5 UPD undergraduate programs complete external quality review visits

  • Written by: Vixey Marie Lema & Charles Jason C. Ramos
  • Photos by: Arlyh F. Hirao, Michelle S. Lagare & Michael I. Baguisa
  • October 30, 2025
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Five academic programs from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) and the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business (VSB) successfully completed the 3rd External Quality Review Visit held from October 13 to 15, 2025 in the University of the Philippines Diliman. The programs that underwent the review included the Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology), Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Science (Psychology), Bachelor of Arts (Sociology), and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, CSSP Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico, VSB Dean Maria Regina Lucia M. Lizares, and QAO Director Aura C. Matias posed for a photo with the External Quality Review team and SAR teams.

The programs underwent an External Quality Assessment (EQA) Type A and C, conducted by a team of distinguished External Quality Reviewers (EQR) from various constituent universities (CU) within the UP System. Under EQA Type A, the reviewers come from the same CU as the programs being evaluated, while Type C involves reviewers from different CUs.

The EQR Team was headed by Chief and Lead EQR Dr. Corazon L. Abansi of UP Baguio, who, along with Assoc. Prof. Ivy D. Suan of VSB, reviewed the BA Anthropology program. The BA Sociology program was evaluated by Lead EQR Prof. Emeritus Irene M. Villaseñor; she was joined by Asst. Prof. Gladys Wina B. Nocon from the Asian Institute of Tourism. Dr. Philip Ian P. Padilla of UP Visayas, led the review of the BA Psychology program, with Asst. Prof. Ronnie H. Encarnacion from the School of Urban and Regional Planning. For the BS Psychology program, Dr. Nina M. Cadiz of UP Los Baños was joined by Asst. Prof. Glennie Marie M. Sina-on Jazmin from the College of Social Work and Community Development. The BS Business Administration program was reviewed by Dr. Evangeline C. Amor from the Institute of Chemistry; she is joined by Asst. Prof. Anna Patricia R. Carranza from the College of Music.

UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II expressed his full support for the programs that boldly embraced the external quality review process. In his message during the opening session, he highlighted the significant progress UP has made since the beginning of its quality assurance journey in 2015.

Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II delivered a message during the opening session at Pilar Herrera Hall, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

Also present in full support were UPD Quality Assurance Office (QAO) Director Aura C. Matias, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico, Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business Dean Maria Regina Lucia M. Lizares, the self-assessment report (SAR) Teams, and the academic and support staff of each program.

Following the opening session, the review continued with a series of in-person meetings with the college administration, SAR teams, and the academic and support staff of the programs. Through these closed-door interviews, the EQRs were able to evaluate how the university supports its faculty and staff, particularly in terms of access to resources, institutional support, and feedback mechanisms, and how it empowers them to serve UP’s stakeholders. The visit also included thorough site inspections of facilities. The UPD QAO facilitated the university-level tour, which covered units where students usually have transactions, such as the University Health Service, Office of the University Registrar, Office of Counseling and Guidance, and Office of Scholarship and Grants. At the program level, designated commentators guided the EQRs through the facilities specific to each academic unit.

The External Quality Review team visited the University Health Service, Office of the University Registrar, Office of Counseling and Guidance, and Office of Scholarships and Grants to look at their facilities and interview staff about services.

The SAR Teams of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy and Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business organized tours of their facilities for visitation by the external quality reviewers.

On the second day of the review visit, the EQRs held virtual focus group discussions with the alumni and employers from each program. The conversations explored how well the programs prepared alumni for their respective career paths and met employer expectations regarding the knowledge, skills, and competencies of the graduates.

Each pair of EQR presented their preliminary findings, which featured the strengths and areas for improvement of each degree program, during the closing session held on the third and final day of the visit. The session was attended by UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia, UPD QAO Director Aura C. Matias, and the Deans of CSSP and VSB, along with their students, faculty members, and staff.

In her wrap-up presentation, Chief EQR Dr. Abansi commended the programs for their hard work and dedication throughout the review visit and urged them to aim for greater heights as they reflect on the findings and implement necessary improvements. Echoing this call, Chancellor Vistan and Director Matias reaffirmed their commitment to support the programs as they build on their progress. Chancellor Vistan expressed confidence that these steady efforts will lead to the completion of the first round of EQA for all 78 undergraduate programs of UP Diliman.

The SAR teams and their external quality reviewers posed for a group photo with Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, Vice Chancellor Adeline A. Pacia, and QAO Director Aura C. Matias during the closing session.

For guidance on the conduct of EQA activities, please contact the UPD QAO External Quality Assurance Team via email at eqa_qao.upd@up.edu.ph.

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