PANABO CITY – Davao del Norte State College’s program offerings, which produced their pilot graduates in 2022, have now set in motion their academic growth through the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) Preliminary Survey Visit on November 20 – 24, 2023.

ACCCUP accreditors evaluated the Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BAComm), Bachelor of Science in Disaster Resiliency and Management (BSDRM), Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BSEntrep), Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS), Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW), and Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (BSTM).

The survey team was headed by Dr. Nestor C. Sedanza from Leyte Normal University. The following accreditors complete the members of the evaluating team; Dr. Von Bruun M. Pelletero of Negros Oriental State University for BAComm, Prof. Rysheer Q. Legaspi from Batangas State University for BSDRM, Prof. Marian Krishna M. Ruzgal from Aklan State University for BSEntrep, Dr. Rolaida L. Sonza from Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology for BSIS, Dr. Marciel N. Salvador from Occidental Mindoro State College for BSSW, and Dr. Joana Marie M. Tayag from Cavite State University for BSTM.

One of the positive feedbacks from the accreditors was the responsiveness and diligence of the local task force members in complying with the necessary documents and evidence across areas. The faculty pool in some programs is also evidently young yet vigorous in participating in research and extension activities. The research agenda is also clearly rooted in the national and regional research direction. The campus tour was also lauded by the accrediting team.

The accreditors highlighted several points for improvement. They recommended that photos, modules, and other documents be properly organized and labeled to make them more comprehensive. Laboratories with relevant software were also recommended for selected programs. Messages of gratitude flooded the exit conference as members of the management team expressed their appreciation to the evaluators, local task force, and facilitating office.