University of Makati sets higher standards for accreditation

The University of Makati continues to set higher standards in tertiary education as 10 of its curricular programs were recently accredited by the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation.

UMak president Tomas B. Lopez said this development was another milestone achievement of the city government in its continuing mission to make the best quality of education accessible even to its less privileged constituents.

"The accreditation of our 10 curricular programs is a testament to the quality education that the University of Makati offers its students. It has also added credence to the continuing thrust of educational excellence under the administration of Mayor Jun Binay and, at the same time, validated our firm commitment to providing efficient, first-rate service to the people of Makati," Lopez said.

Lopez said three of the 10 accredited programs were elevated immediately to Level III accreditation after obtaining a high mean total average in the 10 criteria set by ALCUCOA. These are Bachelor of Science in Electrical Technology and Bachelor of Science in Building Technology Management, both under the College of Technology Management. Both got 4.21 percent average rating. The other program is Bachelor of Science in Building and Property Management under the College of Business Administration, with 4.0 percent rating.

The seven other curricular programs got Level II accreditation. These programs include Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management with 3.68 percent rating, B.S. in Accountancy, 3.50 percent, both under the College of Business Administration; B.S. in Computer Network Administration and B.S. in Computer Science major in Application Development, both under the College of Computer Science, each with 3.87 percent rating; and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science under the College of Governance and Public Policy with 3.79 percent rating.

The minimum grand mean required by ALCUCOA is 2.50.

Lopez said the Bachelor of Elementary and Bachelor of Secondary Education under the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, the first two programs that were accredited in 2008, were also elevated to Level II with both earning a 3.79 percent mean average. This accreditation gave UMAK the distinction of being the first local university to have been granted a program accreditation in the National Capital Region and the third university to have successfully passed the rigorous requirements of the ALCUCOA in the entire country.

The said 10 curricular programs were evaluated and rated on the following criteria: governance and administration, faculty, curriculum and instruction, student development and services, entrepreneurship and employability, community extension and services, research, library, laboratories, and physical plan.

The ALCUCOA is one of the national accreditation commissions that rank local colleges and universities. Together with the Accrediting Agencies of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP), the ALCUCOA formed the National Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in 2004 to assure the public of quality education among public institutions of higher learning. ALCUCOA is the accrediting arm of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities.

ALCUCOA and AACCUP are associated with the Asia-Pacific Quality Network and the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, which is based in Dublin, Ireland.

UMAK is a member of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities. – makati.gov.ph