PAASCU Interim Visit

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 | 𝐃𝐖𝐂𝐋 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭; 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬
𝑏𝑦 𝐽𝑎𝑑𝑎 𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖

The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) conducted a virtual interim visit yesterday, October 6, at Divine Word College of Laoag, Inc. (DWCL), to further assess and validate the implementation of its programs.

The visit aimed to assess the institution’s status in four key areas, namely, student services, administration, faculty, and curriculum and instruction, ensuring compliance with accreditation standards.

Moreover, the focus programs of this year include those under Arts and Sciences, Education, and Business.

In an interview, Dr. Libertine Macaspac, Director for Accreditation and Quality Assurance explained that after the interim visit, the school is in “high hopes” and expecting for a clean status of Level II accreditation.

“With this status, anticipating for the good results, we can prepare to apply for Level III accreditation by 2028 or even earlier. The school is working on its Institutional Development Plan (IDP) 2026 for the said prepping to fully implement recommendations and strengthen programs before the target year,” Macaspac explained.

The AQA Director added that DWCL hopes to accomplish the recommendations of PAASCU supported by reports and evidence. It will focus on addressing four more areas, including facilities, laboratories, the library, and community involvement

“We need to work twice as hard for a smooth accreditation. We are hoping [that] we can conduct the self-assessment next year for the accreditation of the other programs,” she stated.

The PAASCU interim visiting team is composed of Dr. Lucila R. Calairo of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Chair of the PAASCU Commission on Tertiary Education and Dean for Academic Planning; Dr. Edgar Detoya, a member of the PAASCU Commission on Tertiary Education and Dean of SBM-University of San Jose-Recoletos; Dr. Beverly Fernandez, Dean of the College of Teacher Education at Saint Joseph College-Maasin; and Dr. John Octavious S. Palina, President of St. Mary’s University-Bayombong.

Meanwhile, Dr. Marlene T. Nicolas, dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education, shared the commendation the school received as the assessment concluded.

“PAASCU commended DWCL for its strong commitment and earnest efforts in addressing the 2023 recommendations, as reflected in the concrete actions implemented, the programs and initiatives undertaken, and the thorough preparation of its report,” shared Nicolas.

The dean added that she was filled with optimism on the possibility of a Level III accreditation by 2026-2027 despite the challenging interview.

Accreditation provides students with assurance that they are receiving quality education and that the course credits and degrees they earn will be recognized by other institutions and employers.