CMU gears up for 5-day institutional accreditation

By: RGPadoginog

To ensure all documents are complete and ready for evaluation, the Quality Assurance Office (QAO) initiated a 2-day mock accreditation from July 31 to August 1, one week before the institutional accreditation survey visit on August 7-11.

“We cannot afford to fail,” said Dr. Agapito Bayron Jr., QAO’s assistant chief. “We [CMU] have squeezed off everything— time, effort, and money for this, and we are very positive.”

The accreditation will evaluate the university in its nine key areas: Governance and Management; Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation; Faculty and Staff; Research; Extension and Consultancy and Linkages; Support to Students; Library; Infrastructure and Learning Resources; and Quality Assurance.

According to Dr. Nenita Prado, QAO chief and co-chairperson of the institutional accreditation committee: “The members of the local task force and the focal persons are working very hard and spending time and effort in preparing the documents…”

She added that to be institutionally accredited is “very vital for the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) levelling.”

Dr. Raul C. Orongan, College of Education dean and Area I (Governance) focal person said, “Governance and management has the biggest percentage in terms of content…I am very much pressured in terms of preparing the documents…”

Other members of the local task force affirmed that they are optimistic of the survey visit results.

“If we can pass this institutional accreditation even just by earning at least Level II, [CMU] would be the first institutionally accredited state university in Mindanao.” said Dr. Bayron, also the Area IX focal person. “It would be another milestone for the university.”

He added, “If we are institutionally accredited, it means that we are transparent, sustainable, all our programs are effective, and our [graduates’] employability is strengthened.”