Building excellence through accreditation

What makes a university a provider of quality education? Beyond classrooms, curricula, and academic credentials, quality education is about ensuring that students receive an educational experience that prepares them to succeed, contribute to society, and thrive in a competitive world.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), through CMO No. 46, s. 2012, describes quality education from three perspectives: fitness for purpose, exceptional standards, and transformative impact.

Fitness for purpose means that a university's programs, systems, and educational outcomes are aligned with its vision, mission, and goals. Quality begins with a clear sense of purpose and a commitment to ensuring that what the institution intends to achieve is reflected in the experiences and outcomes of its students.

Quality is also exceptional. It is demonstrated through the high standards that an institution sets for its academic programs, teaching and learning processes, student services, facilities, research, community engagement, and other institutional practices. These standards provide a framework for the university to consistently evaluate its performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Most importantly, quality education is transformative. It is reflected in how an institution contributes to the development of its students and graduates. This transformation can be seen through educational outcomes such as academic achievement, degree completion, performance in professional licensure examinations, employability, and meaningful contributions to communities and society.

Commitment to quality

One of the ways higher education institutions (HEIs) demonstrate their commitment to quality is through institutional and program accreditation. In the Philippines, accrediting organizations such as Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) and the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities provide external mechanisms for evaluating the quality of HEIs and their programs.

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Accreditation is more than receiving a certificate or achieving a particular level. It is a rigorous process of reflection, evaluation, peer review, and continuous improvement. Institutions examine their own practices and outcomes, present documentary evidence, and undergo external evaluation against established standards. Accrediting teams review different dimensions of institutional performance, including administration and governance, curriculum, teaching and learning, facilities and resources, research, community extension, linkages, and educational outcomes. Through this process, universities are encouraged not only to demonstrate what they have accomplished but also to identify areas where they can do better.

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Last Oct. 1 and 2, PACUCOA visited Far Eastern University (FEU) to evaluate seven programs for Level IV re-accreditation: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Bachelor of Secondary Education, and Bachelor of Elementary Education.

Mark of trust

Accreditation also provides value beyond internal improvement. Academic researcher Sarkhan Jafarov identifies “several important purposes of accreditation and quality assurance, including maintaining educational standards, strengthening institutional accountability, promoting continuous improvement, and supporting the recognition and mobility of students and graduates.”

For stakeholders like students, parents, and employers, accreditation provides an added measure of confidence and trust. It signals that an institution's programs and practices have undergone systematic evaluation by an external body and that the university is committed to meeting established standards.

Meanwhile, education researcher and scholar H. Al-Haj Ibrahim emphasizes that “accreditation can strengthen public confidence, trust, and accountability toward an institution. Higher levels of accreditation can further serve as an indicator of an institution's sustained commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.”

During the closing ceremony of PACUCOA’s visit, chairperson Dr. Vanessa Paula Garcia highlighted FEU’s culture of acceptance and inclusivity. She said the university’s respect for individuality provides a genuine sense of belonging. She also reminded the FEU community that “quality is a moving target as the needs of learners and society evolve, so continuous improvement requires progress, innovation, and a willingness to respond to change.

Dr. Garcia encouraged the FEU community to carry its Tamaraw spirit into this work and to reflect on the visiting team’s observations while awaiting PACUCOA’s official report. Her message reinforces that accreditation is a continuing opportunity to strengthen programs and services, build on what FEU has achieved, and respond to the future needs of its students.