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On providing quality education, “NCF walks the talk,” says QA Director

Author: B.Y. Bacus

Date: November 28, 2022

𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗞│𝗢𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, “𝗡𝗖𝗙 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸,” 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿

“We have certificates to prove that we (NCF) are offering quality education,” Sheila E. Balid-Bordado, quality assurance director and assistant vice president for academic affairs said as she underscored that the battle cry of the Naga College Foundation, Inc., that is, “to provide quality and affordable education”, is substantial, not just a mere marketing slogan.

During the presidential stint of Capt. Roland P. Villanueva, PhD, the eldest son and the successor of the NCF founder, Dr. Melchor T. Villanueva, NCF sealed a membership to the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation, Inc. (PACUCOA), beginning with the Liberal Arts, Commerce, and Education (LACOMED) programs as subjects for accreditation.

“NCF needs a partnership with a third party (PACUCOA), known for its credibility of certification, to assess and help us improve the quality of education and services we offer to our stakeholders and prove the claim that we are providing quality education at the same time,” Bordado said when asked about the rationale of the decade-long membership to PACUCOA.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

Based on the official website of the PACUCOA, the agency classifies itself as a private accrediting agency that gives formal recognition to an educational institution by attesting that its academic program maintains excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives. Additionally, the said private accrediting agency identifies schools whose competence and performance in a particular field warrant public and professional recognition, guides students in the choice of quality schools, colleges, and universities that will meet their individual needs, and helps institutions of learning and professional association in the mission of advancing the interest of education.

PACUCOA perceives accreditation as both a process and a result – encourages high maintenance of educational standards and grants certifications to educational institutions as possessing certain standards of quality. Hence, accreditation is based upon an analysis of the merits of educational operations in the context of the institution’s philosophy and objectives.

The accreditation covers ten (10) areas namely, Philosophy and Objectives of the Institution, Organization and Administration, Faculty, Instruction, Laboratories, Library, Physical Plant and Facilities, Student Services and Social Orientation, Community Development, and Research. These primarily assess what NCF has been doing and developing per area that aims to address the demands and needs of the stakeholders, particularly the students.

According to Bordado, accreditation provides formal recognition of the quality of the academic program across the region and country. It also initiates the sustainability of educational standards as it encourages planning, identifies areas that should be changed and improved, and imparts substantial information that can be utilized as bases for deciding matters and promulgating policies.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Presently, NCF is offering a total of 30 programs, distributed among nine (9) colleges that deal with various fields, professions, and disciplines. Out of 30 programs, 14 programs or 46.67% of the total number of programs have already earned recognition from the PACUCOA to date.

The Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) program ranks as the highest accredited program at NCF that having been recently granted Level IV accredited status. It makes history as the first BEED program that has reached Level IV PACUCOA accreditation in the entire Bicol Region.

According to the PACUCOA website, the highest accreditation is Level IV, which means that for the duration of the accredited status, the higher education institution has full autonomy for the Level IV program and has the authority to offer new graduate programs allied to existing Level IV programs.

Meanwhile, the NCF, through President Mario C. Villanueva is slated to receive the award as the ‘First Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) Program to have been granted Level IV Accredited Status in Region V’ on December 2, 2022, in connection with the celebration of the 49th founding anniversary and 33rd annual general assembly of the said accrediting agency.

Other PACUCOA-accredited programs of NCF are as follows:

• Bachelor of Science in Criminology – Level III (First Reaccredited Status)

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Level II (Second Reaccredited Status)

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Level II (Third Reaccredited Status)

• Liberal Arts – Level II (Third Reaccredited Status)

• Master of Arts in Education – Level II (First Reaccredited Status)

• Master of Science in Criminology – Level II (First Reaccredited Status)

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Level II (First Reaccredited Status)

• Bachelor of Secondary Education – Level II (First Reaccredited Status)

• Doctor of Philosophy – Candidate Status

• Bachelor of Science in Information System – Associate Status

• Master in Business Administration – Associate Status

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering – Associate Status

• Master in Public Administration – Associate Status

On January 19 to 21, 2023, NCF is scheduled to undergo the Remote Virtual Accreditation (RVA) for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Level III) and Doctor of Philosophy (Level I) programs.

Bachelor of Business Administration (Level III) and Liberal Arts (Level III), on the other hand, are set to be visited by the PACUCOA on or before October 2023.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

Accreditation of programs shares sufficient services to the stakeholders of academic institutions aside from its premier benefit of dispensing high-quality and globally-competitive education.

According to Bordado, the release of transcripts of record and other pertinent school documents of students, enrolled in an accredited program, is way faster than the non-accredited programs. It is because the issuance of a Special Order (SO) attached to the transcripts of record and other pertinent school documents, which only CHED can process and release, is optional for at least Level I accredited programs. The non-issuance of SO makes the release of the documents faster.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵

Being true to their commitment to providing quality education, NCF reviews every single detail of strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations laid out by the accreditors on the Chairman’s Report. The review of the Chairman’s Report serves as a guide for NCF to improve on the ten areas, sustain the enumerated strengths, and turn the listed weaknesses into opportunities to grow more than what is expected of NCF for the next visit.

“Upon the receipt of the chairman’s report, a meeting is set, to be attended by the dean of the college, coordinator of the accredited program, and the chairpersons of the ten areas… We plan how to address the weaknesses and establish a timeline to work on the recommendations before the next visit of the accreditors. NCF complies with all the recommendations of the PACUCOA, as compliance serves as a requirement for the next visit. If we fail to take actions regarding the weaknesses and recommendations, our request for higher accreditation or reaccreditation of a certain program will be dismissed,” Bordado discussed.

“I am more than grateful to the chairperson of each area and the esteemed members of the academic council for their undying support and significant contributions to our accreditation endeavors. More than the achievements, it is the people behind the accreditation that make the academic successes of NCF worthwhile,” Bordado said as she shared her immense joy for what she considered the “triumph of their labor.”

Moreover, the Quality Assurance Office, headed by Bordado, targets to surpass a 50%-goal of accredited programs and eyes to secure one institutional accreditation in the forthcoming academic years.

When asked about her major realization as the school’s accreditation officer, Bordado said, “Accreditation influences administrative and academic policies-we improve, we do annual curriculum review, and some of the institutional undertakings written in the action plan are influenced by the accreditation.”

“Accreditation also proves that education manifests beyond classrooms. We perceive education as mere instruction, but instruction is only one area of education, based on accreditation. There are other nine areas which testify that education promotes holistic formation and development of learners, which can also happen outside the classrooms,” Bordado concluded.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗖𝗙 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹:

𝗠𝗦. 𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗠𝗔 𝗣. 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔

Director, Presidential Affairs Office

Chairperson, Area I: Philosophy and Objectives

𝗠𝗦. 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗨 𝗥. 𝗟𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗦

Head, Property Management Office

Chairperson, Area IV: Laboratories

𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗥 𝗥. 𝗖𝗔𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗡, 𝗣𝗵𝗗

Director, Research and Extension Office

Chairperson, Areas V and VIII: Research and Social Orientation and Community Involvement

𝗘𝗠𝗠𝗔 𝗚. 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗡, 𝗥𝗟, 𝗠𝗦𝗟𝗦