Guidelines for Graduate Education Delivery for Faculty and Staff Development in the K to 12 Transition Period

January 13, 2016

CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 004-16

 

Pursuant to Republic Act 7722, which states that it is the responsibility of the State to protect, foster and promote the right of all citizens to affordable quality education at all levels, and (2) take appropriate steps to ensure that education shall be accessible to all; and which mandates the Commission to (1) formulate and recommend development plans, policies, priorities, and programs on higher education and research, and (2) identify, support and develop potential centers of excellence in program areas needed for the development of world-class scholarship, nation building and national development, — the Guidelines for Graduate Education Delivery for Faculty and Staff Development in the K to 12 Transition Period are hereby adopted and promulgated by the Commission, for the guidance of all higher education institutions (HEIs): aScITE

ARTICLE I

Statement of Principles and Policies

1. The Commission recognizes the importance of education and research in aiding social development, poverty alleviation and national competitiveness; and the need to make strong programs available in more regions, in order to fulfill its mandate of making quality education accessible to all, as well as to maximize the impact of higher education in promoting local and regional development.

2. Graduate education is at the apex of the educational system, leading the country in world-class scholarship, and should thus be structured to enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of higher education. 1 Further, the Commission recognizes the critical role that graduate education of faculty plays in building competence, national and cultural rootedness, and enhancing consciousness and ethical moorings.

3. Given the rapid developments in information and communications technology, and increasingly diverse modes in how educational programs are delivered, the Commission has identified three (3) main types of programs, to expand access to graduate programs: Single HEI Program, Jointly-Delivered Program, and Consortium-Delivered Program. Further, qualified faculty are essential to implement quality programs, making upgrading of qualifications of faculty a priority of the Commission, as stipulated in the Higher Education Reform Agenda (HERA).

4. The transition to the K to 12 system will result in low enrollment in HEIs for a period of five years, from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021, reducing the teaching loads of HEI faculty — effectively eliminating the usual constraints to the completion of further studies, among them, heavy teaching loads and being recalled by their sending institutions — and thus providing the impetus to rationalize and enhance graduate education nationwide during this period and beyond.

5. The Commission understands that one of the major limitations for many faculty members in pursuing graduate studies is the lack of available quality graduate education programs across disciplines and regions in the country, which consequently limits efforts to upgrade qualifications of HEI faculty, thereby necessitating the expansion of the supply of strong graduate education programs. The establishment of such programs during the K to 12 Transition Period aims to equip 70 percent of HEI faculty with graduate degrees by 2021, bringing the Philippines up to par with our ASEAN neighbors. This is also in view of expanding the fields of expertise and specializations available in the country, particularly in emerging disciplines critical to academic, regional and national development, and where experts are scarce.

6. In view of strengthening higher education, the Commission hereby establishes the Guidelines for Graduate Education Delivery for Faculty and Staff Development in the K to 12 Transition Period. The implementing guidelines herein set forth shall define the scope, procedures, and extent of regulation, as well as the mechanics of establishing and offering graduate programs in relation to the K to 12 Transition Program Scholarships for Graduate Studies and Professional Advancement.

ARTICLE II

Authority to Operate

1. This set of guidelines shall cover and apply to all Philippine HEIs, including State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), which open graduate programs in the K to 12 Transition Period based on the corresponding authority granted by the Commission, pursuant to law and existing rules and regulations.

2. As a general rule, programs declared under moratorium by the Commission En Banc (CEB) shall not be created under any of the types herein enumerated, or any similar arrangement that may be deemed as a graduate program under these guidelines, unless identified as a priority area by the Commission.

3. Authorized DHEIs shall receive scholars from among CHED-funded faculty and staff of sending HEIs (SHEIs), and may also admit non-CHED scholars into the graduate program.

4. CHED-recognized HEIs that are authorized to operate existing graduate programs and are Autonomous, Deregulated, Center of Excellence or Development, or are current DHEIs under the existing CHED Faculty Development Program (FDP) Phase II, may also apply, subject to an expedited process, in order to be included in the list of CHED-recognized DHEIs and programs for the K to 12 Transition Period.

ARTICLE III

Definition of Terms

A. Types of Graduate Programs by Delivering HEI (DHEI)

Currently, the Commission distinguishes among three (3) types of graduate programs based on the number of DHEIs involved:

1. Single HEI Program refers to the conventional delivery of a graduate program: through one (1) HEI that meets the requirements set by CHED.

A DHEI of this type may also opt to offer an Off-Site Program, which refers to a graduate program in which learners are located outside the DHEI. The Off-site Program is conducted in a host HEI (HHEI) in another region, to which the DHEI sends selected faculty experts. This type increases access to quality graduate programs in areas with low supply of DHEIs. The DHEI shall grant the diploma to all graduates of the program.

2. Jointly-Delivered Program refers to a graduate program with a curriculum jointly developed, instituted, and delivered by two HEIs. One (1) diploma shall be awarded to graduates of Jointly-Delivered Programs, coming from both HEIs. HEITAD

3. Consortium-Delivered Program refers to a graduate program delivered by an organization of three (3) or more HEIs with expertise in a particular discipline delivering a common program by sharing physical and human resources for program delivery, allowing learners to cross-enroll among consortium member HEIs, and to take courses that are considered the expertise of the respective consortium school. Consortium member HEIs may be situated in different regions. In such cases, the strength of the proposed design or implementation of program delivery shall be assessed by the Commission.

The diploma awarded to graduates of Consortium-Delivered Programs shall come from either the HEI in which each graduate took the most number of units, or under which each graduate completed his/her thesis or dissertation, depending on the internal agreement and policies of the Consortium, as reflected in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be approved by the Commission.

B. Modes of Delivery

DHEIs may deliver the program through three main modes:

1. Face-to-Face or classroom-based education;

2. Distance Education, where the learner and teacher are geographically separated, and instruction is delivered through specially designed materials and methods using appropriate communication technologies, and supported by organizational and administrative structures and arrangements; 2 or

3. Blended Learning, or a combination of the face-to-face mode and distance education.

ARTICLE IV

Eligibility

Any HEI or group of HEIs duly recognized by the Commission may apply to deliver graduate programs during the K to 12 Transition period, provided that they meet minimum eligibility criteria as detailed below:

Type			Criteria for Eligibility
A. Single HEI	1	The DHEI must be currently a delivering HEI under the CHED
Program		Faculty Development Program (FDP), or
	2	The DHEI must be a CHED-recognized institution and must meet
		both the accreditation and faculty requirements identified below:
		A.	Accreditation Requirement:
			a.	If autonomous or deregulated, hold at least a Level II
				accreditation or higher of the corresponding undergraduate
				degree program, or
			b.	If not autonomous or deregulated, hold at least a Level III
				accreditation in the corresponding undergraduate degree
				program, or be at least a Center of Development in the
				corresponding field.
		B.	Faculty Requirements: 3
			a.	At all times, the HEI must maintain a 1:5 graduate faculty
				to student advisee ratio.
			b.	For master's programs, there shall be at least one (1)
				teaching faculty who is a doctoral degree holder and has
				published works in a refereed journal(s) in said discipline
				and/or have produced publicly recognized creative and/or
				technology outputs; and the least three (3) teaching faculty
				who are master's degree holders in the discipline.
			c.	For doctoral programs, there shall be at least three (3)
				teaching faculty who are doctoral degree holders in relevant
				disciplines and who have published works in refereed
				journal(s) in said discipline and/or have produced publicly
				recognized creative and/or technology outputs.
A.1 Off-Site	Should a DHEI opt to offer an Off-Site Program, it must meet the
Program	above criteria, along with the following additional requirements:
	1.	The DHEI must demonstrate capacity to deliver the program in an
		off-site mode by ensuring that there will be enough faculty to teach
		classes and to advise students in a 1:5 graduate faculty to advisee
		ratio in the DHEI and the HHEI, respectively.
	2.	The HHEI must be a CHED-recognized HEI, and must have the
		necessary infrastructure for hosting the program, such as
		laboratories, as required by the discipline.
	3.	A DHEI may offer the same program in more than one off-site
		HHEI provided that the DHEI demonstrates capacity to do so by
		providing details on how the program will be delivered in multiple
		sites, and in terms of having sufficient number of faculty to deliver
		the program according to the prescribed ratio. Delivery in each
		additional site is subject to the approval of the Commission.
B. Jointly-	1.	At least one (1) of the HEIs must meet the accreditation
Delivered		requirement for Single HEI Programs (Refer to 2A).
Program
	2.	Both HEIs must meet, jointly, the faculty requirements for Single
		HEI Programs (Refer to 2B).
C. Consortium-	Consortium member HEIs must meet the requirements stated below:
Delivered
Program	A.	Accreditation Requirements:
		a.	At least two (2) consortium member HEIs must hold at least a
			Level II accreditation in the corresponding undergraduate
			program.
		b.	Other member HEIs need not be accredited, but they cannot be
			the institution that grants the degree.
	B.	Faculty Requirements. Consortium member HEIs must meet,
		jointly, the following faculty requirements:
		a.	Member HEIs must jointly maintain a 1:5 graduate faculty to
			student advisee ratio at all times
		b.	For master's programs, there shall be at least three (3) teaching
			faculty who are doctoral degree holders in relevant disciplines
			who have published works in refereed journal(s) in said
			discipline and/or have produced publicly recognized
			creative and/or technology outputs;
		c.	For doctoral programs, the consortium must have at least
			five (5) teaching faculty who are doctoral degree holders in
			relevant disciplines and who have published works in
			refereed journal(s) in said discipline and/or have produced
			publicly recognized creative and/or technology outputs;
		d.	Each consortium member HEI must be able to endorse at
			least one (1) qualified teaching faculty member in order to
			be allowed membership in the consortium.
	C.	Other Requirements. Consortium member HEIs must meet,
		jointly, the following requirements:
		a.	Library. The library requirements for undergraduate
			programs in the discipline shall be coupled with a
			subscription to at least two (2) peer-reviewed professional
			journals or internationally refereed journals, and at least
			five (5) titles of graduate reference books on specialized
			disciplines in every subject offered under the program.
		b.	Laboratory. The laboratory and facilities requirements for
			undergraduate programs in the discipline shall be coupled
			with provision for research facilities or research equipment
			in basic sciences, instructional laboratories for coursework,
			as needed, and extensive information technology facilities
			that will allow for internet access. Disciplines that do not
			require laboratories shall be exempt from this requirement.
		c.	Research. At least one (1) consortium member HEI must
			have a funded research activity in the corresponding field,
			and must have an established research ethics board.

 

ARTICLE V

Qualifying and Selection Process for DHEIs

1. The HEI or group of HEIs intending to offer a graduate program shall submit its application (Refer to Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form), along with all documentary requirements, to the CHED Central Office, following the timeline to be set annually by the Commission. Refer to Appendix 2: Checklist of Application Requirements. TIADCc

2. Applications, except for those of HEIs with Autonomous, Deregulated, Center of Excellence, or Center of Development status, as well as existing Delivering HEIs for the regular CHED Faculty Development Program (FDP), shall be evaluated by an ad-hoc Vetting Panel composed of representatives from the Commission, the relevant Technical Panel and/or Technical Committee, and resource persons as necessary. The strength of each application shall be vetted on the basis of relevance, quality of design and implementation, and quality of accreditation, faculty and infrastructure. Refer to Appendix 3: Evaluation Criteria.

3. Evaluation of applications primarily considers the justification of the HEI that the establishment of such a program will allow the HEI to fulfill its mission and vision; contribute to the achievement of stated regional and national development goals, particularly in building national competence, and/or national rootedness on history, culture and the arts, especially indigenous Filipino traditions, and/or national morals and ethical values; and/or enhance teaching and practice in the discipline. Refer to Appendix 4: Identified Priority Areas.

4. The authority to operate the graduate program shall be issued to the DHEI by the Commission, upon completion of evaluation and approval of application by the CEB. Refer to Appendix 5: Procedure Flowchart.

ARTICLE VI

Responsibilities of DHEIs

DHEIs with authority to operate graduate programs must fulfill the following responsibilities for the duration of the implementation of the program:

1. The DHEI must assign an Academic Program Coordinator from among its own faculty, who is a holder of a doctoral degree in the relevant discipline, to ensure that the graduate program continues to meet standards of academic excellence. This Coordinator can be the Dean or his/her equivalent for the program/s concerned.

2. The DHEI must create a Work and Financial Plan (WFP) detailing the total funding support required from the Commission according to the number of CHED-funded scholars admitted, and administrative costs no greater than five (5) percent of total cost of tuition and other fees of all CHED-funded scholars, when identified. The WFP may also include a proposal for financial assistance for local and foreign visiting professors, as well as other support as stated in Article VII.

3. The DHEI must coordinate with the Commission and facilitate the timely release of stipends to scholars enrolled in the DHEI. In the case of Consortium-Delivered Programs, the DHEI in charge will be the member HEI duly assigned, as agreed upon by all consortium member HEIs, and as reflected in the MOA approved by the Commission.

4. The DHEI must designate one Grant Administrator for the institution to facilitate and ease coordination between the DHEI and the Commission. Said Grant Administrator shall oversee the administration of all CHED scholarships and other types of CHED grants in the DHEI. Should a DHEI have multiple campuses, a Grant Administrator shall be assigned to each. Provided, that if the DHEI admits more than fifty (50) faculty scholars funded by the Commission, it must constitute a Grants Management Office to ensure timely and efficient processing of documents, monitoring and support for scholars, and coordination with the Commission. Funding for said office shall be sourced from the administrative costs, as provided.

5. At the end of each academic year, the DHEI must return to the Commission all unexpended balance of scholarships and other support, together with a complete and proper accounting made of expenses incurred as per the WFP, including the use of other grants received.

6. The DHEI must submit monitoring and evaluation reports on the implementation of the academic program and of scholarships to the Commission at the end of each semester or term.

7. The DHEI must maintain an up-to-date profile of the institution, its faculty and scholars enrolled, and provide other information and updates as required by the CHED Online Platform, when available.

8. If the DHEI receives a financial grant from the Commission (Refer to Article VII), said DHEI must fulfill an institutional return service obligation by offering the program for a minimum of two (2) years, in the case of master's programs, or for a minimum of four (4) years, in the case of doctoral programs.

ARTICLE VII

Financial Support and Other Grants

A DHEI granted authority to operate a graduate program shall receive support from the Commission in an amount no greater than five (5) percent of total cost of tuition and other fees of all CHED-funded faculty scholars as administrative support.

Further, in order to strengthen higher education by encouraging the establishment of quality and relevant graduate programs, the Commission shall provide, on a by-proposal basis (Refer to Appendix 6: Application for DHEI Support Form and Timeline), financial assistance and grants for the development and/or operation of said programs to any CHED-approved DHEI for the K to 12 Transition Period, including but not limited to the types identified below:

1. Program Development Grant. DHEIs with authority to operate graduate programs may apply for grants for activities that increase program quality, to cover any of the following:

a. Mobilization and establishment of graduate programs, for the development of new curriculum and instructional materials, initial operational costs, monitoring visits, faculty training, purchase of readings and books, etc.

b. Linkages with industry, for curriculum enhancement, on-site training, and other similar initiatives, to encourage increased articulation and benchmarking among graduate education programs.

c. Linkages with other Philippine HEIs recognized as Centers of Excellence or with at least Level III accreditation in the relevant program, for faculty articulation, curriculum benchmarking, and other similar activities.

d. Linkages with HEIs abroad that are recognized for their expertise in the relevant program, as to be vetted by the Commission, to fund travel and accommodations of faculty visiting the foreign HEI to undertake faculty articulation, curriculum benchmarking, and other similar activities.

DHEIs may also propose for other support or initiatives beyond the abovementioned types.

2. Visiting Professorship Grant. DHEIs may also receive financial assistance to cover costs of bringing in a guest lecturer who is a recognized expert in the relevant field, to enrich instruction and encourage faculty mobility. Instead of filing a separate application, the DHEI must include costs for the engagement in the proposed WFP, under the heading of Financial Assistance, subject to approval of the Commission. There are two types of visiting professors under the grant:

a. Local Visiting Professor may be engaged full-time or part-time, and limited to one (1) professor per semester or term. The visiting professor must: (1) hold a doctoral degree in the relevant discipline from a reputable institution; (2) have been published in peer-ranked journals and/or other academic publications; (3) have produced publicly recognized creative and/or technology outputs; and (4) hold an excellent track record in teaching. AIDSTE

For other disciplines wherein a doctoral degree may not be necessary in the practice of the field, DHEIs may still propose and justify for a visiting professor, for consideration of the Commission.

Faculty who participate in local exchange must undertake the following activities:

	For Full-Time Exchange		For Part-Time Exchange
•	Teach at least one (1) class;	•	Teach a specialized topic
			as a portion of one class;
•	Mentor at least three (3) students; and		and
•	Participate in articulation activities among	•	Participate in articulation
	faculty to inform curriculum design and		activities among faculty to
	updating of teaching practices; or otherwise		inform curriculum design
	conduct research training for faculty, or do		and updating of teaching
	collaborative research with faculty in host		practices; or otherwise
	institution.		conduct research training
			for faculty, or do
	Faculty who participate in full-time exchange		collaborative research with
	must be entirely deloaded from his/her home		faculty in host institution.
	institution for duration of the exchange.

Faculty may also undertake activities outside of those enumerated, provided the HEI is able to adequately explain importance of such activity in enriching the program under which the exchange is conducted.

b. Foreign Visiting Professor may be invited from a foreign HEI, the costs of which may be covered by the grant, provided the DHEI is able to: (1) demonstrate the superior qualification of the professor, and (2) justify the need to tap experts from outside the country, due to lack of qualified Filipino experts in the field, or other reasons acceptable to the Commission.

ARTICLE VIII

Revocation or Withdrawal of Authority

The phase out or closure of any graduate program offered by a HEI may be ordered by the Commission for valid cause pursuant to existing laws, rules, policies and regulation and after due process. The HEIs in question shall be duly notified in writing by the Commission.

ARTICLE IX

Advertisement

Any advertisement or announcement referring to the program or courses of study being offered shall be done only after the HEI shall have obtained the authority to operate from the Commission. It is unlawful for any HEI to advertise or cause the publication of any advertisement or announcement before a permit to operate is granted.

ARTICLE X

Sanctions

Any HEI found guilty of violating the provisions herein contained shall be subject to the appropriate administrative proceeding including the imposition of sanctions, but not limited to, the withdrawal or revocation of authority to operate the program, phase-out of the program, recommendation for the withdrawal of accreditation, and closure of the HEI/program pursuant to Section 8 (e) of Republic Act 7722.

In no case shall students be displaced as a result of the sanctions imposed by the Commission. Students affected as a result of the immediate termination of educational programs shall be assisted in transferring to another HEI.

ARTICLE XI

Suspension Clause

Any provisions in CHED Memorandum Order No. 36, series of 1998, CHED Memorandum Order No. 9, series of 2003, CHED Memorandum Order No. 40, series of 2008, and in other Orders such as discipline-specific Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs), that are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby suspended.

If any part of provision of this Order shall be held invalid or illegal by competent authority, other provisions thereof, which are not affected thereby, shall continue to be in full force and effect.

ARTICLE XIII

Effectivity

This order shall take effect starting June 2016 and remain in force until otherwise revoked.

Issued this 13th of January, 2016 in Quezon City, Philippines.

(SGD.) PATRICIA B. LICUANAN, Ph.D.Chairperson

APPENDIX 1

Proposal to Open/Offer Graduate Programs Form

 

 

 

APPENDIX 2

Checklist of Application Requirements

When submitting its application to the Commission, HEI applicants must submit the following requirements, according to each type:

For all types:

1. Proposal to establish the graduate program, signed by the head(s) of HEI(s), detailing the importance of the establishment of such a program and its potential to contribute to regional and national development, and including proposed system for monitoring and evaluating the program, and managing CHED grants (See Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form)

2. Proof that the HEI(s) meets the criteria for eligibility in the form of copies of institutional/program accreditation certificates and curricula vitae (CVs) of proposed faculty

Additional requirements for private HEIs under any type

1. Copy of HEI's articles of incorporation

2. Audited financial statement

Additional requirements for Off-Site Program

1. Copy of draft Memorandum of Agreement between DHEI and HHEI

2. Copy of HHEI Certificate of CHED recognition

3. Plan of Delivery, including the program calendar and planned travel of faculty, demonstrating that there will be enough faculty in both DHEI and HHEI to deliver the program in both locations simultaneously (See Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form)

Additional requirements for Jointly-Delivered Program:

1. Copy of draft Memorandum of Agreement to establish the program, as agreed upon by both HEI

2. Proposed curriculum and corresponding course descriptions (See Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form)

Additional requirements for Consortium-Delivered Program:

1. Copy of draft Memorandum of Agreement to establish the consortium, as agreed upon by all consortium member HEIs

2. Proposed curriculum and corresponding course descriptions (See Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form)

3. Proof that the consortium meets infrastructure requirements (See Appendix 1: Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form)

Please note that:

1. Existing DHEIs under the CHED-Faculty Development Program (FDP) Phase II and those with Autonomous, Deregulated, and Center of Development or Excellence status need NOT submit any of the above, unless opening new programs or programs other than the Single HEI type.

2. HEIs with existing CHED-recognized graduate programs shall submit ALL of the above requirements EXCEPT for (1) proposal to establish the graduate program, and (2) additional requirements for private HEIs.

3. HEIs offering Off-Site, Jointly-Delivered, or Consortium-Delivered Programs must also furnish the Commission with a copy of the signed MOA after the authority to operate has been granted. AaCTcI

APPENDIX 3

Evaluation Criteria

The Vetting Panel shall use the following criteria to evaluate the strength of each graduate program as proposed by HEI applicants:

 

APPENDIX 4

Identified Priority Areas

The priority areas have been identified through extensive consultations with Technical Panels representative of all disciplines in Philippine higher education, along with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), to determine priorities on the national and regional levels. Note that the list below is neither exhaustive nor restrictive, and is instead meant to be indicative and suggestive.

1. National Priorities are areas that are generally needed for Philippine development. In particular, these may be disciplines in which there are few quality programs and/or experts on a national scale, and, if properly developed, would allow the country to be a leader in the said field.

 

2. Regional Priorities are areas identified with the particular needs of the region in mind, taking into account the region's resources, cultural heritage, and industries. These refer to areas NOT yet identified in the national priorities, and is a unique need of the region concerned.

The priority areas have been further classified into three broad categories that represent different dimensions of Philippine development. Note that priority areas are herein classified according to primary categories, but may reasonably fall under the other categories as well, as these are not meant to be mutually exclusive.

1. Competence refers to those disciplines which primarily enhance development in the province or region, and/or help the country achieve stated regional and/or national development goals.

2. Consciousness refers to those disciplines which primarily contribute to building strong national rootedness in history, culture and the arts, particularly indigenous Filipino traditions.

3. Conscience refers to those disciplines especially needed in building and deepening ethical moorings, ensuring the integrity of Philippine HEIs and their graduates.

National Priorities:

 

Regional Priorities

 

APPENDIX 5

Procedure Flowchart

 

APPENDIX 6

Application Form for DHEI Support

 

Memorandum from the Chairperson

 

As we move toward the full implementation of the K to 12 Enhanced Basic Education Program, the Commission, through the K to 12 Transition Program, has likewise been preparing for the impact of the transition on the higher education sector. EcTCAD

To gauge the availability of interested HEIs, the Commission earlier requested qualified HEIs to submit Letters of Intent to offer graduate programs for the K to 12 Transition Period last December 30, 2015. Those who submitted during said period are requested to formalize their applications by completing the required documents, such as proposed curriculum, course descriptions, and curricula vitae of faculty (Memorandum from the Chair, dated November 16, 2015).

Meanwhile, qualified HEIs that were unable to submit Letters of Intent during the call made last December 2015 may still apply by submitting the Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form (Appendix 1), following the timeline set by the Commission:

January 13 Release of CHED Memorandum Order on DHEIs

January 14 Begin new applications for DHEI/formalization of DHEI applications

January 30 Deadline for DHEI Applications

The Proposal to Open Graduate Programs Form should be sent to [email protected], and the following requirements (if applicable) through courier: Institutional/Program Accreditation Certificates, Curriculum Vitae of Faculty, Articles of Incorporation, Audited Financial Statement, and Draft Memorandum of Agreement.

During this period, the Commission shall strive to organize and facilitate regional conversations to ensure that there is adequate supply of graduate programs for the K to 12 Transition Period, vis-a-vis priority program areas identified by region. Further, HEIs open to partnering with other HEIs, but are unable to identify possible partners, are encouraged to reach out to the Commission, to enable us to more proactively connect HEIs, whether within the same region or beyond.

CHED Regional Directors are hereby requested to ensure wide dissemination of this policy to all qualified HEIs in their respective regions.

(SGD.) PATRICIA B. LICUANAN, PH.D.Chairperson

Footnotes

1. CHED Memorandum Order No. 36, Series of 1998.

2. CHED Memorandum Order No. 6, series of 2003.

3. Based on CHED Memorandum Order No. 36, series of 1998.