College Deans make their own guidelines from Padilla’s vague memo
By Natasha Carolina
The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) pushed through with the second semester last February 7 with a memo from the Office of the Chancellor (OC), released on February 2 with guidelines enjoining the faculty to practice flexibility and compassion. Professors were given the prerogative to suspend or slow down both synchronous and asynchronous classes, asking students to use this time to rest.
Colleges, forced to make own guidelines
The College of Allied Medical Professionals (CAMP) Dean Maria Eliza R. Aguila released Memorandum no. MERA-2022–001 on 4 February, announcing that both synchronous and asynchronous activities will start on 14 February for non-interns. College of Dentistry (CD) will also officially start the semester on the 14th as discussed in a Townhall Meeting conducted last 3 February.
In the same vein, College of Pharmacy (CP) Dean Bienvenido S. Balotro released Memorandum no. CCDP-2022–022, declaring that classes begin 21 February thereby providing the students and the faculty a 2-week recovery break. The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will also begin synchronous sessions on 21 February as the CAS Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) sent an official guide to the CAS faculty regarding academic ease.
Meanwhile, the College of Nursing (CN) and College of Medicine (CM) have not released an official memo regarding the adjustments that they will implement in their colleges. However, some faculty members from CN have reached out to their students through messages and emails regarding their plans for their respective classes.
The College of Public Health (CPH) SC sent a formal letter to CPH Dean Vicente E. Belizario, Jr. last 5 February stipulating the following recommendations for face-to-face classes: release schedule and guidelines for face-to-face classes, and conduct orientation ahead of time; release comprehensive public advisories for processing requirements; integrate the schedule of face-to-face classes into the semestral calendar; and expand support and assistance services for students who wish to attend face-to-face classes.
SCs still push for United Student Demands
Despite the memo, student councils (SCs) remain firm on their United Student Demands, pushing for comprehensive, proactive, inclusive, and pro-student policies.
The United Student Demands are: Genuine Academic Ease; An amended No Fail Policy; #MoveTheSemUP; Expansion of Student Support and Services; Safe Reopening of Schools; and
Duterte, Wakasan!
Among the signatories of the UP Manila United Student Demands is the League of College Student Councils, which comprises the USC and the seven college SCs.
Burden only passed to faculty
In the dialogue with the OVCAA and OC last 7 February, the demand to move the semester is being embodied in the implementation of academic ease.
Chancellor Padilla reasons that the general memorandum is to level the guidelines for all colleges, as each college is facing a different set-up of learning. Padilla states that the Deans are putting maximum efforts to address the needs of the students, and that students should report any faculty member that does not comply with the memo.
The USC argues that such a memo that doesn’t implement a firm policy only passes the burden to the students and faculty. They also stated that there was no health break as students were still completing requirements from the first semester of AY 2021–2022 until the end of January.
Alongside the call to move the semester is cause to junk the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) as students continue to face the biannual difficulty of enrollment. Students went to social media as #JunkSAIS and #MoveTheSemUP trended, expressing concern that the semester was being pushed through even though students were unable to enroll.
“Even some of our college admin have forwarded the need to move the semester to higher offices. completely heartbreaking seeing how everyone’s coerced to push through. how i wish we were on the same boat so the UP admin could see how suffocating things are” a UPM student tweeted.
Some UPM professors also took it upon themselves to start their semester on 21 February even before the memorandum was released.
“Tayo na lang at academic freedom natin ang mag-adjust. Kahiya naman sa mga nanunungkulan na pandemya na, by the book pa rin.” a UPM professor tweeted.
“If UP can’t do better, we can.” said another.
