THE ADAMSON University on Tuesday defended its PhD program as it decried attempts to put its integrity into question.

“PhD degrees conferred on Adamson graduates had passed through stringent verification procedures and are awarded in accordance with their successful compliance to institutional and CHED requirements,” AdU said in a statement.

“The questionable practices and improprieties allegedly committed by the President of Shaoyang College do not reflect inadequacies in the credibility and legitimacy of Adamson University’s educational programs nor do they signify Adamson University’s involvement in any such malpractice or misconduct,” it added.

The South China Morning Post reported on Monday that education authorities in China fired the head of Shaoyang University for spending over 180 million yuan on one-off payments for teachers sent to Adamson, who allegedly earned “instant PhDs” and were then rehired to boost the school’s ranking.

According to the report, teachers received a PhD degree from Adamson “after only 28 months despite most PhDs taking a minimum of 4 years to earn.”

AdU, however, said that it had no “official linkage” with Shaoyang University.

It added that its faculty members came to enroll in the Graduate School “on their own armed with appropriate admission credentials.”

It said that malicious statements that tend to impeach the integrity and reputation of the University’s Graduate School Program is unacceptable.

“Adamson University will be constantly vigilant and assertive in ensuring that misinformation does not align nor discredit the school and what it has built and preserved for 90 years as a leading center for quality education in the Philippines, as well as globally,” it stressed.

AdU said it is reviewing its options to protect the school’s reputation, including legal remedies.

Very alarming, prejudicial

Meanwhile, Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera III described the SCMP report as “very alarming and prejudicial” to the international reputation of higher education institutions in the country.

De Vera said that the commission will look into the claims of instant PhDs.

“Although Adamson is free from regular monitoring of CHED as an autonomous institution, CHED may conduct investigation activities in case of reports of a general erosion of quality and/or gross violation of laws, rules and regulations that adversely affect the good standing of the PHEI as a reputable education institution,” De Vera said in a statement.

“CHED will not condone any violation of existing laws and regulations, autonomous or not,” he added.