VSU Main Campus secures CHED COPC for BS Mechanical Engineering program

The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) program of VSU Main Campus has finally been awarded with the Certificate of Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). 

VSU’s BSME is the first in the Visayas region to earn a COPC under the new set of guidelines. 

The award was granted on January 17, 2025, coinciding the deadline for filing of applications for the February 2025 Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination, as initially set by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), prior to the commission’s extension of the deadline specifically for the applicants whose BSME programs have yet to secure a COPC.

COPC is a minimum requirement set by CHED to ensure that the academic requirements offered by Higher Education Institutions meet the minimum standards of quality and compliance as prescribed by CHED policies, standards, and guidelines (PSGs). 

Under Section 7 of the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 9 series 2023 on Revised Policies and Guidelines on the Issuance of Certificate of Program  Compliance (COPC) to State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), it states that “CHED shall partner with PRC to ensure that only graduates of programs with COPC shall be eligible to take/apply for the professional licensure examination.”

Dr. Jannet C. Bencure, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, expressed her gratitude to the VSU administration, especially to VSU President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, for the support, guidance, and encouragement. 

“It was truly a timely achievement for the department, the faculty, and the university. Bisan sa kadtong wala pa ang COPC na-award, hopeful kaayo atong mga graduates nga maka-exam gyud sila,” Dr. Bencure said. 

[It was truly a timely achievement for the department, the faculty, and the university. Even before we received the COPC, our BSME graduates continued to hold on to the hope that they could take the MELE.]

She added that obtaining the certificate was no easy task, especially for engineering programs that anchor on many CMOs and PSGs issued by CHED. 

Dr. Bencure received the COPC on behalf of President Yepes from the Regional Director of CHED Regional Office VIII, Dr. Maximo C. Aljibe.

The evaluation process involved a careful review of the academic offerings on areas for Instruction, Research, and Community Involvement of the institution. It particularly looked into the extent of the implementation of the Outcome-Based Engineering Education (OBEE) outlined in CHED CMO 37, S. 2012. It also examined the program administration, faculty qualifications, infrastructure and facilities, library resources, and student support services.  

This achievement means that the program meets the national highest standards of academic and professional excellence set by CHED, which will pave the way for the further growth of the university’s mechanical engineering department and its students. 

Out of 42, VSU Main Campus has a total of 40 undergraduate programs with COPC, with 95% adherence rate to the standards set by CHED. 

BSME in VSU Isabel

The ongoing effort to secure a COPC for VSU Isabel’s BSME program remains a significant challenge. 

Despite this, graduates of the program are still allowed to take the MELE following PRC’s decision to grant them eligibility to apply even in the absence of a COPC. 

This development was made possible through VSU’s effort, through the regional Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC 8), which collectively appealed to CHED and sought endorsement to PRC, a request that was duly recognized and approved by the commission. 

“We are very grateful to CHED and PRC for giving cognizance to our appeal,” President Yepes said, committing that VSU will take the necessary actions to adhere to the PSGs set by CHED. 

VSU Isabel is waiting for the Technical Panel from CHED Central Office and CHEDRO 8 in the last week of February for its BSME program to be visited and evaluated. 

The VSU administration has already started doing necessary interventions to ensure that VSU Isabel continues to offer its BSME program without giving false hopes to students. 

Over all, VSU’s BSME program stands ready to meet that challenge set ahead, producing a new generation of professionals who will contribute to the advancement of engineering and innovation both in the Philippines and abroad.

This article is aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

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