VSU hits 100% COPC as VSU Isabel’s Mechanical Engineering program gains CHED nod

The Visayas State University (VSU) has reached a historic milestone by securing a Certificate Program Compliance (COPC) from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for all its undergraduate and graduate programs across the VSU system.  This means that all 101 programs are now fully CHED-compliant. 

The latest to be certified was the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program of VSU Isabel. The announcement came just in time for the academic convocation where President Prose Ivy G. Yepes delivered her second State of the University Address on August 20, 2025. 

VSU Isabel Chancellor Dr. Catherine L. Chan expressed how much of this milestone means to their campus and to the VSU system as a whole. 

“We have been praying for this day to come. Achieving COPC for all our programs is a blessing that validates our efforts to deliver quality education in VSU Isabel and across the VSU system,” she said.

The road to this achievement has been progressive. In July, VSU was already recognized as the top university in Eastern Visayas in terms of CHED-approved programs.

Earlier this year, engineering programs from the VSU Main Campus marked a breakthrough when the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering became the first in the Visayas to receive COPC under CHED’s updated guidelines. 

Soon after, the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering of VSU Main Campus was also granted five separate COPCs for its specializations in Construction Engineering and Management, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources, another first in the region. 

By April, the VSU Main Campus had already achieved full COPC coverage for all undergraduate programs and even expanded the list with graduate-level certifications, including the Master of Land  Administration and Management and Master of Science in Land  Administration and Management.

VSU President Prose Ivy G. Yepes expressed her gratitude to the faculty, staff, and students who contributed to this achievement. 

“This success belongs to everyone in the VSU academic community. Each one has played a part in making this possible. I thank you all for your hard work and perseverance. This milestone affirms that VSU is on the right path, and it challenges us to keep moving forward for our students and for the region,” she shared. 

This development carries significant weight for students. Being enrolled in a CHED-certified program guarantees eligibility for licensure examinations and assures them that their degrees will be recognized by both local institutions and international employers. It also safeguards their credentials from being questioned in professional or academic pursuits beyond VSU. 

For VSU, it sets a regional benchmark for quality assurance and positions the university as the only state university in Eastern Visayas to achieve 100% COPC across all levels. This strengthens the reputation of VSU as a leader in higher education, particularly in engineering and applied sciences, where it was the first to comply with CHED’s revised standards.

COPC signals that VSU programs meet national expectations for curriculum quality, faculty credentials, facilities, and student services. It assures employers that graduates have been trained under programs that pass rigorous evaluation, and will improve their career prospects.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 4: Quality Education. 

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