Two new UP Open University (UPOU) offices have received approval for the establishment from the UP Board of Regents during its 1378th Meeting held on 23 February 2023. These are the Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning and the Quality Assurance Office.
Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL)
The UPOU Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL) is a response to the changes in the educational, technological, and labor landscapes that UPOU had to address since it offered its courses 100% online in 2007. The CODTL is a streamlined approach to providing academic support to UPOU faculty members and other stakeholders in terms of multimodal formats of learning materials, the changing nature of academic support requirements, changing labor demands, changing curricular structures, changing profile of learners, increasing role of quality assurance in higher education vis-a-vis the role of UPOU in the larger education sector.
CODTL is the reorganization of the UPOU Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services (OASIS) and the UPOU Multimedia Center (MC) into one unit. The former was previously mandated to design and develop print modules, while the latter was to produce multimedia or non-print content, among others. CODTL is mandated to provide academic, technical, and administrative support and services to the design and delivery of academic programs and course for quality, open, accessible, inclusive, flexible higher and continuing education in UPOU and extend learning materials development services to other recognized partner institutions.
CODTL is lodged under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and will be headed by the appointed Director, Dr. Ricardo T. Bagarinao. Under the Director are three Deputy Directors handling the Center’s three sub-offices– Learning Design, Educational Media Production, and Open and Digital Learning Research. An Open and Digital Learning and Teaching Committee (ODTLC) will review and recommend policies, systems, and procedures to the Center, composed of the OVCAA, CODTL Director, CODTL Deputy Directors, Information and Communication Technology Development Office (ICTDO) Director, and Program Development Associates for ODL from the Faculty Offices.
Quality Assurance Office (QAO)
The UPOU Quality Assurance Office (QAO) was established to enhance the culture of quality assurance at UPOU by taking the lead in planning and overseeing continuous improvement in the UPOU QA system and QA-related matters in both the academic and administrative functions of the university. The QAO shall take primary responsibility for ensuring the quality of UPOU”s processes, procedures, and standard of instruction, research, public service, and administration for institutional quality, inclusion, agility and flexibility, public accountability, and trust and administration for institutional confidence.
The QAO will be part of the Office of the Chancellor and will be headed by Assistant Professor Mari Anjeli Crisanto as Director. She will be the Chair of the QA Committee which shall facilitate the implementation of QA initiatives and processes across different units in the University. A QA Advisory Board, with the Chancellor as Chair, will be constituted to advise the QAO regarding reviewing, refining, and developing the UPOU QA Framework and enhancing existing QA processes, systems, and procedures, among others.
Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas
Edited by Myra C. Almodiel