Quality Assurance in Philippine Higher Education: The Role of IQuAME Reporters: Marife Dimalig – Balaba Marivic Dimalig – Labitad Joemar R. Sinatao
• Definition of Quality Assurance • Refers to an ongoing, continuous process of evaluating(assessing, monitoring, guaranteeing, maintaining, and improving) the quality of a higher education system, institutions,or programmes (UNESCO). • is a process through which a higher education institution guarantees to itself and its stakeholders that its teaching, learning and other services consistently reach a standard of Excellence
• Definition of Quality Assurance • Such assurance is a necessary goal for the institution itself. Increasingly, it is also necessary for publicly funded institutions to be accountable and provide assurances, to society and the state that they are delivering the services for which they are funded, thus ensuring that they are providing value for money • .Therefore quality assurance incorporates all the processes internal to the institution, whereby quality is evaluated, maintained and improved (Duff et al., 2000).
What is accreditation? Accreditation is … • A process by which institutions or programs continuously upgrade their educational quality and service through self-evaluation and the judgment of peers. • A concept based on self-regulation which focuses on evaluation and the continuing reinforcement of educational quality. • A status granted to an educational institution or programs which meets commonly accepted standards of quality or excellence.
What are the basic characteristics of accreditation? a.) its prevailing sense of volunteerism b.) its strong tradition of self-regulation c.) its reliance on evaluation techniques d.) its primary concern with quality
Why is accreditation important? • Helps students and their parents choose quality college programs. • Enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared. • Is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants. • Gives colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate • and improve the quality of their programs.
Basic Principles of Accreditation • 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 its terms of the degree and competence and which it achieves its goals.
• Concerned with the teacher-learner relationship ·
Basic Principles of Accreditation •
Provides opportunities institutional growth through survey and evaluation and regulation.
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Admits periodic review, criticism, and readjustment of its criteria, policies and procedures to changes in education.
for selfself-
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, law, engineering, nursing, etc. PAASCU’s policy extends accreditation by program. In contrast. “Institutional Accreditation,” refers to the accreditation of the school, college, universities or institution 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 the PAASCU policy.
Different Accrediting Agencies in the Philippines: 1. FAAP (Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines 2. PAASCU ( Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities) 3. AACCUP (Accrediting Association of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines)
Different Accrediting Agencies in the Philippines: 4. PACUCOA (Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation) 5. ACSC-AAI (Association of Christian Schools and College-Accrediting Agency, Incorporated) 6. IQUAME (Institutional Monitoring Evaluation for Quality Assurance)
What areas are evaluated during the survey? On the collegiate and secondary levels, the following areas are evaluated: 1.College/School Community Involvement
5. Laboratories 6. Physical Plant
2. Faculty
7. Student Services
3. Instruction
8. Administration
4. Library On the grade school level, the library and laboratories (no. 4 and no. 5 above) are omitted; instead, Student Activity Program is added.
e impleme chanism fo aluation of What is IQuAME?
• 1. Institutional Quality Assurance through Monitoring and Evaluation (IQuAME) looks at the effectiveness of an institution in its entirety, particularly, the development of an institutional system that ensures the quality and standards of programs.
2. CHED Memorandum Order Nos. 15 and 16. series of 2005 institutionalized the implementation of IQuAME as a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of the programs, processes, and services provided by both public and private Philippine Higher Education Institutions.
• 3. The monitoring and evaluation cover key result areas that include governance and management; quality of teaching and research; support for students; relations with the community; and management of resources.
4. It looks at the effectiveness of an institution in its entirety, particularly, the development of institutional systems that ensure the quality and standards of programs
5. The conceptualization of IQuAME was developed with the help of the British Council
Objectives of IQuAME • To enhance an institution’s capacity in designing, delivering and managing programs and services;
-To identify areas for reform and intervention along the key areas of: • governance and management • quality of teaching and learning • support for students • relations with the community and • management of resources
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• To ensure that quality learning outcomes are responsive to the changing needs and comparable to international standards;
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To provide accurate, up-to-date and accessible information on performance of higher education institutions to enable stakeholders to make informed choices; and ‌
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• To provide the Commission with bases for policy options on higher education and informed decisions for development assistance and incentives to HEIs.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework Indicators: PERFORMANCE MEASURES – GOVERNANCE Criterion: The institution’s governance arrangements demonstrate probity, strategic vision, accountability, awareness and management of risk, and effective monitoring of performance.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – MANAGEMENT Criterion: The institution’s management, financial control, and quality assurance arrangements are sufficient to manage existing operations and to respond to development and change.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – QUALITY OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH Criterion 1: Program Approval The institution sets the objectives and learning outcomes of its programs at appropriate levels, and has effective mechanisms to ensure that its programs achieve those objectives and enable students to achieve the intended outcomes.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – QUALITY OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH Criterion 2: Program Monitoring and Review The institution has effective arrangements for monitoring the effectiveness of its programs.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – QUALITY OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH Criterion 3: Action to Strengthen Programs The institution takes effective action to address weakness, build on strengths, and to enhance performance by the dissemination of good practice.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – QUALITY OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH Research Capability Criterion: The institution has a research community of faculty, postgraduate students and postdoctoral research workers that fosters and supports creative research and other advanced scholarly activity.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS Recruitment, Admission, and Academic Support The institution is effective in recruiting, admitting, supporting, and graduating students, including those from indigenous groups, the handicapped, low level income classes, foreign students, and other special groups.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS Student Scholarships The institution operates effective arrangements to direct scholarships and study grants on merit to support the most able students on programs that develop IQuAME .
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework PERFORMANCE MEASURES – SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS Student Services Criterion: The institution has programs for student services, to support the nonacademic needs of the students.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY Relevance of Programs Criterion: The institution offers programs that take into consideration the social, cultural, economic, and developmental needs of the country at local, regional, and national levels, as well as the need for the country to compete effectively in global markets.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY Networking and Linkages Criterion: The institution is valued as a partner by other higher education institutions; professional, government, and non-government organizations; and industry, within the Philippines and internationally.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY Extension Programs Criterion: The institution is valued by its local community as a provider of extension programs that are responsive to the needs of the community for people empowerment and selfreliance.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES Faculty Profile Criterion: The institution has an adequate number of faculty with the appropriate expertise and competence to teach the courses offered by the institution.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES Use of Information and Communications Technology and Learning Resources Criterion: The institution makes effective use of information and communications technology to support student learning and to manage its academic affairs.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework • PERFORMANCE MEASURES – MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES Resource Generation Criterion: The institution has a viable, sustainable and appropriate resource generation strategy to support its development plans.
The major steps in the accreditation process are as follows:
• 1) institutional self-survey or selfevaluation; • 2)preliminary visit (4 to 6 months after the start of self-survey); • 3) formal survey visit (a minimum of 6 months after preliminary visit); and • 4) decision by governing board of accrediting agency.
The School Self-Survey • It is an in-depth study that focuses on the library’s purposes, programs, services and resources. • It provides the basis for continuing efforts to improve the quality of services offered.
Expected Outcomes of a Self-Survey • Staff Development • Collection Development • Physical Facilities Development • Program Development
Characteristics of a Valid Self-Survey • Cooperative involvement of the people concerned • Comprehensive study of significant factors • Carefully designed procedures • Planning and projection
TIPS IN ANSWERING THE SURVEY FORMS: • Provisions, conditions or characteristics found in good schools • Use the symbols for provision or condition: e.g. E, S, L, M, N or 5, 4, 3, 2,1 • Avoid overrating or underrating your school
TIPS IN ANSWERING THE SURVEY FORMS: • Be sure answers can be justified or defended through documents, actual practices and operation. • Answers should be based on present conditions and actual practice. • Answer what analysis question simply asks
Answering the Evaluation: • The Evaluation ratings should be congruent and consistent with the analysis ratings.
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category A (r) • These are institutions that undertake the full range of higher education functions, including research. Such institutions undertake advanced and extensive researches and will normally be evaluated against all the indicators in the framework
• (To be placed in Category A (r) an institution would have to achieve scores of at least 3 in 75% of the indicators against which it was assessed, no scores less than 2, and a score of at least 3 in the research indicator.)
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category A (t) • These are institutions that have teaching as their
core business. Although faculty will keep up to date with developments in their discipline through their personal study and scholarship. They will undertake other forms of advanced scholarships, the results of which will often merit publication in refereed journals, in fields such as professional practice and higher education pedagogy.
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category A (t) They may undertake such activities as extension and networking, and they may house centers of excellence or development. Such institutions will be evaluated against all indicators except research capability. To be placed in Category A (t) an institution would have to achieve scores of at least 3 in 75% of the indicators, against which it was assessed, with no scores less than 2.
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category B • This category contains institutions that are in a stage of development, and which have the potential to be placed in one of the A categories at a future date. Usually, they will undertake only those activities covered by the core indicators. As they mature, they are likely to add activities covered by some of the other indicators; as they reach that stage, they may qualify for one of the A categories. While in Category B, they will normally be evaluated against the core indicators only.
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category B To be placed in Category B, following an initial application, an institution must achieve scores of at least 3 in 50% of the indicators, against which it is assessed, with no scores less than 2. To remain in the developmental category, an institution must achieve, at the next following monitoring and evaluation visit, an increase in the number of scores of at least 3, with no scores less than 2. After successful evaluation in the B category, an institution should normally apply, at the next monitoring and evaluation visit, for inclusion in the appropriate A category.
Categories of Philippine HEIs under IQUAME
Based on the IQUAME assessment higher education institutions in the country may becategorized into A(r), A(t), B or C.
Category C This category contains all other institutions
What are the benefits and incentives for various levels? A. Level I/Level II • Full administrative deregulation. • Financial deregulation in terms of setting institution and other school fees and charges. • Authority to revise the curriculum without CHED approval. • 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.
What are the benefits and incentives for various levels? A. Level I/Level II • Priority in the awards of grants/subsidies or funding assistance from CHED. • Right to use on its publications or advertisements the word “ACCREDITED,” pursuant to CHED policies and rules. • Limited visitation, inspection and/or supervision by CHED supervisory personnel or representatives.
What are the benefits and incentives for various levels? B. Level III • All the benefits for Level I/II. • Authority to offer new courses allied to existing Level III courses. • Privilege to apply for authority to offer new graduate programs, open learning/distance education, extension classes and to participate in the transnational education. Requirement: • Extensive and functional library and other learning resources facilities
What are the benefits and incentives for various levels? C. Level IV • All the benefits for Levels I, II and III. • Grant of full autonomy for the program for the duration of its Level IV accredited status. • Authority to offer new graduate programs allied to existing Level IV courses, open learning/distance education and extension classes.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit BEFORE 1.Notice to Institutions A minimum of four months notice should be given of the date by which the self-evaluation document is to be submitted to the CHEDRO. To ensure that the self-evaluation document remains current at the time of the visit, there should be no more than three months between the deadline for submission of the self-evaluation document and the date of commencement of the visit.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit BEFORE 1.Self-Evaluation Document The HEI should submit two copies of the SED to the CHEDRO within four months after the notice. On receipt of the self-evaluation document, there will be an initial assessment of it by the CHEDRO to determine whether it provides an adequate basis for the review visit.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit BEFORE 1.Self-Evaluation Document The institution should be notified of the need for revision within three weeks of the date of receipt of the self-evaluation document, and the institution should be allowed further four weeks from the date of notification to make amendments and to re-submit.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit DURING The Conduct of the Visit Reviews will be conducted in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation between the institution and the review team; a confrontational approach from either side would be wholly inappropriate. Depending on the size and complexity of the institution, two or three days will be allocated for the visit. Exceptionally, a longer visit may be needed for very large or complex institutions.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit DURING Making Judgments The review team will make judgments against each of the criteria, using the following scale:
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit 4: The criterion is fully met, and elements of it are achieved at a level of excellence that provides a model for others. 3: The criterion is met, with most elements demonstrating good practice. 2: The criterion is met in most respects, but improvement is needed to overcome weaknesses in some elements. 1: The criterion is met in some respects, but much improvement is needed to overcome weaknesses. 0: The criterion is not met.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER After the Visit The team of assessors should meet at the end of the visit, before leaving the site, to discuss the scores for the different criteria being considered for the institution. Ideally, the final report should be written before leaving the site. However, because this may be difficult for particular locations, the team leader should submit the report to the CHEDRO within 48 hours of the conclusion of the visit.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER After the Visit To ensure a consistency of treatment of all institutions visited, the report will be reviewed within the CHEDRO for consistency of approach and style, by a person not involved in the visit. Any adjustments to the text should be agreed with the team leader within two weeks of the submission of the report.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER After the Visit The report should be sent to the institution no later than six weeks from the conclusion of the visit, for comments on matters of factual accuracy only. The institution is entitled to ask for any errors of fact to be corrected, but no alteration will be made to the judgments reached, unless a factual inaccuracy had a material effect on a judgment. The response of the institution on matters of factual accuracy should be made within two weeks of receiving the report.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER Publication of Reports The full narrative report will be provided only to the Office of the President of the institution and to CHED. This limited circulation is intended to encourage frankness of commentary in the narrative parts of the report. However, should an institutionquote or publish selectively from a report, CHED reserves its right to publish the entire narrative report, so as to present a balanced picture.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER Complaints and Appeals Should an institution have any complaint about the way in which a visit is being conducted, the team leader will endeavor to resolve the matter in a speedy and courteous manner. If an institution remains dissatisfied, the matter may be referred to the CHEDRO director. Formal appeals will be entertained normally only on grounds of procedural irregularity or abuse of process.
Activities: before,during, & after the Visit AFTER Complaints and Appeals Appeals should be made to the CHEDRO director. If the CHEDRO director finds that there was irregularity or abuse, he or she will then consider if that irregularity or abuse had a material effect on the judgments made. If there was no material effect on the judgments, they will stand. If there was a material effect, the judgments will be set aside, and a re-visit ordered. In the event that the CHEDRO director was a member of the review team, a CHEDRO director from another region will consider the appeal.
IQUAME Accreditors: CHED - acting mainly through its regional offices -undertakes monitoring and evaluation of institutions for the purpose of its main regulatory responsibilities, and in connection with the administration of grants and subsidies to private institutions.
Conclusions “The bottom line of accreditation is customer satisfaction. Accreditation assures quality. Accreditation is an approach, a method used to address the requirements of Total Quality Management.�
Conclusions The overall impact of accreditation are: • Quality Education • Ownership of Accomplishment • Standards Compliant • Satisfying Customers • Pride for Contribution • Work to lessen stress rather than Negative Stress • Benefits everybody e.g. Stakeholders • Motivation • Outcomes Based – to help students
Now we say…. “Accreditation is a learning experience, a humbling experience, a culture and a habit as well.”
Thank you & Maayong Adlaw!