In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Subject

ED 605:
SCHOOL ACCREDITATION

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION

Submitted by:

Isser Jorell L. Yao, RN, MAN

Student

Submitted to:

Anna Lou C. Cabuenas, Ed.D.

Professor

1. How to determine if an institution or program is accredited by a recognized accrediting

organization?
There is not just one type of accreditation. In fact, different educational institutions and other
kinds of institutions require specific types of accreditation status.
Some kinds of institutions that require accreditation status are: public institutions, private
institutions, for-profit institutions, non-profit institutions, single-purpose institutions, private career
institutions, faith-based colleges and universities, distance learning colleges and universities, law
schools, medical schools, and heath profession educational programs.
Only one kind of accreditation would not be sufficient to address the accrediting needs of the
various institutions that require accreditation status. This is why accreditation organizations provide two
major types of accreditation. They are: (1) institutional accreditation and (2) specialized, professional, or
programmatic accreditation.
In school accreditation, it is important to determine the type of accreditation needed for your
field of study. After regional accreditation, specialized/professional accreditation may be required.
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of
educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable
standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the appropriate agency.
Searching for legit academic credentials involves certain steps and procedures to avoid being
bumped into bogus credentials that can compromise ones credibility. Research the school on the
Internet. Check to see if the school is accredited by a recognized agency. Colleges and universities
accredited by legitimate agencies generally undergo a rigorous review of the quality of their educational
programs. If a school has been accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, it is probably
legitimate. You can use the Internet to check if a school is accredited by a legitimate organization at a
new database of accredited academic institutions, posted by the Department of Education. To find out if
an accrediting agency is legitimate, check the list of recognized national and regional accrediting
agencies maintained by the Commission on Higher Education. Another is you may ask for a certification
of accreditation from the school and verify it from the database of the accreditor through the internet.
Voluntary accreditation of all higher education institutions is subject to the policies of the
Commission on Higher Education. Voluntary accrediting agencies in the private sector are the Philippine
Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the Philippine Association of
Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), and the Association of Christian
Schools, Colleges and Universities Accrediting Association Inc. (ACSCU-AAI) which all operate under the
umbrella of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP), which itself is the certifying
agency authorized by CHED.
Accrediting agencies for government-supported institutions are the Accrediting Association of
Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP), and the Association of Local Colleges
and Universities Commission On Accreditation (ALCUCOA). Together they formed the National Network
of Quality Assurance Agencies (NNQAA) as the certifying agency for government-sponsored institutions.
However, NNQAA does not certify all government-sponsored institutions.

2. Aside from being program-focused, what other attributes being carried out by accreditation?
The following attributes or characteristics of school accreditation are as follows:

its prevailing sense of volunteerism;

its emphasis on empowerment of people to accomplish the business of the school/program in
an excellent manner;
its strong tradition of self-regulation;
its reliance on comprehensive evaluative techniques,
its primary concern and passion for quality assurance and continuous improvement;
its cultivation of a culture founded on organized orderliness, and adherence to greater
efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.

3. What are the benefits of accreditation?

The following benefits and incentives for various levels of school accreditation are as follows:
A. Level I/ Level II:
1. Full administrative deregulation, provided that report of promotion of students and lists of
graduates are available for review by CHED at all times.
2. Financial deregulation in terms of setting tuition and other school fees and charges.
3. Authority to revise the curriculum without CHED approval provided that CHED and
Professional Regulation Commission minimum requirements and guidelines, where
applicable, are complied with and the revised curriculum is submitted to CHED Regional
Offices.
4. Authority to graduate students from accredited courses or programs or study in the levels
accredited without prior approval of the CHED and without need for Special Orders.
5. Priority in the awards of grants/ subsidies or funding assistance from CHED- Higher
Education Development Fund (HEDF) for scholarships and faculty development, facilities
improvement and other development programs.
6. Rights to use on its publications or advertisement the word ACCREDITED pursuant to
CHED policies and rules.
7. Limited visitation, inspection and/ or supervision by CHED supervisory personnel or
representatives.
B. Level III:
1. All the Benefits for Level I/ II.
2. Authority to offer new courses allied to existing Level III courses without need for prior
approval, provided that the concerned CHED Regional Offices (CHEDRO) is duly informed.
3. Privilege to apply for authority to offer new graduate programs, open learning/ distance
education, extension classes and to participate in the transnational education.
C. Level IV:
1. All the benefits for Level I, II, and III.
2. Grant of full autonomy for the program for the duration of its Level IV accredited status.

3. Authority to offer new graduate programs allied to existing Level IV courses, open
learning/ distance education and extension classes without need for prior approval by
CHED provided that the concerned CHEDRO is duly informed.

4. Describe the different phases of accreditation and its activities during the process.
The Eight Phases of (PACUCOA) School Accreditation are as follows:

First: The consultancy visit

Second: The self-survey activities
Third: The preliminary visit (for Candidate Status)
Fourth: The formal visit (for level I Accredited Status)
Fifth: The re-accreditation visit (for level II reaccredited status)
Sixth: The level III phase (for level III reaccredited status)
Seventh: The level IV phase
Eighth: Institutional Accreditation phase

Since accreditation is a serious attempt to achieve a high degree of quality in the

operations/administration of a program or a school, school heads administrators, faculty and staff are
advised to take note of the policies and steps in the process.
A. CONSULTANCY VISIT
Policy Statements
1. Any school/program, including a school selected to try out a new survey instrument, will have to
undergo orientation on accreditation visit prior to the conduct of the self-survey. The purposes
of the orientation on accreditation visit are to orient the constituents of the school on the
philosophy, objectives, policies and procedures of accreditation and to ascertain whether the
school has complied with the basic requirements of accreditation. However, a consultancy visit
may also be scheduled to extend technical assistance to a program/school any time the school
needs it.
2. The orientation on accreditation visit may be scheduled any time during the school year.
3. The program can proceed with the self-survey if and when it is given the go signal to do so by
the Board of Directors.
Procedures
1. Applicant school submits a written request for orientation on accreditation visit, stating
the date of the visit and the program/s to be accredited.
2. PACUCOA schedules the visit, invites a team of consultants, usually two per program
and notifies the institution accordingly.
3. A workshop is conducted where the constituents of the school are oriented on the
philosophy, objectives, policies and procedures of accreditation. An ocular tour of the
facilities is done to assess whether the school can proceed with the self-survey.

4. The PACUCOA Board of Directors either gives the school the go signal to proceed with
the self-survey or requires the school to comply with the recommendations of the team
of consultants before conducting the self-survey. The program should undergo
preliminary visit not later than one year from the time the consultancy visit was done.
Otherwise, the program will be required to undergo another consultancy visit.
B. PRELIMINARY VISIT
Policy Statements
1. A self-survey instrument rating on the eight (8) or nine (9) areas will have to be done
using the prescribed survey instrument and submitted to PACUCOA secretariat.
2. The accreditors are expected to study the documents submitted by the school including
the compliance report and the self-survey instruments before the visit.
Procedures
1. Upon submission to PACUCOA of a letter of intent and approval of the dates of the
survey visit, the chairman of the Survey Executive Committee shall inform the academic
community of the visit to generate maximum awareness, preparation and participation.
2. The Survey Executive Committee shall see to the readiness and availability of the
following:
2.1 the accreditors work headquarters provided with adequate amenities;
2.2 the necessary exhibits and other evidences in support of the self-survey report
are placed in the headquarters;
2.3 the availability of the officers, faculty, staff, students and alumni of the school
who may be interviewed by the accreditors;
2.4 call slips for interview schedules;
2.5 syllabi, class registers, and seat plans for class visitation.
3. Upon arrival, the team chairman prepares the schedule of activities for the survey visit
in consultation with the Survey Executive Committee chairman. The schedule usually
includes an orientation meeting with the members of the Survey Executive Committee,
separate dialogues with the students, alumni and faculty representatives, together with
non-teaching staff, examination of exhibits, ocular visits of facilities, class observation,
interviews, post accreditation conference and exit meeting with the administrators.
4. The accrediting team verifies the self-survey report by reviewing the exhibits, observing
classes, conducting formal and informal interviews/dialogues with the constituents of
the school and community members and ocular visits.
5. The accrediting team prepares a report and submits the same to the PACUCOA
secretariat not later than two weeks after the visit.
6. The PACUCOA Board of Directors deliberates on the report and acts on it. The action of
the board of directors may either be one of the following options:
6.1 The school may be given candidate status for two years and may apply for a
formal accredited status within two years;

6.2 The Board of Directors may defer action on the program for six months to one
year pending substantial compliance with the recommendations of the
accrediting team;
7. PACUCOA transmits the action of the Board of Directors as well as the chairmans
report, containing the strengths, points to improve and recommendations to the school.
8. FAAP is officially informed of the Board of Directors decision for certification purposes.
C. LEVEL I FORMAL VISIT
Policy Statements
1. Upon submission to PACUCOA of a letter of intent and a compliance report indicating
substantial and satisfactory compliance with the recommendations of the Preliminary
Survey Team, the schedule for a Formal Survey Visit may be set.
2. A self-survey rating on the eight (8)/nine (9) areas will have to be done again using the
prescribed survey instrument and submitted to PACUCOA secretariat.
3. The accreditors are expected to study the documents submitted by the school including
the compliance report and the self-survey instruments before the visit.
Procedures
1. Upon approval of the dates of the survey visit, the chairman of the survey executive
committee shall inform the academic community of the visit to generate maximum
awareness, preparation and participation.
2. The Survey Executive Committee shall see to the readiness and availability of the
following:
2.1 the accreditors work headquarters, provided with adequate amenities;
2.2 the necessary exhibits and other evidences in support of the self-survey report;
2.3 the availability of the officers, faculty, staff, students and alumni of the school
who may be interviewed by the accreditors;
2.4 syllabi, class registers, and seat plan for class visitation.
3. Upon arrival, the team chairman prepares the schedule of activities for the survey, in
consultation with the Survey Executive Committee chairman. The schedule usually
includes an orientation meeting with the members of the Survey Executive Committee,
separate dialogues with students, alumni and faculty representatives, together with
non-teaching staff, examination of exhibits, ocular visits of facilities, class observation
and interviews, post accreditation conference and exit meeting with the administrators.
4. The accrediting team verifies the self-survey report by reviewing the exhibits, observing
classes, conducting formal and informal interviews/dialogues with the constituents of
the school and community members and ocular visits.
5. The accrediting team prepares a report and submits the same to the PACUCOA
secretariat not later than two weeks after the visit.
6. The PACUCOA Board of Directors deliberates on the report and acts on it. The action of
the Board of Directors may either be one of the following options:
6.1 The school may be given formal accredited status for three years

6.2 The Board of Directors may defer action on the program for six months to one
year pending substantial compliance with the recommendations of the
accrediting team.
7. PACUCOA transmits the action of the Board of Directors as well as the chairmans report
to the school.
8. FAAP is officially informed of the Board of Directors decision for certification purposes.
D. LEVEL II REACCREDITATION VISIT
Policy Statements
1. Upon submission to PACUCOA of a letter of intent, at least 6 months prior to the
expiration of the accreditation status and a compliance report, indicating substantial
and satisfactory compliance with the recommendations of the Level I Accreditation
Survey Team, the schedule for a Level II Reaccreditation survey visit may be set.
2. A self-survey report and ratings on the eight (8)/nine (9) areas will have to be
accomplished again and submitted to the PACUCOA secretariat.
3. The accreditors are expected to study the documents submitted by the school including
the compliance report and the self-survey instruments before the visit.
Procedures
1. Upon approval of the dates of the survey visit, the chairman of the survey executive
committee shall inform the academic community of the visit to generate maximum
awareness, preparation and participation.
2. The Survey Executive Committee shall see to the readiness and availability of the
following.
2.1 the accreditors work headquarters, complete with adequate amenities;
2.2 the necessary exhibits and other evidences in support of the self-survey report;
2.3 the availability of the officers, faculty, staff, students and alumni of the school who may
be interviewed by the accreditors;
2.4 call slips for interview schedules;
2.5 syllabi, class registers, and seat plans for class visitation.
3. The team chairman prepares the schedule of activities during the survey visit in
consultation with the survey executive committee chairman upon arrival. The schedule
usually includes an orientation meeting with the members of the survey executive
committee, separate dialogues with students, parents, alumni and faculty
representatives together with non-teaching staff, examination of exhibits, ocular visits
of facilities, class observation and interviews, post accreditation conference and exit
meeting with the administrators.
4. The accrediting team verifies the self-survey report by reviewing the exhibits, observing
classes, conducting formal and informal interviews/dialogues with the constituents of
the school and community members and ocular visits.
5. The accrediting team prepares a report and submits the same to the PACUCOA
secretariat not later than two weeks after the visit.

6. The PACUCOA Board of Directors deliberates on the report and acts on it. The action of
the Board of Directors may either be one of the following options.
6.1 The school may be given Level II Reaccredited status for five years.
6.2 The school may be given Level II Reaccredited Status for five years on condition
that it submits a periodic report on its compliance with the recommendations of
the accrediting team.
6.3 The Board of Directors may defer action on the program for six months to one
year pending substantial compliance with the recommendations of the
accrediting team.
7. PACUCOA transmits the action of the Board of Directors as well as the chairmans report
to the school.
8. FAAP is officially informed of the Board of Directors decision for certification purposes.
E. LEVEL III REACCREDITATION VISIT
Policy Statements
1. A Level II Reaccredited Status should have been attained by the program with a general
average rating of at least 4.0 and a mean numerical rating of at least 4.0 in each area of
survey.
2. Within two years after the grant of Level II Reaccredited Status, a qualified program can
apply for a Level III visit by complying with the following requirements:
The school submits its compliance report, showing its full compliance
with the recommendations during the previous accreditation visit.
The school submits the pre-requisite documents, 60 days before the
schedule of the visit to prove its compliance with the first two
mandatory criteria and two optional criteria as follows:
2.1 For undergraduate programs.
Mandatory

Criteria
Criterion # 1
Criterion # 2

Criterion # 3
Criterion # 4
Criterion # 5
Optional

Criterion # 6
Criterion # 7

Description
a reasonably high standard of instruction;
a highly visible community outreach program;
and evidences on two of the five optional criteria
chosen from the following:
a highly visible research tradition;
a strong faculty and staff development tradition;
a creditable performance of graduates in the
licensure examinations during the last four years;
a working network with prestigious local and
international institutions/ organizations; and
extensive and functional library and other learning
resource facilities.

2.2 For graduate programs:

Mandatory

Criteria
Criterion # 1
Criterion # 2

Criterion # 3
Criterion # 4
Criterion # 5
Optional

Criterion # 6
Criterion # 7

Description
a reasonably high standard of instruction;
a highly visible research tradition;
and evidences on two of the five optional criteria
chosen from the following:
a highly visible community outreach program;
a strong faculty and staff development tradition;
a creditable performance of graduates in the
licensure examinations during the last four years;
a working network with prestigious local and
international institutions/ organizations; and
extensive and functional library and other learning
resource facilities.

2.3 For Elementary and High School programs:

Mandatory

Criteria
Criterion # 1
Criterion # 2

Criterion # 3
Criterion # 4
Criterion # 5
Optional

Criterion # 6
Criterion # 7

Description
a reasonably high standard of instruction;
a strong faculty and staff development tradition;
and evidences on two of the five optional criteria
chosen from the following:
a highly visible community outreach program;
a highly visible research tradition;
a creditable performance of graduates in the
licensure examinations during the last four years;
a working network with prestigious local and
international institutions/ organizations; and
extensive and functional library and other learning
resource facilities.

Procedures
1. Upon approval of the dates of the survey visit, the chairman of the survey executive
committee shall inform the academic community of the visit to generate maximum
awareness, preparation and participation from them.
2. The Survey Executive Committee shall see to the readiness and availability of the
following:
2.1 the accreditors work headquarters, complete with adequate amenities;
2.2 the necessary exhibits and other evidences in support of the self-survey report and the
additional criteria for level III reaccreditation;
2.3 the availability of the officers, faculty, staff, students and alumni of the school who may
be interviewed by the accreditors;
2.4 call slips for interview schedules;
2.5 syllabi, class registers, and seat plans for class visitation.

3. The accrediting team chairman prepares the schedule of activities during the survey visit
in consultation with the survey executive committee chairman upon arrival. The
schedule usually includes an orientation meeting with the members of the survey
executive committee, separate dialogues with students, alumni and faculty
representatives together with non-teaching staff, examination of exhibits, ocular visits
of facilities, class observation, and interviews, post accreditation conference and exit
meeting with the administrators.
4. The accrediting team verifies the self-survey report by reviewing the exhibits, assessing
the evidences, observing classes, conducting formal and informal interviews/dialogues
with the constituents of the school and community members and ocular visits.
5. The accrediting team prepares a report and submits the same to the PACUCOA
secretariat not later than two weeks after the visit.
6. The PACUCOA Board of Directors deliberates on the report and acts on it. The action of
the Board of Directors may either be one of the following options:
6.1 The program may be granted Level III Reaccredited Status for five years.
6.2 The Board of Directors may defer action on the program for six months to one
year pending full compliance with the recommendations of the accrediting
team.
6.3 The program may be granted level II reaccredited status.
7. PACUCOA transmits the action of the Board of Directors as well as the chairmans report
to the school.
8. FAAP is officially informed of the Board of Directors decision for certification purposes.
F. LEVEL IV ACCREDITATION VISIT
Policy Statements
1. After 5 years of Level III reaccredited status, a program may apply for Level IV visit six (6)
months before the 5-year status expires.
2. A self-survey report on the nine (9) areas of survey will have to be accomplished again
and submitted to the PACUCOA secretariat together with narrative responses with
appropriate documentations on the following six (6) criteria for Level IV, 60 days before
the scheduled visit:
Criterion 1.
Excellent Outcomes in Teaching and Learning
Criterion 2.
Research Productivity as Tool for Institutional Effectiveness
Criterion 3.
Community Service
Criterion 4.
Linkages and Consortia
Criterion 5.
Career Planning and Development for Students
Criterion 6.
Planning Process
3. If the mean ratings in all the self-survey areas and in all the six (6) criteria are at least
4.00, the program is granted Level IV accredited status; if the rating is lower than 4.00,
the program is retained in Level III reaccredited status for 5 years.

G. GUIDELINES FOR INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION

Eligibility Criteria for Institutional Accreditation
1. The Arts and Sciences, Business and Education programs should have been granted
Level III reaccredited status. For standalone or monolithic institutions which do not offer
the traditional courses such as Arts and Sciences, Business and Education, its core
program/s must be on Level III status. At least one of the programs should have been
granted level IV accredited status.
2. 75% of the HEIs program offerings should be accredited. The accredited programs may
have Level I or Level II status. Programs where there are no existing evaluation
instruments will not be included in the computation.
3. Majority of the total student population should be enrolled in the accredited programs.
New program offerings which do not have graduates yet, will not be included in the
computation.
4. The performance of graduates in licensure examinations in the accredited programs
should be at par with or above the national passing average for at least five consecutive
board examinations.
5. The HEI should have well developed quality assurance mechanisms.
Procedures:
1. The accrediting agency informs the school that it is eligible to apply for Institutional
Accreditation.
2. The agency sends the criteria to the HEI and determines the time frame within which
the institution should submit the documents.
3. No visitation is required for those invited to apply for Institutional Accreditation.
Submitted documents will suffice.
4. The accrediting agency reviews the documents submitted and verifies compliance with
the criteria set by FAAP for institutional accreditation.
5. If the eligibility criteria have been met, the accrediting agency recommends to the FAAP
that the accredited program be granted Institutional Accreditation. In the event that the
school is accredited by two accrediting agencies, the recommendation to grant
institutional accreditation shall be done by the accrediting agency where majority of the
programs were accredited. In cases where the number of accredited programs are
shared equally by two accrediting agencies, then the recommendation to grant
institutional accreditation shall be done by the two accrediting agencies concerned.
6. The FAAP Board during a regular meeting shall review the report submitted by the
agency and certify that the institution has been granted institutional accreditation. The
new status shall be co-terminus with the number of years granted to a program during
the last accreditation visit. Subsequent re-survey visits will be institutional, except for
programs such as Engineering, Medicine and Nursing because of covenant agreements
with other countries or organizations.
7. FAAP shall issue the corresponding certificate attesting that the HEI is now
institutionally accredited.

5. What are the 10 criteria used during the assessment of the program?
There are ten (10) criteria (areas) that are used in the assessment of programs. The criteria may
differ from one agency to another, as might their application, but the scope of the review based on the
areas covered by the standards of each agency is almost identical.
PAASCU
Purposes and objectives
Faculty

PACU-COA
Philosophy and Objectives
Faculty

AACCUP
Mission, goals and objectives
Faculty

Instruction

Instruction

Curriculum and Instruction

Library

Library

Library

Research

Research

Research

Laboratories

Laboratories

Laboratories

Physical Plant
Student Services

Physical Plant and Facilities

Student Services

Physical Facilities
Students

School and Community

Involvement
Administration

Social Orientation and

Community Involvement
Organization and
Administration

Extension and Community

Involvement
Administration

6. How are the standards of accreditation being measured?

Accrediting agencies judge an institution not by comparison with other institutions but primarily
by the degree to which each institutions own avowed philosophy and objectives, vision-mission are
matched by actual practice in the various areas being evaluated.
PAASCU, for example, has stipulated standards that are being followed. It does not impose
arbitrary standards. The survey forms developed by PAASCU identify principles and practices which are
found in excellent institutions. The statements in the survey forms are more qualitative rather than
quantitative. The Association does not have specific formulas to apply or particular patterns of
organization to follow. The criteria and survey instruments are merely tools to help the school measure
educational quality. They are intended to serve as a guide for institutions as they strive for excellence
and for accreditors as they assess institutional achievement. The standards reflect a realistic appraisal of
the school's resources and their efficient utilization to help the institution achieve its goals.
According to the PAASCU standards, much emphasis is placed on the formulation of the schools
purposes and objectives. Only when its goals are clear can the school discover the extent to which such
purposes and objectives are being achieved. Essential in the Accreditation process is the self-survey
made by an institution applying for Accreditation. The self-survey is an analysis by its own staff of the
institution's educational resources and effectiveness in relation to its own purposes and objectives.
PAASCU judges an institution not by comparison with other institutions but primarily by the degree to

which each institutions own avowed purposes are matched by actual practice in the various areas being
evaluated. Thus, a school is judged on the basis of the total pattern presented by it.

7. What is the difference between the institutional accreditation and program accreditation?
In the Philippines, it was decided to focus on the accreditation of academic programmes as
opposed to institutional accreditation. In programme accreditation, the point of reference is the
teaching offer. For example, a college of arts and science, business administration or teaching training
may be accredited in an institution, but its engineering college may not be. In programme accreditation,
the emphasis is on the curriculum of the academic program that is being accredited and how the
curriculum is being implemented. However, it does not mean that the institutional and administrative
operations are not taken into account in the accreditation process. In fact, the support operation for
academic programmes such as student services, alumni, library and laboratory facilities, registrar and
admission system, financial operation and organizational structure are the major components that are
analyzed in an academic-based accrediting system.
On the other hand, in institutional accreditation, the focus of attention is on the characteristics
of the whole organization and on the manner in which it responds to the requirements of the various
academic units in the pursuit of excellence. The organizational structure, and the officials that occupy
various positions, are evaluated in relation to the needs of the academic units. The financial system,
physical facilities, library, student services, alumni affairs, community services, etc. are delved into
through institutional accreditation.
Since academic programmes in higher-education institutions are closely related to the practice
of the profession, professional associations have significant say in the preparation of the accreditation
instrument and process. For example, in the groundwork of accrediting maritime educational
institutions, the officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Philippine Association of
Maritime Institutions (PAMI), the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), coastguard
and manning companies were all consulted. Likewise, in the process of accreditation, these offices are
duly represented to make sure that the quality in maritime institutions is consistent with industrial
requirements. In the accreditation of teacher-education institutions, the Philippine Association for
Teacher Education (PAFTE) is also heavily involved in the continuous refinements of the accreditation
instrument and in the process of accreditation. Thus, because of the concern to respond to the
requirements of the different professions, accreditation in the Philippines puts its focus on accreditation
of academic programmes and not on institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation is only
possible if all of the academic programmes are already accredited.
With such large number of academic programmes in higher education in the Philippines, no
institution can immediately undergo accreditation of all programmes. Higher-education institutions
generally start with the accreditation of liberal arts, commerce and teacher education where there is
substantial enrolment and where they operate close to the market. After these three programmes,
other academic programmes such as engineering, nursing, medical technology, etc. may follow.
No accrediting association is equipped with all of the necessary instruments for accreditation in
all areas because of the production of each being fairly expensive. Therefore, even if private higher

education would aim to have all of its programmes accredited, it would not be possible because of the
absence of the accreditation instrument. To this day, for instance, no accrediting association has an
instrument in medicine, in specialized fields of engineering such as sanitary engineering and mining
engineering, and there are others.
The fact is that the private higher-education system in the Philippines exists on a self-reliant
basis and responds continuously to the needs of business and industry and to the practice of the
profession. Academic-based accreditation is being implemented by the various accrediting associations.
Discussion has been initiated recently to consider fixing a specific number of accredited
programmes that would then allow Level IV accreditation to be the basis for institutional accreditation.
Institutions could thus obtain accreditation if they had a fixed number of programmes with accredited
status.

8. What are the three (3) preliminary requirements for accreditation?

An educational institution committed to institutional self-improvement through the guidance of
certain school accreditors may request to become an Applicant Institution.

Application letter from the President or Director of the Institution, addressed to the PAASCU
Board of Directors.
Submission of the documents supporting the institutions case for acceptance should include the
institution's objectives, history, organizational structure and by-laws, principal administrators,
number of faculty members, number of students, and any other
materials/brochures/manuals/publications.
Payment of an application fee.
For private schools, the school must also submit DECS/CHED certificate of recognition.
Other Specific Accreditation Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

SEC registration, Articles of Incorporation and Approved by-Laws.

Listings of Officers and Members of the governing board
Board resolution authorizing the submission of application for CHED recognition
Short history of the organization and its works.
Listings of the member accrediting agencies.
Description of accreditation process as done by member agencies
Full set of accreditation instruments used by its member agencies
Sample self-evaluation reports and sample of Chairmans report of actual survey
Description of training processes and procedures of accreditors of its member agencies
If a network/federation is new and has not functioned yet, it should submit
documentations to show CHED that it is able do its functions.

Processes

Within two months from application and submission of all the required documents.
CHED for valid reasons may grant provisional recognition to federation/network subject
to annual review.
The federations/networks recognized by CHED shall be subject to periodic review every
five years or as the need arises.
Federations/networks found not conforming with the policies and guidelines of this
CMO shall be required by CHED to comply within six months after notification
After due process is observed, CHED may limit, suspend or withdraw recognition of a
federation/network.

9. What are the minimum standards set by DepEd/CHED for accreditation in the following areas:
undergraduate and graduate?
The CHED has its scheme of quality assurance when colleges and universities submit themselves
to voluntary accreditation through the four accrediting agencies: the Philippine Association of
Accrediting Agencies of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the Philippine Association of
Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA), the Association of Christian Schools
and Colleges (ACSC), the Accrediting Association of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the
Philippines (AACCUP), all under the umbrella of the Federation of Accrediting Agency of the Philippines
(FAAP).
The CHED recognizes only the FAAP-certified accreditation of the four accrediting agencieswithout necessarily encroaching on the academic autonomy of the latter.
The individual higher education institution in the Philippines confers the degrees. State
universities and colleges are authorized to confer degrees by virtue of their respective charter. Similarly,
the CHED-supervised institutions and local universities and colleges, classified as public institutions, are
allowed to confer degrees. The private higher education institutions are authorized to confer degrees if
their programme offerings have government recognition issued by CHED.
The CHED is mandated to set and enforce minimum standards for programmes and institutions of higher
learning and at the same time, monitor and evaluate their performance for appropriate incentives as
well as imposition of sanctions such as diminution or withdrawal of subsidy, recommendation on the
downgrading or withdrawal of accreditation, programme termination or school closure. The CHED is also
tasked to set standards, policies and guidelines for the creation of new institutions as well as conversion
or elevation of schools to a college or university status.
On the whole, there are two types of accreditation in the Philippines, namely, government
accreditation and private accreditation. Government accreditation is done by CHED which involves the
process of issuance of government authorization to offer programs to the private HEIs in the form of
permit or recognition.
The SUCs do not secure government authority from CHED in offering programs while the CSIs and LCUs
in some instances secure authority when they do not have legal basis for the programs to be offered. In

the case of the private HEIs, permit or recognition is granted to them upon compliance to the minimum
requirements prescribed by CHED for the various programmes. For this purpose, the CHED has Regional
Offices in the different regions of the country assisted by the Regional Quality Assessment Teams
(RQATs) in the different disciplines which are tasked to evaluate the extent of compliance of the HEIs to
the minimum standards.
On the other hand, private accreditation which is voluntary in nature pertains to the
accreditation being done by the private accrediting bodies. Accreditation standards are beyond the
minimum requirements prescribed by CHED for the various programmes. CHED encourages
accreditation by giving HEIs incentives and greater autonomy. Because of the recognition and benefits
which CHED has been extending to HEIs with accredited programmes, accreditation is now viewed as a
means of promoting educational excellence through self-regulation and peer evaluation.
The Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) is the umbrella organization
which is authorized to certify the accredited status of programs granted by the different accrediting
agencies, namely: the Association of Christian Schools and Colleges Accrediting Agency, Inc. (ACSC-AAI),
the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the Philippine
Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA), and the Accrediting
Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACUP).
The major steps in the accreditation process are as follows: (1) institutional self-survey or selfevaluation; (2) preliminary visit (four to six months after the start of self-survey); (3) formal survey visit
(a minimum of six months after preliminary visit); and (4) decision by governing board of accrediting
agency. The levels of accreditation are as follows:

Level I applicant status: for programmes which have undergone a preliminary survey
visit and are certified by the FAAP as being capable of acquiring an accredited status
within two years;
Level II accredited status: for programmes which have been granted accredited status
by any of the member agencies of the FAAP and whose status is certified by the latter;
Level III accredited status: for programmes which have at least been reaccredited and
have met additional requirements based on criteria/guidelines set by FAAP; and
Level IV accredited status: institutions which have distinguished themselves in a broad
area of academic disciplines and enjoy prestige and authority comparable to that of
international universities.

The benefits for the different accreditation levels are as follows:

Level I partial administrative deregulation.

Level II full administrative deregulation, financial deregulation in terms of setting
tuition and other fees, partial curricular autonomy, authority to graduate students
without prior approval of CHED and without need for Special Orders, priority funding
assistance, priority for government subsidy for faculty development, right to use on its
publications or advertisements the word ACCREDITED, and limited
visitation/inspection and/or supervision by CHED.
Level III all the benefits for Level II and full curricular deregulation.

Level IV all the benefits for Levels II and III, award of grants/subsidies from the CHEDs
Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF), and grant of charter or full autonomy

The areas/section of survey are:

For Basic Education Programs

Area I.
Area II.
Area III.
Area IV.
Area V.
Area VI.
Area VII.
Area VIII.
Area IX.

Philosophy and Objectives

Faculty
Instruction
Library
Laboratories
Physical Plant and Facilities
Student Services
Social Orientation and Community Involvement
Organization and Administration

For Collegiate Programs

Area I.
Area II.
Area III.
Area IV.
Area V.
Area VI.
Area VII.
Area VIII.
Area IX.
Area X.

Philosophy and Objectives

Faculty
Instruction
Laboratories
Research
Library
Student Services
Social Orientation and Community Involvement
Physical Plant and Facilities
Organization and Administration

For Graduate Degree Programs

Area I.
Area II.
Area III.
Area IV.
Area V.
Area VI.
Area VII.
Area VIII.

Goals and Objectives

Faculty
Curriculum and Instruction
Research
Students
Library
Administration
Other Resources

For Vocational/Technical Programs

Area I.
Area II.
Area III.
Area IV.
Area V.
Area VI.

Philosophy and Objectives

Trainers/Instructors
Training Standards
Physical Resources
Trainee Services
Organization and Administration