ENHANCING SUC LEVELLING THROUGH MENTORSHIP: THE ROLE OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARAGA REGION, PHILIPPINES

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This study explores the important role that research, innovation, instruction, and faculty development play in advancing the levelling process of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) through mentorship programs in the Caraga Region. Utilizing identified faculty members both science and related field from the four SUCs and a quantitative research design. Data were gathered through structured and validated questionnaires, aiming to assess both the implementation and effectiveness of these mentorship programs. The focus was on understanding how these programs contribute to faculty development and institutional performance. The findings indicate that mentorship programs are generally implemented at a moderate to high level across the region, with the second State university, coded as SUC 2, showing the most structured and consistent approach to mentoring. It was noted that "Hands-on Research Projects" emerged as the highest-scoring indicator, highlighting the success of experiential learning, particularly in SUC 1. Despite these positive outcomes, the study also identifies challenges, such as gaps in mentor-mentee pairings and limited involvement from seasoned innovators, signaling a need for more strategic planning in mentorship allocations. Moreover, the research reveals that mentorship programs significantly contribute to enhancing faculty capabilities in areas such as creating instructional materials, integrating technology into teaching practices, and producing research outputs. The strong performance of SUC 2 can be attributed to robust institutional support for mentorship. Ultimately, this study underscores the critical role that targeted and well-structured mentorship strategies play in advancing SUC levelling and fostering overall institutional excellence, which are essential for long-term academic and research success.

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