NEWS | 1355th BOR Meeting: What we know so far
BOR to push for limited face-to-face classes as UPCAT procedures remain undecided
By The News Team
The 1355th meeting of the University of the Philippines Board of Regents (UP BOR) held yesterday, October 29, discussed the university’s plans for the upcoming semesters. With no final decision yet for the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) examination, only the proposed guidelines for the rest of the academic year (AY) were revealed.
Possibility of physical classes
Classes for the second semester of AY 2020–2021 will commence on February 1, 2021, while the Midyear term will begin on June 7, 2021. Also included in the proposed academic calendar is the course pack distribution for both terms scheduled on January 25–30, 2021 and June 3–6, 2021 respectively.
Furthermore, the BOR announced its plans to allow limited face-to-face (F2F) classes for the remainder of the AY. However, it is not yet final as it awaits approval from the Inter-Agency Task Force.
The university previously redesigned the programs implemented due to the remote learning set-up. Laboratory courses, which were supposedly taken in the first semester, were moved to the second semester.
With this, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) is keen to implement a probable exemption from remote learning. They added that if no alternatives would be established, acquiring the clearance for limited F2F classes will take place by mid-December.
Pending admission guidelines
Despite much expectation, the BOR meeting ended with no final decision regarding the admissions for the upcoming AY. However, based on the report of the Office of the Student Regent (OSR), the University Councils across all constituent units initially voted for the cancelation of the UPCAT examinations component due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, the OVPAA and UP Office of Admission proposed a revised admission system where an Admission Model Score shall be conceptualized, studied, and finalized in the coming months.
The said system aims to have standardized evidence-based High School academic performance, including an additional layer of assessment at the department/institute level, and most of all mindful of equity, inclusivity, and diversity.
Right to quality education
The OSR affirmed that they stand united with the student body in ensuring their rights for a safe quality education for all. They urged the UP administration to show compassion towards its stakeholders, especially in this time of pandemic which exposed the inaccessibility of education in the country.
In relation with the UPCAT, the OSR hopes that the university will lay down a fair decision which will guarantee the acceptance of the maximum number of applicants, particularly the marginalized and those affected by the pandemic.
Additionally, they asserted the need to review the decision made earlier regarding the guidelines in conducting the rest of the AY. Consultations with the university’s stakeholders must take place as soon as possible.
“The safety of the students who will participate in on-ground classes should be given utmost importance where our facilities and campuses shall be ready with health protocols in place. The financial and learning assistance should now fully reach our affected students and other sectors as well. It’s about time our demands are truly met,” the OSR concluded.
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