The Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) of UP Visayas (UPV) completed its three-day External Quality Assessment (EQA) last 08 December 2023 with a closing program where assessors gave their brief initial assessments using the UP EQA instrument adopted from the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) framework.
The opening program held on 06 December at the MILC, CAS in Miagao introduced the assessors composed of Dr. Nina M. Cadiz, director of the UP Los Baños Quality Assurance Office and an active member of the AUN-QA pool of assessors; Dr. Aurelia Luzviminda V. Gomez, former Vice Chancellor for Administration of UP Mindanao and currently the Dean of the School of Management of the same constituent university; Dr. Irene M. Villaseñor, a member of the UP system QA and AUN-QA assessor; and Dr. Analyn L. Codilan, Associate Dean and Coordinator for Instruction of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) of UP Los Baños, QA Head of CFNR, and QA officer of UPLB QA.
Dr. Cadiz and Dr. Gomez were the assessors assigned to evaluate the BS Biology program of the division, while Dr. Villaseñor and Dr. Codilan assessed the BS Public Health program.
Chancellor Clement C. Camposano emphasized the importance of maintaining quality, learning from experiences, and setting standards during his welcome remarks. CAS Associate Dean Nilo C. Araneta, on behalf of Dean Alice Joan G. Ferrer, gave a brief presentation about the college.
The three-day assessment included a series of meetings with administrators and Self Assessment Report (SAR) Team Heads for both degree programs in BioSci, interviews with the academic staff, students, and a campus tour to visit facilities being used by the students.
Dr. Villaseñor, in her message during the closing program, highlighted the genuine commitment of BioSci’s Public Health graduates to public service, which she observed during the interviews.
“Our learnings from the three days have been significant in our journey towards a quality assured academic program that answers and responds to our nation’s development needs and goals. Program learning outcomes, outcomes-based education, educational philosophies, the different criteria of AUN-QA including support facilities - and the most tedious of all, criteria number eight which are outcomes - have all converged into a system that should ensure a more sustainable University of the Philippines as the leading national university entering the fourth industrial revolution,” said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Philip Ian P. Padilla during his closing message.
BioSci is slated to undergo a face-to-face AUN-QA assessment in the middle of 2024. The results of the EQA will help the UPV administration, faculty, and staff implement additional improvements prior to the assessment next year.
