SHAPE UP OR ELSE… ICCC to lose CHED recognition if management woes persist
- TBN News
- Aug 24, 2018
- 3 min read
THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) warned that it would withdraw its recognition of the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) if it fails to settle its management issues.
Dr. Rex Casiple, chief education program specialist of CHED-6, said the management issue is an internal matter, which the college should resolve first before CHED steps in.
The issue stemmed from the complaints of four ICCC teachers regarding the schools failure to implement the Magna Carta for Teachers particularly on salaries, promotion, and regularization of unqualified teachers.
They also complained of budget realignments and the use of obsolete books.
On August 20, 2018, the City Council conducted a committee hearing to address the allegations.
It was attended by the complainants, the board of trustees, College Administrator Maria Mathilde Treñas-Octavio, and Supervising Admin Officer Jose Renan Escoto.
Casiple said CHED only learned of the issue through the media. They will conduct an investigation once a formal complaint is filed.
In the absence of a formal complaint, CHED will conduct regular monitoring of unrecognized and recognized schools, Casiple said.
RECOGNITION
Casiple said CHED issues recognition to schools, not accreditation. They are set to visit the ICCC in September this year.
A college may lose its CHED recognition if major deficiencies are found during the monitoring, Casiple added.
“There is a due process. Losing the recognition will downgrade the schools status to permit to operate. They have one year to comply. After losing the permit to operate status, it will be the start of the gradual closure,” he said.
Aside from the school’s compliance to their ordinance and by-laws, nine areas serve as basis for recognition.
Some of these areas are on administration which covers the dean and school administrator; faculty such as the quality of teachers serving the school; library; laboratory facilities; curriculum; physical facilities such as research extension services; and performance during board exams.
“If they fail in half of the areas, meaning they have major deficiencies,” Casiple said.
If they remain non-complaint after a year, the matter will be elevated to CHED’s legal administrative service in Manila.
The legal team will conduct another validation and will issue a closure order for non-compliance.
“With the closure order, it is where the regional office comes in. We will conduct another evaluation if they have already complied with the requirements. If not, then we will proceed with the closure,” Casiple said.
‘NO FREE TUITION’
Losing the CHED recognition will result in the withdrawal of free tuition privileges from the school.
“Under Republic Act 10931 (Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act), only schools with recognized programs can avail of free tuition and other fees,” he said.
Casiple said some schools already lost their CHED recognition due to major deficiencies, particularly on faculty matters.
“The faculty and the administration are the heart of the school. Because we are talking about quality tertiary education,” he said.
During the hearing, it was found out that the ICCC does not have a dean.
Casiple said the school should immediately fill in the position by hiring a qualified dean.
He also warned the school of hiring teachers that do not have master’s degrees.
“That will be their risk. If we found out during the monitoring that almost all the teachers have no master’s degree, it will become a deficiency for the faculty,” he said.
Casiple said that the college should resolve the issue as soon as possible because CHED has been using ICCC as a model school.
ICCC is among the public schools in Western Visayas where both the school and its programs are recognized by CHED, Casiple added.
SOURCE: The Daily Guardian
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