UPOU participants during the UP EQA Clinic Batch 3. (L-R:) Ms. Maria Paula Bautista, Asst. Prof. Tricia Ascan, Asst. Prof. Remsce Pasahol, Asst. Prof. Blancaflor Arada, Dr. Shari Eunice San Pablo, Asst. Prof. Ma. Lourdes Jarabe, Asst. Prof. Ria Valerie Cabanes, Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez, Asst. Prof. Leo Mendel Rosario, Assoc. Prof. Myra Almodiel, Asst. Prof. Hannah May Rosario, and Asst. Prof. Joel de Castro.
Faculty and staff from UP Open University (UPOU) participated in the third batch of the External Quality Assurance (EQA) Clinic organized by the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) to reinforce the quality assurance system across the University System. UPOU delegates were joined by faculty members from UP Baguio and UP Los Baños in the workshop held on 15-16 May 2025 at the CCDL Auditorium, UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna.
Twelve faculty and staff members represented UPOU at the said event:
- Asst. Prof. Ria Valerie D. Cabanes, QAO Director
- Asst. Prof. Tricia Ascan, FMDS Quality Assurance Officer and AA Digital Entrepreneurship Program Chair
- Asst. Prof. Joel De Castro, FEd Quality Assurance Officer and Diploma in Mathematics Teaching Program Chair
- Asst. Prof. Hannah May Rosario, Associate in Arts Program Chair
- Dr. Shari Eunice San Pablo, BA Multimedia Studies representative
- Asst. Prof. Blancaflor Arada, Master in Information Systems Program Chair
- Assoc. Prof. Myra Almodiel, Master of Development Communication Program Chair
- Ms. Maria Paula Bautista, Master of Information Systems Support Staff
- Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez, Graduate Certificate/ Master in ASEAN Studies Program Chair
- Asst. Prof. Remsce Pasahol, Diploma in Land Use Planning Program Chair
- Asst. Prof. Ma. Lourdes Jarabe, Diploma in Women and Development Program Chair
- Asst. Prof. Leo Mendel Rosario, Master’s in Research and Development Program Chair
Dr. Alyssa Peleo-Alampay, UP AVP for Academic Affairs and UP System Chief Quality Assurance Officer, welcomed the participants and also served as a speaker during the clinic. Three other speakers also facilitated the workshops: Prof. Aura Matias, Director of UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office; Professor Emeritus Irene Villaseñor, AUN-QA Assessor; and Prof. Phillip Ian Padilla, Ex-Officio Co-Chair of UP Visayas Quality Assurance Office.
The speakers shared their expertise in the field of quality assurance through workshops and breakout sessions. The participants were classified into three groups: those without Self- Assessment Report (SAR), those with SAR but no EQA yet, and those who have both SAR and EQA.
The speakers emphasized the importance of EQA as a measure to evaluate how University’s degree programs can be enhanced. They also underscored the importance of benchmarking against best practices of other universities in delivering quality education. Aside from workshops, the clinic was also an avenue to identify and present the action points for each academic program.
The activity is in preparation for the upcoming UPOU EQA Assessments scheduled in the second quarter of the year. It represents the University’s strong commitment to upholding quality education. UPOU affirms this vision through its participation in the said event. It also adheres to SDG 4, which focuses on providing inclusive and equitable quality education for all, as well as SDG 17, which promotes the need for partnerships to achieve the SDGs.
Written by Richmond C. Racuya ♦ Edited by Ria Valerie Cabanes and Anna Cañas-Llamas ♦ Contributed by UPOU QA Office
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