UP panel proposes ending semester on April 30 amid COVID-19 threat

The President's Advisory Council (PAC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) has recommended ending the second semester of the current academic year on April 30 amid the imposition of community quarantines versus COVID-19.

The recommendation was announced by the Office of the Student Regent in a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the PAC, the recommendation to end the second semester is "to reduce the growing anxiety of students and faculty" and to "enable their COVID-related engagements."

The PAC is composed of UP System Executive Committee and the chancellors of UP's constituent universities. The body came up with the recommendation during their meeting on Monday, but the final decision still lies with the UP Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University.

Considering their proposal that the second semester ends on April 30 and since there is no sufficient basis to assess their performance for the term, students will be given a "deferred grade," which means that no student will fail their courses provided that they meet the requirements.

Students will then have until May 31, 2021 to complete their course requirements. Those who are unable to do so may drop the course and re-enroll in the succeeding semester.

Instead of the usual numerical grades, students will receive a grade of "Pass" or "Dropped" for their classes in the second semester. However, faculty members may indicate the adjectival equivalent of the number grade in the Remarks column of the grading sheet, such as "Excellent (1.0-1.25)," "Very Good (1.5-1.75)," among others.

Meanwhile, students who are enrolled in a course that is prerequisite to another course will be allowed to take the latter despite having a "deferred grade," in the former. The course's offering unit will offer bridging programs to allow students to catch up with the course in the first semester of the next academic year.

Faculty members teaching courses during the second semester of this academic year must communicate to their students the adjusted requirements and how to meet them until May 1, 2020.

While UP is ending the second semester for all its students on April 30, graduating students and those who are meeting personal timetables like those who need to begin earning for their families, applying for a graduate program, or on scholarships may choose to complete their course requirements following the adjusted syllabus and the deadlines set by their constituent university.

"The University shall endeavor to adopt alternative modes of instruction, requirements and assessment methods that are consistent with its mandate as the National University committed to honor and excellence and that equally take the extreme conditions confronting our students and faculty into account," the PAC said.

Other universities have also made adjustments in their semesters amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The Ateneo De Manila University, for one, decided to end the semester on May 8 and give all its students a tuition fee refund and a passing mark and are automatically promoted to the next school year.

The University of Santo Tomas, meanwhile, decided to push through with its second semester until May 30, but all classes will be held online. -NB, GMA News