Article by: Kristin Clarisse H. Mateo
Graphics by: Clark Vincent P. Constantino
Mapúa University (MU) garnered a 4-star overall rating from the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) – a British company focused on assessing educational institutions globally – last October 2020, improving from its 3-star overall score three years ago.
Criteria for QS rating
MU received a higher overall rating in 2020 as it saw improved marks across four main categories, namely: core criteria, learning environment, specialist criteria, and advanced criteria.
The core criteria consist of four metrics: teaching, employability, internationalization, and research or academic development. The learning environment, meanwhile, covers on-campus and online facilities. Third, the specialist criteria include the subject ranking or program strength, wherein the computer science & information systems field was assessed for Mapúa. Lastly, the advanced criteria comprise social responsibility and inclusiveness.
Each is rated from zero to five, with the latter as the highest rate that can be attained.
Assessment for each criterion
MU earned three stars for this year’s rating in the internationalization and academic development criteria.
Internationalization was assessed based on the proportion of international students and staff, exchange students, nationalities represented, international partnerships, and religious activities. On the other hand, academic development was examined through accreditations and discipline rankings or research intensity.
For the teaching, inclusiveness, and specialist criteria: computer science and information systems, QS awarded Mapúa with four stars.
Student feedback, study rate, and student-faculty ratio were the basis for the teaching sub-criterion. As for inclusiveness, it was centered on MU’s accessibility, scholarship and financial assistance offers, gender balance, and low-income outreach. The specialist criteria were checked through the school’s performance on the computer science & information systems field.
Lastly, the University received five stars for social responsibility, employability, and facilities.
Investments in the local community and charity work composed social responsibility, while the assessment for employability came from employer feedback, graduate employment rates, and career services support. As for the facilities, QS looked at student accommodation for sports, health support, library expenditure, student organizations, and other available facilities.
Importance, benefits, and other plans
According to Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) Dr. Bonifacio T. Doma, Jr., who also led the application for a QS rating back in 2017, the QS rating serves as a benchmark for the continual improvement of the quality of education delivered by the University. “By using the QS rating, we have a guide to improve academic support and services,” he stated.
He mentioned that the students and alumni can benefit from this accomplishment as the University has a more improved reputation and academic support.
With this feat, the EVPAA highlighted the participation of faculty members and academic heads who used the QS rating as a guide to improve their programs and practices in delivering content as well.
"There is no way but up. The next goal is to attain 5 stars,” he said with reference to the University’s plan to reapply in 2023, as QS assessments must be spaced three years apart.
Dr. Doma added that they aim to improve the University’s QS Asia University Ranking as well as to secure a spot in the QS World University Rankings.
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