Participants during the last synchronous session of the QASAR Writeshop.
The UPOU Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (UPOU OVCAA), through its Quality Assurance Team, supervised the overall conduct of the Quality Assurance through Self-Assessment Report (QASAR) Writeshop from 15 August until 31 December 2022.
The writeshop was designed to help the people behind the programs to become familiarized with the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) framework for the purpose of completing the program’s Self-Assessment Report (SAR). Implemented through the QASAR course site and a series of synchronous sessions, the writeshop was participated by the members of the SAR writing teams of all UPOU programs.
The QASAR course site administered through the UPOU MyPortal encompassed resource materials and activities that will guide the SAR writing team in reviewing their respective programs by presenting their gap analyses and drafting the self-assessment reports. The course site served as a platform for the submission of outputs and the exchange of ideas through the discussion forum page.
The programs were assigned with two tracks, each handled by a facilitator. Track A (Advanced) is for those who have completed 70-100% SAR completion, whereas Track B (Basic) is for those who have completed 0-69% of the SAR. A series of one-hour scheduled synchronous sessions via Zoom Meetings provided an avenue to ask clarificatory questions and share their practices in data collection and possible evidence to be included in the iAADS+ portal.
The iAADS+ portal is a centralized online platform developed by the UP system to help academic units prepare for the accreditation or assessment of their degree programs. As part of the External Quality Assurance (EQA) initiative of the UP System, selected members of the UPOU SAR Writing Teams were given access to the portal to consolidate the gathered data and evidence essential for the SAR.
To cap-off the overall QASAR writeshop activity, certificates of completion and participation were given to the participants. As part of the accomplishment and continuation of the SAR, the UPOU Programs will be scheduling external quality assurance activities starting this 2023.
Written by Ammanessi Lapitan
Edited by Primo Garcia and Yasele Yambao