Official says diploma sans SO numbers are invalid
Students affected by a freeze order issued against a private university’s medical college should not worry.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has directed its regional office to assure students of Southwestern University College of Medicine (SWU-CM) in Urgello that they will be able to graduate and get their Doctor of Medicine degrees.
In a June 23 memorandum to regional director Freddie Bernal, the CHED central office assured the affected students will not be prejudiced.
BACKSTORY: SWU bucks freeze order
Bernal was directed to preserve official records and files of legitimate students. He was also charged with convincing SWU-Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine (SWU-MHAM) to accept affected students who wish to transfer.
The commission issued a cease-and-desist order against SWU-CM on June 2. Bernal said SWU-CM does not have a permit from CHED to operate a medical program.
CHED recognizes only the SWU-MHAM, which operates a campus in Redemptorist Plaza, as the institution authorized to offer a medical program.
The freeze order was issued about a month after conglomerate Phinma Corp. acquired majority control of SWU from the Aznar family, whose members have been locked in a protracted dispute over ownership of the 70-year-old school.
Options
Bernal said the SWU-MHAM and University of the Visayas – Gullas College of Medicine in Banilad have agreed to accommodate the affected students.
“The CIM (Cebu Institute of Medicine) and CDU (Cebu Doctors’ University) – College of Medicine are using a different approach, which is a problem-based learning while the approach of SWU-CM was traditional learning,” Bernal said.
About 500 students are said to be affected by the freeze order, which was served on SWU-CM on June 10.
Bernal said he has also written to other CHED regional directors, asking them to assist and accommodate the affected students who may wish to transfer to other regions.
In the cease-and-desist order, the CHED regional office was directed to “supervise the expeditious transfer of all affected students.”
The agency was also told to help foreign students secure their accreditation and renew their visas from the Bureau of Immigration so they can enroll in other schools.
Bernal was also instructed to monitor compliance with the freeze order and submit to the CHED central office a report within 10 days from serving the order.
The agency is also supposed to issue a Notice to the Public on the freeze order.
INVALID
Bernal said, meanwhile, he can’t do anything about the diplomas issued to graduates of SWU-CM last year.
“Those (diplomas) do not have a special order (SO) number, which only our office can issue,” Bernal told Cebu Daily News yesterday.
A special order (SO) number shows that the graduation is authenticated or approved by CHED.
Asked how many students have “invalid” diplomas, he answered “many.”
Bernal said they informed SWU-CM students in a forum last year that the college in Urgello “has not been authorized by CHED.”
“They should have listened,” he said.
No permit
Bernal said SWU-CM “had not even applied for the necessary permit to operate a medical program.”
Classes at the SWU-CM have reportedly continued despite the freeze order from CHED.
“It depends on our central office on what will be their next action on this. We just implement here,” Bernal told Cebu Daily News.
He said the Phinma-led medical college can still operate, but it has to secure a permit from CHED.
“Wala silang (They don’t have a) permit since (they started) operation (last year),” he told CDN.
“It’s hard to comply with the requirements for a College of Medicine,” he added.
CHED will also need to check the facilities, equipment and the credentials of its medical professionalsm Bernal said.
In a statement issued to its students, SWU-CM has also assured that the students will not be prejudiced.
The university said it was not giving up its right to offer a medical program and was prepared to defend in court the Government Recognition issued to SWU in 1954.
Prior to Phinma’s takeover of the SWU management, the university’s board of directors passed in January last year a resolution revoking the authority of MHAM to manage the College of Medicine. MHAM was served on March 25, 2014 a notice to vacate the SWU medical building in Urgello.
On April 23 last year, the SWU board granted SWU College of Medicine Foundation, Inc. the right to manage the College of Medicine.
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