About PACUCOA

The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) is a private accrediting agency which gives formal recognition to an educational institution by attesting that its academic program maintains excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives. Objectives : 1. To identify schools whose competence and performance in a particular field warrant public and professional recognition. 2. To guide students in the choice of quality schools, colleges and universities that will meet their individual needs. 3. To help institutions of learning achieve maximum educational effectiveness through selfevaluation and self-discipline. 4. To enlist the cooperation of institutions of learning and professional associations in the mission of advancing the interest of education.

History of PACUCOA 1932 Founding of PACU (Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities) with accreditation as an internal policy. Publication of the first PACU Handbook of Rules and Standards of Approval and Accreditation of Private Schools and Universities to guide PACU schools in achieving excellence through self-evaluation of their educational programs in the light of their philosophy and objectives. Appointment of the first committee on accreditation by PACU; first Manual adopted. Establishment of the PACU Commission on Accreditation through a FAPE grant. Adoption of the 1967 PACUCOA Manual and Evaluative Instrument as working basis, with revisions. Signing by PACUCOA Board of directors of Constitution and By-Laws for submission to SEC, and eventual approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission of PACUCOA, Inc., as a non-stock, non-profit corporation under the laws of the Philippines. This marks the official separation of PACUCOA from PACU, which used to subsidize the PACUCOAs membership in FAAP. However, PACUCOA functions and operates as a private accrediting association, principally but not exclusively, for member schools of PACU. Original Incorporators : Alicia S. Bustos Feliciana A. Reyes Nieves A. Tality Julia V. Calixto

1953

1967 1973 1974

1988

Carmen G. Kanapi Amado C. Dizon Manuel D. Punzal Antonio Orendain III 2004 Grant to PACUCOA of full membership in the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) Socit Generale de Surveillance (SGS) and The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) Awards PACUCOA Certification for ISO 9001-2008 version.

2009

General Information

Accreditation is a concept of self-regulation which focuses on self-study and evaluation and on the continuing improvement of educational quality. It is both a process and a result. As a process, it is a form of peer review in which an association of schools and colleges establishes sets of criteria and procedures to encourage high maintenance of standards of education among its affiliate members. As a result, it is a form of certification granted by a recognized and authorized accrediting agency to an educational program or to an educational institution as possessing certain standards of quality which are over and above those prescribed as minimum requirements for government recognition. Accreditation is based upon an analysis of the merits of educational operations in the context of the institution's philosophy and objectives. Membership to PACUCOA is open to all schools that are able to meet the standards and requirements of the agency.

Basic Principles of Accreditation 1. Accreditation is based on accepted standards. Each school seeking accreditation will be surveyed and evaluated in terms of the appropriateness and adequacy of its philosophy and objectives and in terms of the degree and competence with which it achieves its goals. 2. Accreditation is concerned with the teacher-learner relationship. 3. Accreditation provides opportunities for institutional growth through self-study and evaluation and self-regulation. 4. Accreditation admits periodic review, criticism and readjustment of its criteria, policies and procedures to changes in education.

Characteristics of Accreditation 1. its prevailing sense of volunteerism; 2. its emphasis on empowerment of people to accomplish the business of the school/program in an excellent manner;

3. 4. 5. 6.

its strong tradition of self-regulation; its reliance on comprehensive evaluative techniques, its primary concern and passion for quality assurance and continuous improvement; its cultivation of a culture founded on organized orderliness, and adherence to greater efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.

Requirements for Accreditation To be accredited by an authorized accrediting agency, an educational institution must demonstrate that it satisfies the following requirements: 1. 2. 3. 4. it has formally adopted an appropriate vision and mission; it offers educational programs (or curricula) consistent with its vision and mission; it has a viable number of students actively pursuing courses at the time of evaluation; it has a charter or legitimate authority to award certificates, diplomas or degrees to each person who has successfully complied with the requirements of an educational program; 5. it has formally designated a chief executive officer or has formally organized and staffed a chief executive office; 6. it has a duly constituted governing board 7. it has documented its funding base, financial resources and plans for financial development, adequate to carry out its stated purposes; 8. it has financial statements that are externally audited on a regular schedule by a certified public accountant or agency; 9. it makes freely available to all interested persons accurate, fair, and substantially complete description of its program, activities and procedures; and 10. it has graduated at least three batches before the evaluation for accredited status.

Legal Bases of Accreditation in the Philippines In 1970, the Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) submitted policy recommendations to improve and strengthen higher education. Among others, it recommended that schools be encouraged to join or organize accrediting associations, and that a Federation of Accrediting Agencies (FAAP) be established. The Commission Report better known as the Integrated Reorganization Plan (IRP), was approved by President Marcos in his PD 201 and subsequently issued Presidential Decree 6-A, otherwise known as the Educational Development Act of 1972, making accreditation one of the means of upgrading standards of education in the Philippines and providing therein a program of financial assistance. Laws and regulations have been issued to articulate the governments policy on accreditation. BATAS PAMBANSA 232; R.A. 7722, Creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED): DepEd Order 32, s 2005; CHED Order 1, s 2005 and the 2008 Manual of Regulations for Private Schools, have stipulated voluntary accreditation as means of ensuring quality education.

PACUCOA Phases of Accreditation Accreditation consists of eight phases: First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth The consultancy visit The self-survey activities The preliminary visit (for Candidate Status) The formal visit (for level I Accredited Status) The re-accreditation visit (for level II reaccredited status) The level III phase (for level III reaccredited status) The level IV phase Institutional Accreditation phase

Accreditation Levels and Benefits Candidate Status Programs which have at least undergone a preliminary survey visit and are certified by FAAP as being capable of acquiring accredited status within one or two years. Benefits No special benefits

Level I/Level II: Accredited Status Programs which have at least been granted an initial accredited status by any of the member agencies of the FAAP, and whose status is certified by the latter.

Benefits a. full administrative deregulation, b. financial deregulation in terms of setting of tuition and other fees and charges c. authority to revise the curriculum without CHED approval d. priority in the awards of grants/subsidies or funding assistance from CHED/DEP ED.

LEVEL III: Reaccredited Status Programs which have been reaccredited and which have met the additional criteria or

Benefits a. all the benefits for level I/II

guidelines set by FAAP.

b. authority to offer new courses allied to existing level III courses without need for prior approval. c. privilege to offer new graduate programs d. privilege to offer open learning/distance education e. privilege to offer extension classes and transnational education

LEVEL IV: Accredited Status Programs which are highly respected as very high academic programs in the Philippines and with prestige and authority comparable to similar programs in excellent foreign universities.

Benefits a. all the benefits for level I,II and III b. Grant of full autonomy for the program for the duration of its Level IV accredited status. c. Authority to offer new graduate programs allied to existing Level IV courses, open learning/distance education and extension classes without need for prior approval by CHED provided that the concerned CHEDRO is duly informed.

PACUCOA policies and accreditation procedure

Since accreditation is a serious attempt to achieve a high degree of quality in the operations/administration of a program or a school, school heads administrators, faculty and staff are advised to take note of the policies and steps in the process. A. CONSULTANCY VISIT Policy Statements (1) Any school/program, including schools selected to try out a new survey instrument, will have to undergo a consultancy visit prior to undertaking the selfsurvey process. (2) A consultancy visit may be scheduled any time during the school year Procedures (1) Applicant institution/program submits a written request for consultancy visit, stating the date of the visit and the program(s) seeking accreditation. (2) PACUCOA schedules the visit and notifies the institution/program accordingly. (3) The institution/program convenes a representative group of the school community during the consultancy visit. The institution/program is given a period of one year within which to undergo a preliminary visit from the time the consultancy visit shall have been done.

B. SELF-SURVEY Policy Statements (1) No visit shall be scheduled by PACUCOA until a report is submitted on the compliance of the program with the recommendations during the consultancy visit. (2) Three (3) copies of the self-survey report for every program to be evaluated shall be submitted to the PACUCOA office thirty (30) days before the scheduled visit. Procedures (1) After the consultancy visit, the Survey Executive Committee of the applicant institution is formed to take charge of evaluating initially the program to be surveyed by examining the nine (9) sections/areas of concern: philosophy and objectives, faculty, instruction, library, laboratories, physical plant and facilities, student services, social orientation and community involvement, and organization and administration. (2) Using the criteria and standards specified in the appropriate Survey Instrument, the Survey Executive Committee and area/sections sub-committees analyze, evaluate and rate the main areas of concern. (3) A narrative report is prepared along with the accomplished self-survey ratings; these are submitted to PACUCOA. C. PRELIMINARY SURVEY VISIT Policy Statements (1) The submission of the Self-Survey Report is not in itself a go-signal for PACUCOA to send a team of accreditors for the preliminary survey visit. The applicant school is expected to make a formal request for the visit, including preferred dates of the visit. (2) During the preliminary visit, as in all other accreditation visits, the primary principle and premise under which the visit is based are the mission, philosophy and objectives of the school, as these throw light on the operations and implementation of the program(s) under survey. (3) In all survey visits, the principle of strict confidentiality and high level of professionalism is imposed on all accreditors. (4) All information about the process and the results of the survey visit shall be transmitted to the school concerned only and officially by the PACUCOA Chair/Office not later than 4 months after the conclusion of the visit. Procedures (1) Upon approval of the dates of the survey visit, the Chair of the Survey Executive Committee shall inform the academic community of the visit to generate maximum awareness and overall preparedness. (2) The Survey Executive Committee shall see to the readiness and availability of the following: 2.1 the accreditors' work headquarters, with adequate amenities and privacy; 2.2 the necessary exhibits and other evidences in support of the self-survey reports; 2.3 call slips for interview schedules; 2.4 Schedule of classes , syllabi, class registers and seat plans. (3) The team chair prepares the schedule of activities of the survey visit in consultation with the Survey Executive Committee chair upon arrival. The schedule usually includes an orientation meeting with the members of the Survey Executive Committee, dialogues with students, faculty, and the non-teaching staff, class observations, examination of exhibits, ocular visits of facilities and outreach projects and interviews.

(4) The team members conduct verification activities (5) The team prepares the accrediting report (6) The team conducts exit conference with the school administrators D. FORMAL VISIT Policy Statements (1) Request for this visit must be made six months prior to the expiration of the accredited status. (2) A self-survey report with ratings on the nine (9) areas/sections will have to be accomplished again and submitted along with the report on the actions taken on the recommendations of the previous accrediting team. Procedures (same as the preliminary visit) E. RE-ACCREDITATION SURVEY VISIT Policy Statements (1) Request for this visit must be made six months prior to the expiration of the accredited status. (2) A self-survey report and ratings on the nine (9) areas/sections will have to be accomplished again and submitted along with the report on the actions taken on the recommendations of the previous accrediting team. Procedures (same as the preliminary visit) F. LEVEL III ASSESSMENT Policy Statements (1) Level III reaccredited status is attained only after a school acquires level II reaccredited status and after it has complied with the mandatory and additional criteria for Level III reaccredited status. Procedures (1) The reaccredited program submits its application for Level III reaccredited status and proof of full compliance with the recommendations of the previous survey team. (2) PACUCOA Board of Directors reviews the schools reports and commissions a team to verify and evaluate the merits of the level III application. G. LEVEL IV ASSESSMENT f. LEVEL IV and FAAP-approved policies will be incorporated soon.

H. INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS f. The FAAP-approved Institutional Accreditation policies will be incorporated soon.