VSU named top 1 performing SUC for 2021; 29 programs now Level IV accredited

Visayas State University (VSU) has just been awarded as the Top 1 Performing State University by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) with 29 programs of the VSU Main Campus obtaining a Level IV accreditation status for year 2021.

VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin personally received this recognition during the 35th AACCUP Annual National Conference held on March 11, 2022 at Clark Marriott Hotel in Pampanga.

This is also the 2nd Virtual National Conference of AACCUP but because Dr. Tulin is currently sitting as Board Member of the said accrediting agency, he was able to receive the award physically as officers of the organization were requested to attend the event face-to-face.

Level IV is the highest accreditation accorded to a degree program based on the guidelines of AACCUP. The degree programs that were awarded with this status include 9 undergraduate degree programs and 20 master’s degree offerings of the VSU Main Campus. These include the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) with majors in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Animal Science, Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Plant Protection, and Soil Science.
• Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAB)
• Master of Agricultural Development (MAgDev) Agriculture with majors in Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Animal Production, Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Plant Protection.
• Master of Agricultural Development (MAgDev) Education with majors in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Extension, and Development Communication
• Master of Science (MS) in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Animal Science, Development Communication, Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Plant Protection, Soil Science, and Weed Science

But even if VSU now has 29 Level IV accredited programs, the Office of the Director for Quality Assurance (ODQA) reported that new set of AACCUP accreditations are expected to be held from March 21-25 to include a total of 20 programs—5 of these are undergraduate programs from the Component Campuses vying for Level III, 14 graduate programs in the Main Campus for Level IV, and 1 undergraduate program in the Main Campus for Level IV.

On top of that, 7 undergraduate programs in the Baybay City flagship campus will also be up for evaluation for Level IV from April 20-22.

VSU will also be subjected to its second institutional accreditation by AACCUP which will be held from April 25-29. Different from the program accreditation, institutional accreditation will include a wider and more encompassing scope that will assess not just the total number of accredited programs but will also include all the operational systems of the university.

The university was the first institution in the entire country to be subjected to institutional accreditation by AACCUP in 2017.

VSU obtained a Level III institutionally accredited status which is currently the highest evaluation accorded to a state university here in the Philippines. This award took effect on April 1, 2017 and will only remain valid until March 31, 2022.

Meanwhile, VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin congratulated the Viscan community in a social media post that he published a few minutes after receiving the award as Top 1 performing SUC for 2021.

“Thank you ODQA headed by Dr. Editha G. Cagasan including all the Vice Presidents, the Deans, and our faculty members including all the administrative support staff of the 29 programs that were accorded with a Level IV status. Your strong support made this possible and we hope to increase this number as we move closer to our Centennial celebration this 2024,” Dr. Tulin said.

VSU President Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin receives the plaque of recognition from Dr. Myrna Q. Mallari (center), the President and Chairperson of AACCUP with Dr. Milabel E. Ho (left), the Executive Director of AACCUP.

In response, the Quality Assurance Director Dr. Editha G. Cagasan revealed that with more programs lined up for accreditation this year, she expects that the university’s stature in AACCUP will continue to be a model for other higher education institutions in the country.

“We really hope that now that more degree programs here in VSU are eyeing for higher accreditation status, this will have a lasting impact on the quality of education that we are delivering to our students. I also wish that this improved accreditation status will also result in a greater number of enrollees in both our graduate and undergraduate degree offerings for the next few months,” Dr. Cagasan added.

With the institutional accreditation to happen next month, the VSU administration is aiming that AACCUP will grant VSU the very first Level IV institutional status that has never been achieved by other state universities and colleges in the country so far.

• Prev
• Next