THE UNIVERSITY is now preparing for an institutional accreditation in which its proficiency and credibility as an institution of higher learning is determined through a review by the members of the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP). The evaluation will happen in November this year.

It can be recalled that AACCUP revisited MMSU in November last year and evaluated eight degree programs. These were: Master of Arts in Nursing, B Elementary Education, B Secondary Education, BS Agricultural Engineering which underwent fourth survey; BS Civil Engineering, third survey; BA English Language, second; and BS Business Administration and BS Hospitality Management, first survey. The last two programs were already given passing rating qualifying them for Level 1 survey which was conducted recently.

Prior to these, the university had undergone several program accreditations in the past years. In fact, 85 percent of the 54 total program offerings have been accredited; 20 of which are already on Level III reaccredited status.

In this institutional accreditation, however, the entire university will be assessed. It is a process by which the university should demonstrate to the public that it is fulfilling its mission to provide quality education through appropriate use of its resources and its adherence to the criteria established for all colleges and university in the country.

In a consultation forum held at the University Function hall on June 6, Dr. Manuel T. Corpus, AACCUP executive director, said MMSU will be evaluated as an entire educational organization in terms of its mission and the agency’s standards or criteria.

“Besides assessing formal educational activities, we will evaluate other areas such as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationship with internal and external constituencies,” Dr. Corpus said.

Accreditation is a process of assessing and upgrading the educational quality of higher education institutions in the country. It is a system of evaluation based on AACCUP standards, and a means of assuring and improving the quality of the institution’s programs. The process leads to a grant of accredited status and consequently national and even international recognition in terms of educational quality.

AACCUP is an active member of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies for Higher Education, and of the Asia Pacific Quality Network; thus, any positive rating given to MMSU by the agency will be of great impact in the promotion of the university’s programs worldwide.

Dr. Wilma Natividad, vice president for academic affairs, challenged the heads of all units that “we should have a shared vision toward this goal so that all our efforts will be geared toward this direction.”

Knowing the salient steps to take as the university prepares for this prestigious institutional accreditation status, Dr. Natividad said this consultation forum with Dr. Corpus “would save us from burden of stress brought about by the preparation of voluminous paper works, competition in the use of facilities and other resources, as well as the deadlines set by the AACCUP.”

“Institutional accreditation would demand higher passing standards than program accreditation, but we resolve to go through it because of its usefulness and relevance in matters of fund allocation, SUC leveling, and rationalization which translate into prestige and fulfillment of our mandate as higher educational institution,” she added.