in:
1.Liberal Arts/Sciences
2.Education
3.Commerce
4.Nursing
5.Engineering
6.Agriculture
7.Accountancy
8.Social Work
9.Medical Technology
10.Computer Science
11.Pharmacy
12.Radiologic Technology
13.Physical/Occupational Therapy
14.Interior Design/Fine Arts
15.Architecture
16.Hotel and Restaurant Management
17.Agribusiness

PAASCU began accreditation of secondary schools in 1965. The accreditation of elementary schools was started in 1971. Graduate school accreditation began in 1988.


WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP IN PAASCU?

The accreditation process consists of several stages, each one identified with a particular status of the institution applying for membership. Each of these stages has certain requirements and qualifications which are described in detail on pages 10-13 of this primer. The first category is applicant status, followed by candidate status, and followed finally by member status.


HOW ARE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CLASSIFIED BY DECS?

For purposes of progressive deregulation and the grant of other benefits, CHED Order No. 31 s. 1995 (Policies on Voluntary Accreditation in Aid of Quality and Excellence in Higher Education) classifies educational programs into:
1.Level 1: Applicant Status - "Institutions/programs which have undergone a preliminary survey and are capable of attaining accredited status within one or two years."
2.Level II: Accredited Status - "Institutions/programs which have undergone a formal accreditation and have been granted initial accreditation set by FAAP for this level."
3.Level III: Re-accredited Status - "Institutions/programs which have been accredited and which have met the additional criteria set by FAAP for this level."
4.Level IV: Re-accredited Status - "Institutions/programs which have distinguished themselves in a broad area of academic discipline and enjoy prestige and authority comparable to that of international universities."


WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES FOR THE VARIOUS LEVELS?

The following benefits for the different accreditation levels shall be provided:

Level I
1.Partial Administrative Deregulation
Exemption from compliance with prescribed administrative operational requirements, such as need for approval of class and teacher's programs, trimestral or semestral submission of enrolment lists, and reports of promotion of students. Form IX may also be submitted without the previously required documents and authority to grant teaching overload in meritorious cases.

Level II
1.Full administrative deregulation, provided that reports of promotion of students and lists of graduates are available for review by CHED at all times.
2.Financial deregulation in terms of setting of tuition and other school fees and charges.
3.Partial curricular autonomy which shall include the authority to revise the curricula without CHED approval provided that CHED and Professional Regulation Commission minimum requirements and guidelines, where applicable, are complied with and the revised curriculum is submitted to CHED Regional Offices.
4.Authority to graduate students from accredited courses or programs of study in the levels accredited without prior approval of the CHED and without need for Special Orders.
5.Priority in terms of available funding assistance for scholarships library materials, laboratory equipment and other development activities.
6.Priority for government subsidy for faculty development.
7.Right to use on its publications or advertisements the word "ACCREDITED" pursuant to CHED policies and rules.
8.Limited visitation, inspection and /or supervision by CHED supervisory personnel or representatives.

Level III
1.All the benefits for Level II.
2.Full curricular deregulation, including the authority to offer new courses allied to existing Level III courses, without need for prior approval provided that CHED, through the appropriate Higher Education Regional Office (HERO), is duly informed before offering such new programs.

Level IV
1.All the benefits for Levels II and III.
2.Award of grants/subsidies from the Higher Education Development Fund for programs of qualified tertiary educational institutions for the period or duration of each level IV accredited status as approved by the CHED, in accordance with the HEDF Guidelines.
3.Grant of charter or full autonomy for the duration of its Level IV accredited status of the institution.


ARE THERE OTHER ADVANTAGES?

Yes. Membership in PAASCU:
1.Gives the institution and its faculty a sense of direction based on a clearer self-image.
2.Facilitates transfer of students.
3.Provides guidance for parents and students in the choice of worthy schools.
4.Lends prestige for member schools, justified by the possession of quality standards and the unremitting effort to maintain them at a high level.


ARE MEMBER SCHOOLS ENTITLED TO ANY SERVICES?

Yes. The following services are available to members schools:
1.Consultancy services: PAASCU makes available to institutions its accreditation consultancy services to assists them in their institutional self-survey process and in their preparation for survey visits.
2.Complementary assistance to institutional programs: Complementing the institution's own efforts at upgrading academic standards and in-service for administrative personnel, PAASCU organizes various training seminars, workshops and conferences in such areas as Instruction, Library Services, Student Personnel Services, Administration, College and Community Involvement.
3.Liaison and cooperation with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the Commission on Higher Education: PAASCU seeks to assist members in identifying areas of liaison and cooperation with DECS and CHED Regional Offices.

The Accreditation Process

APPLICANT STATUS

An educational institution committed to institutional self-improvement through the guidance of PAASCU may request to become an Applicant Institution.
1.Requirements:
oApplication letter from the President or Director of the Institution, addressed to the PAASCU Board of Directors.
oDECS/CHED Certificate of Recognition.
oSubmission of the documents supporting the institution's case for acceptance should include the institution's objectives, history, organizational structure and by-laws, principal administrators, number of faculty members, number of students and any other materials/brochures/manuals/publications.
oPayment of an application fee.
2.Terms and Conditions
oApplication status is granted for a maximum period of three (3) years, except when extended by specification of the Board of Directors.
oWritten Annual Progress Report, briefly outlining the progress of the institution in specific areas, is due on or before the first week of May.
3.PAASCU's Actions and Responsibilities
oFormal acceptance as an Applicant Institution.
oAssistance through School Improvement Program and Consultancy Services.
oReview of the Annual Progress Report by the Commission concerned (Graduate School, Higher Education, Secondary Education or Elementary Education.)

CANDIDATE STATUS

The candidate status is granted to institutions which have completed their preliminary surveys and are preparing for initial accreditation. Candidacy is not accreditation and does not assure eventual accreditation. It is and indication that an institution is progressing toward accreditation.
1.Requirements
oCompletion of a Preliminary Survey.
oImplementation of the recommendations of the Preliminary Survey team.
oCompletion of an Institutional Self- Survey using the PAASCU survey forms.
oSubmission of the accomplished self-survey at least one (1) month prior to the Formal Survey visit.
2Terms and Conditions
oCandidate status is granted by the Board of Directors until such time that the institution meets the requirements of a Member Institution.
oThe institution should implement the recommendation of the preliminary survey team.
3PAASCU's Actions and Responsibilities
oConsultancy services, particularly during the Institutional Self-Survey process, are made available.
oScheduling of a Formal Survey Visit upon request of the institution.

MEMBER STATUS

A Candidate Institution which has fulfilled the requirements of accreditation maybe granted Member Status.
1.Requirements
oThe Institution should receive a favorable rating during a Formal Survey Visit conducted by a PAASCU Accrediting Team.
oThe Institution should strive to implement the recommendations of the Formal Survey Team.
oPayment of the membership fee.
2.Terms and Conditions
oFavorable evaluation by a PAASCU Formal Team leads to the granting of accreditation for a period of three (3) years. With this, the institution becomes a full member of the Association. At the end of the initial three-year accreditation period, the school undergoes another self-evaluation. It then applies for re-accreditation. If the second formal visit is favorable, then accreditation is awarded for a period of five years.
3.PAASCU's Actions and Responsibilities
oConsultancy services to strengthen the areas needing improvement.
oAssistance through school improvement program and services.
oContinued liaison with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the Commission on Higher Education.
PAASCU's objectives
1.To stimulate and integrate the efforts of institutions to elevate the standards of education in the Philippines, in both rural and urban areas.
2.To strengthen the capabilities of the educational institutions for service to the nation.
3.To identify educational institutions which meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality.
4.To encourage and assist institutions which have the potential and interest to improve themselves through continuing evaluation and self-surveys.
5.To provide counsel and assistance to established and developing institutions and programs.
6.To provide a basis for institutional relationships, particularly in the transfer of students.
7.To provide guidance to students and parents in the choice of institutions and programs.
8.To attract financial aid from government and other sources for accredited programs and schools applying for accreditation.

Why Work for Accreditation?

School administrators frequently ask: "why should my school be accredited by PAASCU?" The implied question is "What is in it for us?" The best answer--lofty though it may sound is that "quality education is its own best reward."
It is the common experience of schools that have undergone a self-survey and made preparations for a visit by a PAASCU accreditation team that much more than prestige is at stake. To get a significant number of the faculty working together on a common academic enterprise begins by making individuals articulate the goals of the school. It ends, however, by having the faculty as a group share a sense of direction based on a clearer self-image. Often the faculty takes a more active ownership of the school's mission and is prepared to plan for the future based upon a common understanding of academic, rather than utilitarian, imperatives. That is no small achievement!
Moreover, because the 225 schools accredited by PAASCU have, by means of the voluntary accreditation, improved in quality, they have tended like the "leaven in the loaf" to improve the quality of education in the entire region or province where they are located.

How does PAASCU go about its mission to ensure quality education?

PAASCU accreditors evaluate the performance of a school according to the school's own stated vision, mission and objectives, and certain basic standards set by PAASCU.
An applicant school goes through a self-survey where it measures itself and the different components of its system against its own stated mission, vision and objectives, and the standards set by the association. These include: community involvement, faculty, instruction, library, laboratories, physical plant, student services, and administration.
After the self-survey which takes an average of six months to one year, the school goes through a preliminary survey. A team from PAASCU is invited to evaluate the school and make recommendations to the PAASCU Board. If the requirements are met, the school becomes a candidate for accreditation. Then it must go through another self-survey, after working on the recommendations made by the pre-survey team.
Another survey team, this time called the Formal Survey Team visits the school. If the results of the formal visit are favorable, the school is awarded initial accreditation for three years, after which it must undergo another survey. The entire process, which is governed by strict confidentiality, takes two to three days.
After the second survey, the school may be given an accreditation status of five years. Before the end of the five year period, the school goes through another self-survey followed by peer evaluation.

In PAASCU, the quest for excellence is a constant effort.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is:
·a concept based on self-regulation which focuses on evaluation and the continuing improvement of educational quality.
·a process by which institutions or programs continuously upgrade their educational quality and services through self-evaluation and the judgment of peers.
·a status granted to an educational institution or program which meets commonly accepted standards of quality or excellence.

Why have Philippine schools pursued accreditation with such passion these past four decades?

Accreditation is a mechanism to ensure quality in an educational system, a means by which schools acquire a seal of approval from peers in the academic world.
Accreditation of educational institutions has become a worldwide trend, an imperative in a highly competitive world.
Schools, colleges and universities realize that they are part of a larger society--their immediate communities, the country, the world--to which they must be answerable for the caliber of their graduates. They must respond to the needs not only to their students but of other stakeholders in education--parents, employers, the academe, the nation, the global village. These stakeholders have their own expectations of what a good graduate is, and how relevant his or her skills are.
Visiting a school as colleagues engaged in the same search for excellence, PAASCU's volunteer accreditors assess the viability and relevance of the offerings, and critique the quality of its instruction. They evaluate its physical and other resources in relation to its program offerings.
PAASCU believes that education is a stimulus for the development of society and the progress of the economy. It therefore sees to it that the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes acquired in our private schools match the real needs of the country.

.................. nothing follows.