SIX PROGRAMS under the Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) are seeking their first Level IV accreditation, the highest distinction from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), by the third cycle in 2026.
AB Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan said the faculty has filed its request to PACUCOA for the accreditation visit, which is expected to take place between February and March 2026, depending on the schedule of other programs.
The six programs vying for Level IV accreditation are Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Communication, Journalism, Political Science and Sociology.
“These are the programs that were formerly Level III, so they will try to apply for their first Level IV accreditation,” Turingan told The Flame.
One of the criteria chosen by the programs is Criterion 2, which refers to the faculty’s research productivity and its impact on institutional effectiveness, the dean said.
“For Level IV, the programs really focus on research. I think our faculty are confident that they’ve been able to produce a good number of articles or books in reputable journals and publications over the last five years,” she added.
Under PACUCOA’s guidelines, a program with Level III reaccredited status for five years may apply for Level IV accreditation at least six months before its current status expires.
Programs must submit a self-survey report on nine evaluation areas, along with documentation addressing six key criteria: excellent outcomes in teaching and learning, research productivity as a tool for institutional effectiveness, community service, linkages and consortia, career planning and development for students and planning processes.
Programs that achieve a mean rating of at least 4.00 in all areas and criteria are granted Level IV accredited status. Those that fall below this threshold remain Level III reaccredited for another five years.
Turingan noted that the accreditation was initially scheduled for the previous year but was postponed following administrative changes, as program-level accreditation duties were transferred to the Office of Planning and Quality Management.
The dean added that a self-assessment tool is used to evaluate each program’s current standing and areas for improvement.
“The mere fact that we were able to rate ourselves and see that we are eligible to apply for accreditation or renewal means that we are continuing the good practices we’ve established in the past,” she said.
Reaccreditation sought for six more programs
In addition to the six programs applying for Level IV accreditation, Economics, Legal Management, Literature and Philosophy are also seeking a second reaccreditation in the same distinction, while English Language Studies and History have applied for Level II reaccreditation.
Meanwhile, the Creative Writing program has applied for Candidate Status, which, if granted, would allow it to apply for formal accreditation within two years.
Programs that were granted the Level IV status are those that have been highly respected as very high academic programs in the Philippines and with prestige and authority comparable to similar programs in excellent foreign universities.
They will enjoy full autonomy for the duration of its accredited status, as well as authority to offer new graduate programs allied to existing Level IV courses, open learning or distance education and extension classes without need for prior approval by the Commission on Higher Education.
According to Turingan, the accreditation serves as an assurance to stakeholders and prospective students that AB continues to provide quality education through research, community engagement, internationalization and effective teaching.
“It’s one way also to look into the possibility of attaining our CHED Center of Excellence, and at the same time, to strengthen the university’s institutional recognition for having most of its programs accredited by national or international agencies,” she added.
The PACUCOA is a private, voluntary, non-stock, and non-profit accrediting body that grants formal recognition to academic programs demonstrating excellence and continuous improvement in educational standards. F
