UP Quality Assurance

The University recognizes that to sustain academic excellence, a quality assurance system will enable it to continuously enhance the quality and relevance of its academic programs. The UP Quality Assurance (QA) System, previously known as the Academic Assessment and Development System (AADS), aims to assure the UP community, the Filipino public as well as national and international stakeholders that UP programs and delivering units meet standards of academic excellence as currently defined within the changing context of local, national, regional and global developments that have had profound impact on universities worldwide.

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) External Quality Assurance (EQA)
Definition Summarizes all mechanisms, instruments and systems for quality assurance which are within the higher education institution and ensure that the institution or programmes are meeting their own standards and objectives. Is localized outside of the higher education institution. It can therefore be anything related to quality assurance that is driven from outside the institution and which evaluates or assesses the institution as a whole or in regard to a certain topic.

EQA can be compulsory, as in regulated by law or voluntary.

UP Platform iAADS Portal iAADS+ Portal
Activity Accomplishment of the iAADS module in the iAADS Portal Self- Assessment Report (SAR) writing (using evidences stored in the iAADS+ Portal), Assessment or accreditation by an external assessor/auditor/reviewer or an
accreditation/assessment body
Output iAADS Report SAR and the certification status/accreditation or assessment certificate
Level Academic Unit Degree Program
When it is conducted? Every three years Renewable every 5 years (or depending on the accreditation/assessment body)

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Internal Assessment

Renamed as Internal Academic Assessment and Development System (iAADS) in 2011, academic assessment of the core academic functions of departments/institutes is part of the commitment of the University of the Philippines System for academic excellence. UP’s knowledge development strategic plan is supported by the OVPAA through different mechanisms such as internal self assessment and external quality certification/accreditation on the national, regional and international levels. Regular academic assessment is essential for self-improvement for national and global competitiveness.

Academic assessment is systematic, structured, and continuous. All effective academic assessment is designed to demonstrate that the department/institute achieved its stated vision, mission, and goals (VMG). All assessment metrics are further categorized as input, process, and outcome. Input refers to resources, process to programs/services/activities, and outcome to what is actually measured. Improving the quality of the outcome would depend on improving the quality of the processes as well as the quality of the input. Using the information generated by the academic assessment, post-assessment (PA) and strategic planning (SP) ensue to maintain or improve academic quality. The PA/SP will aid in the preparation for external benchmarking and external quality certification and/or accreditation.

Go to iAADS Portal

     

Read iAADS Manual

The Post-Assessment Procedure for Internal Quality Assurance was developed to guide the next steps of academic units after an internal review. This document underscores the nature of QA as a continuous process of evaluation and improvement following the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle. It also provides a template and possible references for conducting strategic planning activities.

Read Post-Assessment Procedure for IQA

External Assessment

The iAADS+ Portal is a centralized online instrument developed to help degree programs prepare for accreditation, assessment, or other modes of external quality assurance (EQA). It is based on the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) program assessment model, formulated to apply to ASEAN universities, and at the same time, aligned to existing regional and international quality assurance frameworks.

Go to iAADS+ Portal

                       

Read iAADS+ Portal Guide

One of the integral components of the UP QA system along with internal quality assurance (IQA) is external quality assurance (EQA). Simply put, this pertains to the degree program’s participation in accreditation/assessment conducted by individual assessors/auditors/reviewers or a local or international body.

  • Type A: EQA by external reviewers/assessors/accreditors from within the CU
  • Type B: EQA by external reviewers/assessors/accreditors from another CU
  • Type C: EQA by external reviewers/assessors/accreditors within and another CU
  • Type D: EQA by external reviewers/assessors/accreditors from outside UP, may be local or international
  • Type E: EQA by a local assessment/accreditation body (e.g., PAASCU, PACUCOA, PTC-ACBET, etc.)
  • Type F: EQA by an international assessment/accreditation body (e.g., AUN-QA, ABET (Washington Accord for Engineering), KAAB (Canberra Accord for Architecture), etc.)

Read Guide to EQA

The Post-Assessment Procedure for External Quality Assurance was developed to guide the next steps of academic units after external review. This document underscores the nature of QA as a continuous process of evaluation and improvement following the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle. It also provides a template and possible references for conducting strategic planning activities.

Read Post-Assessment Procedure for EQA