The UP Diliman Quality Assurance (UPD QAO) brought together 26 Quality Assurance Officers from various degree-granting units (DGUs) of UP Diliman at the recently held QA Clinic at the Training Hall of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) last September 09, 2024. For this quarter, the QA Clinic aims to revisit the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Framework and Life Cycle of QA Activities, present the revised QA Competency Development Framework, and give the QA Officers a first-look to the Academic Program Improvement (API) Portal.
Speakers of the QA Clinic – Director Matias of the UPD QAO, Kelvin Mendoza of the Internal Quality Assurance Team, and Ms. Sam Solis of the API Portal Development Team
Kelvin Mendoza, University Extension Specialist III of the Internal Quality Assurance Team facilitated the revisit of the Lifecycle of QA Activities framework initially presented during the 1st QA Clinic last April (see article), mapping out QA activities in each stage of the Program Lifecycle (institution, implementation, revision, and abolition). A survey was conducted on the status of fifteen (15) QA-related activities from the framework. Insights were drawn and presented to the participants, highlighting some observations on the implementation of these programs. This led to a discussion on challenges encountered, support needed, and best practices of the DGUs through which UPD QAO Director Aura Matias emphasized the importance of database systems and keeping past data, synchronizing the timing of leadership and the timing of the iAADS, and foresight for the next cycles. To summarize the session, the participants were reminded that consistent performance across all activities is key to reaching our strategic QA targets.
Director Matias then presented the Revised QA Competency Development Framework as a career path for faculty members to develop their competencies, become leaders, and contribute effectively to the University through QA work. She likened the framework to a ladder – each step an advancement in knowledge, skills, experience, and competencies (core, functional, and technical). Starting from being Implementation Partners to becoming Quality Experts, QA officers will eventually be tapped as external reviewers, as part of the QA Committee, or as director of the QA Office. Director Matias also highlighted the importance of mentorship and encouraging younger faculty to take interest and be part of the University’s QA journey.
For the Academic Program Improvement (API) Portal User Training, developer Ms. Sam Solis, together with project team leader Asst. Prof. Pierre Allan Villena, presented the portal’s core features and supplemental features. The portal was developed with the objective of reducing turnaround time of application to release of results, automating project management, and assisting unit heads and project leaders in determining timelines and disbursements. Once officially released, QA Officers will be able to submit their API applications through the portal. Proponents can look forward to the deliberations this November, with target release of application results by December. The project management modules, which constitute the 2nd phase of the API portal development, are underway and will go live next year.
QA officers and QA practitioners sharing practices and insights from their respective units
Other concerns were also raised during the QA Clinic such as the allotment of Administrative Leave Credits (ALCs), validating and saving information in the iAADS portal, and the institutionalization of the QA Officer position and entitlements.
The QA Clinics provide a venue for the QA Office to provide directions, gather feedback, check on the implementation of QA activities in the respective DGUs, and identify action plans to ensure that the University can deliver the QA strategic goals set at the start of the year.
Throughout the different training programs and communications related to quality assurance (QA), the UPD Quality Assurance Office (UPD-QAO) has always emphasized the importance of aligning stakeholders and working together to achieve its strategic objectives.
The Administrative Staff Program for Institutional Resiliency and Excellence (ASPIRE) program returned for its eighth run, debuting in another campus after successful iterations for the OVPAA, Diliman, Los Baños, and Visayas.
Quality Assurance Officers (QAOs) from the College of Engineering (CoE) teamed up with the UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office (UPD QAO) for their Self-Study Report (SSR) preparations in an SSR Writeshop last May 18-19, 2023 at the UP National Engineering Center.
Officials and program representatives from the Naresuan University in Thailand visited the University of the Philippines Diliman on May 5, 2023 to learn about the accreditation process through the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA).
The UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office (QAO) held a post-assessment meeting last 3 November, 2022 at the Lopez Room of the University Hotel to take stock of the University’s experiences during the recent assessment of the BS Statistics program by the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA).
The Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) program of the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD) underwent external review on October 4-7, 2022 by two AUN-QA trained assessors: Dr. Ma. Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, former Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Dr. Aleli B. Bawagan, former Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs, as part of the Department of Social Work’s external quality assurance (EQA) activities.
