IQuAME: An option or Necessity?

After a successful PAASCU Re-survey visit last year, Sacred Heart College will be undertaking
another challenge: that of fulfilling the requirements of the IQUAME or the Institutional Quality
Assurance through Monitoring and Evaluation. I am writing this thought not because I am
certain about the process and the school’s plan on how to accomplish this nor to show that I
fully understand the whole process. Nevertheless, when mid and key level administrators keep
on talking about this IQUAME, it ignited in me the thirst to know about this IQuAME. It is for this
reason that I decided to scout for documents that will help me to be informed about this latest
buzz around the institution. I was so lucky that I found an article of Mr. Heracleo D. Legarda,
Ph.D., Director III, Office of Programs and Standards, Director-in-Charge, IQuAME,
Commission on Higher Education on the web. I am providing a link to the actual speech he
delivered during the 41st National Convention of the Philippine Association of Graduate
Education (PAGE).
The main question is: “What is this IQuAME and how can it help Sacred Heart College as we
aspire to become a premier institution of Higher Learning in Quezon Province.
On the nature of IQuAME, we can say that it is very much alike what we have undertaken during the
PAASCU Re-survey. Nevertheless, it is also different in the sense that PAASCU is intended to assess the
Program of each institution. On the other hand, IQuAME focuses on the whole efficiency of the institution in
carrying its tasks as well as its programs. This is done to asses, measure and identify the strength of the
institution thereby discovering its readiness to become an autonomous institution. PAASCU re-survey and
other program accreditation must not be seen as insignificant. Accordingly, program accreditation by duly
recognized bodies provides a vital sign on the management of the school as a whole. All in all, IQuAME is
designed to ensure that institutions of higher learning can cope up to the challenges of the present period
thereby making students equipped with the necessary tools and skills to be at par with other students. It
focuses on five key result areas, namely: Governance and Management, Quality of Teaching and
Research, Support for Students, Relations with the Community and Management of Resources.
Sacred Heart College can and will benefit from undergoing such process not merely for compliance to what
is prescribed but for the sake of its ideals, vision and mission. If Sacred Heart College would want to
become a leading tertiary institution in Quezon Province and even in Region IV, it cannot be helped but
undergo such rigorous process all for the welfare of the students, employees and management.
Let me enumerate then my perceived benefits from undergoing IQuAME.
1. A thorough inspection of the present organization and staffing will provide the school minimization
of expenses for posts that duplicate jobs done by other offices. On the other hand, through this,
we can discover new offices that need to be created in order to serve the community and students
well. Furthermore, proper staffing is essential to accomplish the vision and mission of the
institution.
2. Research as always is a perceived problem. Fewer faculty members as I perceived it undertake
research. A thorough look at this problem is essential to ensure that Sacred Heart College remains
a developmental school.
3. Activities for students need also to be inspected in the sense that it needs to empower members
not only officers to become active and not passive receivers. Furthermore, realigning student-
 related activities will answer the decreasing trend of enrollment in the higher education department.
Also, we must also try to focus ourselves in the development of our Sports Program.
4. In terms of its benefit within the Community Extension services of the institution, I have noticed that
adopted communities must also learn to become self-sufficient. After all, CES is intended to help a
certain community to grow mature.
These perceived effects of undergoing IQuAME can only be achieved if we do something to attain
these apparent results. It does not mean however that the institution is not doing enough to answer the
problems at hand. Nevertheless, there is always a room for improvement which we have to do to
respond to the challenges of the modern world and to help our own students.

Accreditation and Assessment

The academic programs (undergraduate and graduate) of De La

Salle University are accredited by the Philippine Accrediting
Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities
(PAASCU) and have been granted Level III and Level IV status for
having demonstrated the highest standards of instruction, research,
and community engagement and having developed wide networks
and linkages with other educational institutions. As an affirmation of
the levels of accreditation achieved by DLSU programs,
the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Republic
of the Philippines has conferred the distinction of Autonomous
Status to DLSU. It has also named nine (9) programs as Centers of
Excellence in the field in the country and seven (7) programs as
Centers of Development.
To date, eight programs of the University have undergone
international assessment by a foreign team of assessors under
the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN
QA) program. All eight programs have attained the prestigious AUN
QA certificates. More programs are scheduled to undergo
international assessment in the near future.
Granting Agency Accredited/Assessed Unit Status

Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Autonomous Status

Republic of the Philippines De La Salle University Award of Distinction
 Biology Center of Excellence

Chemistry Center of Excellence

Filipino Center of Excellence

Information Technology Education Center of Excellence

Literature Center of Excellence

Mathematics Center of Excellence

Physics Center of Excellence

Psychology Center of Excellence

Teacher Education Center of Excellence

Center of
Chemical Engineering Development

Center of
Civil Engineering Development

Center of
Computer Engineering Development

Center of
Electronics and Communications Engineering Development

Center of
Industrial Engineering Development

Center of
Mechanical Engineering Development

Center of
Political Science Development

Accountancy Level III

Philippine Accrediting Association of
Business and Economics Level III
Schools, Colleges, and Universities
(PAASCU) Education Level III

Liberal Arts Level III

Undergraduate Programs Science Level III

 Computer Science Level III

Engineering (Chemical, Civil, Industrial,

Electronics and Communications, Mechanical) Level IV

Manufacturing Engineering and Management Level I

Graduate Programs Education Level III

Liberal Arts Level III

Science Level III

Assessed August
Chemical Engineering 2008

Assessed August
Economics 2008

Assessed November
Chemistry 2010

Assessed November
Literature 2010

Assessed November
Psychology 2010

Assessed November
Applied Corporate Management 2011

Assessed November
Physics 2011

ASEAN University Network – AUN QA Assessed November

Assessment at Programme Level Software Technology 2011

Institutional Recognition, Accreditation, and Assessment Status