BSU gets three QS stars

Benguet State University was rated three stars 3 Stars under the QS Stars Rating System. The rating is valid from September 28, 2020 until September 28, 2023. The QS Stars is an opt-in rating system for higher education institutions evaluating them against a range of performance indicators across several categories.

The core criteria in which BSU was rated on includes teaching, employability, internationalization, academic development, facilities, online learning, subject ranking, program strength, social responsibility and inclusiveness.

“The QS Stars will allow the University to highlight its strengths and also the different areas of excellence. Aside from the strengths, its going to allow us to identify our weaknesses and after that identify the gaps and then be able to improve. Since this is international, it is also a way of promoting our academic programs and our researches,” said Dr. Marie Aurea Sandoval, director of BSU’s Office of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Office.

Dr. Sandoval shared how objective the audit process has been. For example, in the alumni survey, the answers are directly sent to QS Stars and journal publications were also directly accessed by QS Stars.

BSU was rated five stars in the teaching criteria, five stars in employability, two stars in internationalization, four stars in academic development, four stars in facilities, four stars in program strength, four stars in social responsibility and five stars in inclusiveness.   

According to Dr. Sandoval, the audit also gave the chance to see the University in different angles and look at details that has not been given attention such as the presence of maps for disabled persons.  In the detailed report of QS Stars, it pointed out that though the University garnered four stars under facilities, there is still no bookstore wiithin the University. She hoped that the audit results of the QS Stars can help the next BSU president in shaping the future of the University.

BSU is the first in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to gain QS Stars rating. BSU was one of the 14 SUCs in the country identified by CHED to become part of the Fostering World-Class Universities in the Philippines Program.

“Being part of this program, we were given the chance to apply for QS Stars rating. We paid about 1.355 M for the QS Stars audit and since we were able to finish it and we even made it to three stars, CHED reimbursed our payment, so now it’s free,” said Dr. Sandoval.//JSTabangcura