A throwback group picture of Psychology students from UIC together with their academic club moderator, Prof. Donnabelle Castro, captured back in 2019.
Photo by: Jasper Torres
Caption by: Hannah Jane Matol
The University of the Immaculate Conception took part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) last November 2020 and was participated by selected Psychology students of the College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) via online video conferencing.
Shifting from face-to-face to online classes caused a big burden to a lot of divisions in our community especially in terms of education; universities and colleges needed to exert extra effort to make sure that the caliber of our education still fits the bar.
Teachers, students and alumni of the school participated in the said assessment and were able to share their experiences during the interviews facilitated by foreign assessors. Selected Psychology students from all levels participated in the said quality assurance process. Several of the students admitted the pressure they felt pre-interview due to the fact that they carry the image and name of the school and the program. “Nag-expect ko na medyo lisod jud ilang questions [I was expecting that their questions will be a little hard]”, stated Shane Javellana, Society of Aspiring Psychologists president. Another student from the third year level also said, “It was fun pero kulba jud sya kay dapat careful ka sa mga answers [It was fun but it was nerve-racking because you have to be careful with your answers]”.
First year students also shared their thoughts about the interview. “Regarding sa amoang na-feel, first few minutes sa interview was of course, kulbaan. Pero in the end, habang naga-progress na ang interview, mas dali na mag-answer, mag-share ug experiences and mas dali ang process [regarding what we felt in the first few minutes was of course, nervousness. But in the end, while the interview was in progress, it became easier to answer, to share experiences and the process became smooth]”. The participants also recalled how the interviewers were friendly and were very conversational with them even throughout the accreditation process held online.
With the rapid modernization happening in our society today, it is important to assure that our educational system is in harmony with the standards of quality education especially at the tertiary level. Since 1998, the existence of the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance or AUN-QA has been recognized. The AUN-QA plays a key role in the local, regional and international education systems and is responsible for ensuring that the quality of university education in the ASEAN member countries is improving, modernized, well-promoted and well-recognized. It is very vital to make sure that the form of education is strengthened especially during this time of crisis.
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