A seven-year re-accreditation has been issued by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) to the University鈥檚 BS Occupational Therapy (BSOT), offered by the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS), following a visit to the facilities and review of the curricula.
In an August 26, 2024 letter to CRS Dean Anne Marie Aseron, MSPT, Philippine Academy of Occupational Therapists (PAOT) President Thea Sheila Ocheda-Alonto confirmed the re-accreditation by WFOT following the onsite visit of the deputized task force.
Rated Excellent were the facilities and resources, including access to a variety of research journals and classrooms and laboratories to service student needs. Classroom and practice placement were rated Satisfactory, along with course syllabi.
In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Department of Occupational Therapy Chair Kathlene Anne Hernandez, MHPEd stated that the review cycle by WFOT involved the evaluation of the new Outcomes-Based Curriculum that goes beyond standards of the Commission on Higher Education and the standards of the Professional Regulation Commission and foreign credentialing institutions. 鈥淭his curriculum is viewed as an enhanced program with greater emphasis on more aligned and occupation-focused courses that incorporate concepts of social health sciences,鈥� Aseron said. The curriculum now follows a biopsychosocial model of disability, incorporate both international and local knowledge.
Hernandez also highlighted the role of the OT academic staff, all of whom have the relevant degrees and 鈥渞ich clinical and industry experiences鈥� that lend themselves to 鈥減roviding real-world influence in placing occupations at the heart of curricular plans; equipped with the basic pedagogical skills necessary to perform various roles and responsibilities of OT in the academe; and contribute to the development of projects and programs of partner institutions for advocacy roles to name a few.鈥�
BSOT students undergo more than 1,000 hours of in-person and virtual or hybrid clinical and non-clinical rotations here and abroad. The virtual and hybrid clinical modes helped surmount the limitations posed by the pandemic and opened doors for foreign inputs to enrich program quality. As early as college, too, the students were exposed to 鈥渧arious programs of the professional organization, facilitating the development of future leadership roles.鈥�
The WFOT accreditation allows graduates to sit in foreign certification and licensure exams, to enroll in foreign post-graduate studies, and assures stakeholders that the program is compliant with global standards.
The BSOT program also enjoys the nod of the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance, which provided a five-year certification.
