4 programs undergo Level IV accreditation

After CMU became the first state university in Mindanao to pass institutional accreditation and be granted with AACCUP Level II ranking last year, the university this year continues to uphold the quality and standards of its programs by undergoing another accreditation process on March 19-23.

These programs are: BS Forestry; BS Secondary Education majors in Biology, English, Filipino, General Science, Mathematics, Physics and Physical Education; BS Home Economics majors in H.E. Education, Food Business Management (Food Services option and Food Processing option); and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

The said programs are being subjected to Level IV accreditation, the highest level granted by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), Inc.

Dr. Agapito Bayron Jr., chief of the university’s Quality Assurance Office, said: “It is common knowledge how difficult Level IV accreditation is…I hope that the four programs will meet the expectations of accreditors…and that we may be able to support the benchmark statements, showcase our linkages, high-caliber faculty [among others]…”

According to Dr. Danilo Hilario, VP for Planning, Research and Extension at the Bulacan State University and overall coordinator of the survey visit team, programs accredited with Level IV status are highly qualified academic programs in the Philippines with prestige comparable to those in excellent foreign universities.

But Dr. Hilario reminded everyone not to be pressured during the five-day survey visit.

“We are going to do just the normal thing in accreditation,” he said. “No need for tedious orientation because I consider your institution as one of the best, if not the best in this part of the region and in Mindanao because you have been hailed as one of the top performing institutions not only of the Commission of Higher Education but even in AACCUP in terms of the numbers of programs accredited in the various levels.”

Dr.  Marcelina O. Bahalla, team leader of the accreditors for the BS Secondary Education program, said that she expects the Local Task Force to be cooperative.

With her 18 years of experience as AACCUP accreditor, she expects that the programs under survey will have well-prepared supporting documents to make the accreditation run smoothly.

According to Dr. Rico Marin, dean of the College of Forestry and Environmental Science, that through this accreditation, the BS Forestry program will level up in terms of quality and excellence.

“We have done our best. All efforts have been delivered. We have done everything for this visit, [and] I hope we will succeed,” he said.

CFES was one of the four colleges that prepared for this accreditation. The rest were colleges of Human Ecology; Education; and Veterinary Medicine.

Fourteen AACCUP accreditors from different parts of the country were divided into four teams based on the programs under survey.

The accreditation team for the BS Forestry program is composed of Dr. Emerson V. Barcellano of Isabela State University (ISU), team leader; Dr. Oscar P. Cardena, ISU; Dr. Rodelyn M. Dalayap, Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU), and Dr. Winda B. Cejas of University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) who will evaluate the library criterion in all four programs.

For BS Secondary Education, the team is composed of Dr. Marcelina O. Bahalla of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) as the team leader with members Dr. Salome F. Sestina and Prof. Precy M. Regallado of MSU GenSan; and Dr. Romeo J. Redulla, Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST).

The BS Home Economics accreditation team is composed of Dr. Salome F. Sestina of MSU GenSan as the team leader with members Dr. Emmie M. Cabanlit, USeP; and Dr. Ava Clare Marie B. Robles, MSU GenSan.

And lastly, the team for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is composed of Dr. Criselda S. Battad of Benguet State University (BengSu) as the team leader with members Dr. Sanny J. Dangis of Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU); and Dr. Sonia S. Carbonell, Camarines Norte State College (CNSC). (IADalipe-Neri)