Ateneo shortens semester; students to receive tuition refund, passing mark amid COVID-19 threat

Ateneo de Manila University will cut the semester short following the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

In a memo from the ADMU Office of the Vice President, the university announced that the semester will end on May 8.

The memo was shared on the Twitter account of GUIDON, the official student publication of Ateneo.

JUST IN: The second semester of AY 2019-2020 has been shortened and will end on May 8. In a recently-released memo, the Office of the Vice President explained that eligible non-graduating students will receive a passing (P) mark instead of letter grades. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/NThx1IbQ4M

— The GUIDON (@TheGUIDON) April 7, 2020

With the earlier end  to the semester, students will receive a refund of P20,000 from tuition fees and 60 percent refund on their lab fees.

In addition, eligible non-graduating students will receive passing (P) marks instead of letter grades this semester and are automatically promoted to the next school year.

Graduating students, meanwhile, will also receive P marks but they have the option to request for letter grades.

The students "will be cleared for graduation provided they satisfy certain conditions" elaborated on the memo.

Students are to receive a Php 20,000 refund from tuition fees and a 60% refund of lab fees. (4/4)

See pages 5-6 of the memo here: pic.twitter.com/WaqSZ4Om0F

— The GUIDON (@TheGUIDON) April 7, 2020

ADMU said passing the students "is the most humane way of dealing with student grades under the circumstances that we are in."

They said it would be "difficult and unfair to make a judgement of failure considering that students have not been given the benefit of a full semester to improve their performance."

The teachers are still observing the guidelines they had set on March 20 regarding their online learning support for their students until the end of semester.

Many students were in the middle of their school year when the enhanced community quarantine was implemented on March 17 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The quarantine includes the suspension of classes in all levels.

As of Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines climbed to 3,764 with 177 deaths and 84 recoveries. --Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/MGP, GMA News