UST has most number of Level 4 programs in PH
THE University of Santo Tomas (UST) has the highest number of accredited programs in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the entire Philippines from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa), an indication of its commitment to quality education, a university official said.
UST Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Cheryl Peralta said the recognitions from Pacucoa attest to the university’s commitment to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement.
“It is indeed our honor to be consistently recognized by Pacucoa as having the most accredited programs, the most number of programs with the highest level of accreditation, and our graduates’ outstanding performance in the licensure examinations. Such recognitions bring great pride to the Thomasian community, clearly manifesting God’s unending grace to the university,” she said in a written statement emailed to The Manila Times on Tuesday.
Pacucoa said UST has the highest number of accredited programs at Level 4, the highest possible rating given to programs “with prestige and authority comparable to similar programs in excellent foreign universities.”
A Level 4 program is granted full autonomy for the duration of its accredited status.
During the accreditation body’s 50th anniversary celebration and 34th General Assembly at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Dec. 1, 2023, UST was also recognized for producing topnotchers in the recent Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) licensure examinations for its BS Medical Technology, BS Accountancy, BS Nutrition and Dietetics, and BS Architecture programs.
The community outreach/extension program of the College of Science, titled “Cheers to Laudato si’: Care for our common home through environmental expedition integrating the role of service-learning,” obtained second prize.
Respected academic individuals from the university were also recognized during the gathering, including Dean Emeritus Carmen Kanapi, PhD, who received a posthumous award for service.
Faculty of Pharmacy professors Aleth Therese Dacanay, Frieda Hapan and Edilberto Manahan, and Graduate School academic staff Prof. Belen Tangco were given service awards. Prof. Lucila Bance was named Outstanding Accreditor.
“These awards attest to the university’s commitment to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement. The university puts a lot of premium on internal and external quality assurance efforts to continuously and collaboratively harness its strengths and address points of improvement to serve its stakeholders in the best possible way,” Peralta said.
UST Academic Programs Quality Assurance Office Director Asst. Prof. Marife Narcida said, “These awards validate the university’s commitment to excellence.”
“We appreciate the hard work, commitment, and dedication of all academic units for engaging in continuous quality improvement for the benefit of the Thomasian students,” she said.
UST, the Pontifical, Royal, and Catholic University of the Philippines, is a Dominican institution founded on April 28, 1611. It offers 63 undergraduate programs, 105 undergraduate specializations, 40 graduate programs and 75 graduate specializations. UST students number anywhere between 42,000 and 44,000 students.