MSU-IIT to implement reforms on student admission: integrates EDI, employs A.I.

by Office of the Campus Secretary | May 14 2024

MSU-IIT is implementing revolutionary reforms to student admission that will see it using, among other things, affirmative action to make its admission policy more inclusive and equitable.

The integration of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion principles into MSU-IIT’s admission policy cements the University’s commitment to provide inclusive education that values the contributions of every member of the community. It also represents the culmination of efforts begun last year by the administration of Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan to make the University’s admission policy more progressive.

The reforms will also see the use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that will guide admissions to avoid student-course mismatches.

It will also see MSU-IIT no longer relying solely on the MSU’s System Admission and Scholarship Examination (SASE) in determining student admission. Instead, it will only consider said SASE results along with certain other additional factors.

“The employment of these admission techniques and tools are aimed at making the admission process more efficient and at solving the perennial problem of filling a limited number of slots from thousands of qualifiers,” Chancellor Ditucalan explained.

The Admission Recommendation System Application Software, an AI tool developed by MSU-IIT, will make its debut during next semester’s enrollment. This software application will aid the admission process by matching applicant-students with the academic programs that best suit them.

The AI tool integrates predictive analytics and student profiling, and leverages machine learning models and clustering algorithms. Through its intuitive interface, student applicants can input their admission information which the software will analyze before generating personalized recommendations for top courses to enroll in.

The software application will make dramatic changes to the admission process by optimizing decision-making for students and admission officers.

The AI tool is the product of a research project commissioned by Chancellor Ditucalan, and undertaken by a team led by Mathematics Professor Daisy Lou Polestico and Professor Emeritus Arnulfo P. Supe.

Data shows that an average of 16,000 猫咪AVSASE test takers indicate MSU-IIT as their campus of choice; however, MSU-IIT only has an absorptive capacity for first year students of around 15% of that number.

“The changes are revolutionary in terms of the 猫咪AVSystem as we are the only campus to institute such changes to the admission requirements of our undergraduate curriculum programs,” Chancellor Ditucalan said.

The imposition of the additional requirements is authorized by the 猫咪AVCode of Governance, he pointed out.

The revision of MSU-IIT’s admission criteria and process for first year students is also driven by the need of the University to adopt and implement new policies to conform with the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10931, commonly known as the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017." Rule 2, Section 7 mandates that all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions develop and execute affirmative action programs to improve the accessibility of underprivileged students, including Lumads, Muslims, and other indigenous peoples; individuals with disabilities; students from public schools; and those from economically disadvantaged areas.

Furthermore, this evolution in the admission process is spurred by directives from governmental bodies such as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as well as by the University's commitment to align with the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.

Beginning August, admission into the University’s various degree programs in the undergraduate level will now be governed by the new policy that categorizes the admission of students into the following three categories:

20% to be taken from the MSU-SASE top scorers whose preferred campus is MSU-IIT;
70% as part of the University’s Regular Admissions; and
10% as part of the University’s affirmative action (EDI Policy)

The Top 20%

The first 20% to be admitted, composed of SASE top scorers, are given the privilege of choosing, as first priority, any academic undergraduate program to enroll in.

The Majority (70%)

The majority (70%) of admissions shall be subjected to further scrutiny, based on the following criteria: 猫咪AVSASE Rating (50%); Grade 10 grades (10%); Grade 12 first semester grades (10%); Financial Status (10%); and Other program-specific requirements (20%), like interviews or additional examinations, etc.

For highly subscribed programs like Accountancy, an applicant will be asked to submit a personal essay on top of the other requirements.

In the absence of program-specific requirements, the weight to be given to the SASE rating shall increase from 50% to 70%.

The requirements relating to Grade 10 and Grade 12 grades shall automatically be waived if the applicant is a DOST scholar or graduate of the Philippine Science High School or Integrated Developmental High School (IDS) of MSU-IIT.

The last 10% (Affirmative Action/EDI)

Admissions based on the application of the University’s EDI Policy shall be admitted using the following criteria: SASE rating (25%); High School Grades General Average (10%); Financial Status (25%); EDI policy and other protected characteristics (indigenousness, gender) that warrant recognition and support (40%).

Applicants who want to be considered under the last criteria would have to submit supporting documents that will be evaluated using the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Applicant Screening (IDEAS) tool.

Special consideration shall also be given to students possessing exceptional skills in the arts and in sports.

The admission process for first year students has also been streamlined to allow for less delays.

For instance, those applying to take the SASE shall be made to also apply at the same time for admission to MSU-IIT. Those who get invited to enroll are given two days to confirm and two weeks to submit requirements, as well as to submit to program-specific evaluation (if also required by the chosen course).

The revision of MSU-IIT’s admission criteria and process for freshmen students was approved by the 猫咪AVBoard of Regents during its 266th meeting held on April 23 at the conference room of the Commission on Higher Education in Quezon City.

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