World-Class Education

Obtain international accreditation of agriculture, engineering and forestry degree programs

Develop centers of development and centers of excellence in priority programs

Operationalize an integrated online portal of VSU

Visayas State University (VSU) will be recognized as one of the premier universities in Asia, offering affordable world-class education to produce highly competent manpower in science and technology (S&T), especially for agriculture, environmental management and industries.

Key Areas

• Curriculum development
• Faculty development
• Knowledge sharing
• Mobility
• Quality assurance
• Support to students

Curriculum Development

VSU needs to constantly update its curricula to be able to address the needs of the fast changing society. Specifically, it needs to strengthen its graduate and undergraduate curricular programs, enhance its distance education program, and institute measures to improve students’ performance.

Strategies

• Align graduate and undergraduate degree programs with outcomes-based curricula
• Ensure that all programs comply with the minimum requirements of CHED, PRC and other regulatory bodies
• Offer additional graduate degree programs, including PhD by research
• Conduct regular review and monitoring of curricular programs to address the needs of the local and global communities
• Implement programs/activities for interactive learning and free exchange of ideas outside the classroom
• Collaborate with industries, alumni and other institutions to finance student research projects that are aligned with industry/ community needs.
• Ensure high graduation rate and employability of graduates
• Institute more Online Distance Education programs that attract more enrollees
• Implement short courses in communication and foreign languages to improve language proficiency of students

Metrics

• Number of programs aligned to the OBE-curricula
• Number of OBE-compliant instructional materials prepared and published
• Number of additional graduate degree programs offered (including PhD by research)
• Number of students enrolled in the various degree programs
• Number of programs compliant with the requirements of CHED, PRC and other regulatory bodies
• Number of programs accredited by national/ international quality assurance bodies
• Number of degree programs recognized as COEs/CODs by CHED
• Number of curricular reviews and monitoring activities conducted
• Number of programs/activities for interactive learning conducted
• Number of student theses funded by industries, alumni and other funding institutions
• Percentage of graduates graduating within the prescribed period
• Improved performance in licensure examinations (institutional passing percentage higher than the national passing percentage, number of topnotchers)
• Percentage of graduates employed within 6 to 12 months after graduation
• Number of Distance Education degree programs offered/strengthened
• Number of students enrolled in Distance Education programs
• Number of communication and foreign language short courses offered

Faculty Development

VSU aims to continuously upgrade its pool of faculty members to improve their competitive stance in terms of teaching effectiveness, research productivity, and delivery of quality extension services.

Strategies

• Allocate more funds for faculty development (including funds for graduate studies, training and short courses, seminars, workshops, postdoctoral training, visiting professorships, benchmarking activities, and other sabbatical engagements)
• Enhance teaching and research capabilities of faculty by sending them for graduate studies in reputable institutions here and/or abroad
• Intensify recruitment of highly qualified/competent faculty, even from abroad
• Institute a more attractive faculty recruitment package
• Require all regular faculty members to conduct research and extension projects
• Require regular faculty members to publish papers in peer-reviewed publications
• Encourage faculty members to present papers in national/international scientific and professional for a
• Institutionalize a vibrant mentoring program for junior faculty

Metrics

• Increased budget allocation for faculty development
• Number of faculty members sent for graduate studies to reputable institutions
• Number of faculty member-scholars who have completed their graduate studies
• Number of faculty members attending trainings, workshops, etc.
• Number of functional MOAs/MOUs/contracts signed by and between VSU and universities (local and abroad) for graduate studies and/or academic exchange
• Number of highly competent faculty from reputable institutions hired
• Institutionalization of a policy for a more attractive faculty recruitment package
• Number of faculty conducting research and extension programs
• Number of faculty publications in refereed journals
• Number of papers presented in scientific and professional fora
• Number of junior faculty mentored

Knowledge Sharing

The University will position itself as a niche player in the academic and industry arena whose graduates are capable of driving the country’s economy forward. VSU will achieve this by engaging in a dynamic knowledge sharing environment with other universities and key industries. Specifically, it will seek to strengthen its knowledge-sharing programs with topnotch universities/institutions, and to improve students’ access to updated learning resources and spaces for interactive learning.

Strategies

• Establish more academic collaborations with topnotch universities and institutions in the Philippines and abroad
• Get institutional subscription to more journals
• Acquire additional library materials like more recent editions of books and other instructional materials
• Provide study rooms for students in each academic department, the area:student occupancy ratio of which are compliant to CHED standards

Metrics

• Number of functional bilateral agreements on knowledge exchange with national and international universities/institutions
• Number of curricular programs implemented in partnership with international universities
• Number of institutional subscriptions to journals, books, and other learning materials
• Number of updated library materials available for students’ use.
• Number of CHED-compliant student study rooms in each academic unit

Mobility

VSU boasts of the number of international mobility programs its faculty members and students have participated in. There remain, however, various creases in the internationalization of education at VSU that need to be ironed out. These include conflicts in the academic calendars between schools and the lack of credit transfer policies, among other weaknesses. The university, therefore, aims to enhance mobility of VSU faculty and students by creating an enabling mechanism that makes a two-way international mobility accessible to more faculty members and students.

Strategies

• Devise enabling policies and guidelines for admission of foreign students; and for mobility of local and foreign students and faculty members
• Invite visiting professors and foreign researchers to conduct research or teach students in VSU
• Secure scholarships from science and technology consortia for students and faculty

Metrics

• Institutionalization of a credit transfer mechanism for transnational admissions
• Number of full-time foreign students enrolled in degree programs at VSU
• Number of local students enrolled in programs offered in other topnotch universities abroad
• Number of foreign exchange students
• Number of faculty members participating in mobility programs
• Number of MOUs signed by and between VSU and partner institutions
• Number of students and faculty members with scholarships funded by S&T organizations.
• Number of visiting professors from other universities
• Number of students and faculty members with scholarships funded by S&T organizations.

Quality Assurance

VSU puts prime emphasis on producing highly competent graduates who can respond to the demands of the workplace. Thus, we have to make sure that our programs meet national and international standards.

Strategies

• Align all degree programs with outcomes-based curricula
• Apply for accreditation/certification of programs by national and international accrediting bodies
• Apply programs for COD/COE status
• Enhance admission and retention policies
• Institute more effective programs to improve performance in licensure examinations
• Implement a fully functional user-friendly database of faculty and students records
• Operationalize fully online enrolment system
• Reconfigure academic units to attain a more efficient delivery of functions and responsibility

Metrics

• Number of programs compliant to the OBE curricula
• Number of programs accredited by national/ international quality assurance bodies (e.g. AACCUP, CHED-ISA, ISO, AUN-QA, PQA, Washington Accord, etc.)
• Number of programs awarded by CHED with COE and COD status
• Number of students who took and passed the admission exam
• Number of students who graduated within the prescribed period
• Institutional passing percentage higher than the national passing percentage
• Number of topnotchers in board examinations
• Availability of functional user-friendly database of faculty and students records
• Online enrolment system fully operationalized
• BOR-approved organizational structure

Support for Students

We strive to develop well-rounded students at VSU. While emphasizing curricular activities, we encourage our students to engage in co-curricular programs that provide them first-hand experience in applying theories and principles learned in class. To be able to do this, we seek to implement a more vibrant academic support system for our students.

Strategies

• Institutionalize a system for peer support for students
• Facilitate students’ engagement in community-oriented activities and participation in scientific and academic gatherings
• Strengthen on-the-job or apprenticeship program
• Institutionalize a Student Success Center for coping learners, career guidance services, OJT engagements, and others.

Metrics

• Institutionalized peer support system for students
• Number of students engaged in community-oriented activities
• Number of students who participated in scientific and academic gatherings
• Quality of the on-the-job or apprenticeship experiences of the students
• Number of degree programs with OJT or apprenticeship as part of the curriculum
• Student Success Center established
• Number of student support activities (e.g. tutorials, seminars, etc.) conducted
• Number of coping learners assisted