FICS Participates in 2025 UPOU QAO Strategic Planning Workshop
The Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) participated in the 2025 Strategic Planning Workshop organized by the Quality Assurance Office (QAO) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) on 22–23 April 2025. The hybrid event was held at the Oblation Hall, UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, and via Zoom.
Dr. Emely Amoloza, FICS Quality Assurance Officer, and Ms. Maria Paula Bautista, FICS Quality Assurance Staff, represented FICS. The two-day activity brought together quality assurance officers and staff from various academic and administrative units to collaboratively shape the direction of the university’s quality assurance efforts for the next three years.
The workshop aimed to review the current undertakings of the QAO, co-develop a strategic vision and direction, and generate new strategic programs and initiatives aligned with institutional goals. It also aimed to address the five QA Office mandates and produce SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), strategic priorities, key performance indicators (KPIs), timelines, and initiatives. These outputs will help form the basis for a draft Three-Year Strategic Plan for the QAO.
FICS QA Officer, Dr. Emely Amoloza (center in black top), and FICS QA Staff, Ms. Maria Paula Bautista (left), work with fellow participants during the QAO strategic planning meeting.
As QA officers and staff, the participants acted as quality assurance champions within their respective units. They were expected to initiate, coordinate, and lead QA-related activities that align with the university’s strategic goals. Based on their roles and responsibilities, the participants were grouped into functional teams: Team Admin, Team Academic, and Team QAO. The FICS representatives joined Team Academic and played a key role in the discussions. As the only office at UPOU that has undergone an External Quality Assurance (EQA) assessment, FICS shared substantial input and guidance on writing Self-Assessment Reports (SARs) and in navigating the EQA process during one of the sessions. These insights were particularly valuable for other units preparing for similar evaluations.
The outputs generated during the sessions, including identified gaps, proposed initiatives, and strategic directions, will be consolidated by the QAO into a draft Three-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2027). This draft, which will incorporate the collective inputs from all teams, will be circulated to stakeholders for further feedback and refinement.
The event strengthened collaboration and coordination among QA units across UPOU and reaffirmed QAO’s primary responsibility. This includes ensuring the quality of UPOU’s processes, procedures, and standards in instruction, research, public service, and administration. All these efforts work toward institutional quality, inclusion, agility and flexibility, public accountability and trust, and institutional confidence.
Written by: Maria Paula Bautista
Edited by: Joy Abigail Rebulanan