In this ongoing pandemic, compassion for teachers and learners remains a guiding principle behind the University’s academic policies. While the goal of uninterrupted instruction and learning remains paramount and learning to overcome adversity is integral to the training of UP students to lead in a disruptive and uncertain future, the goal of learning continuity takes excellent consideration of the realities and difficulties the UP community are experiencing during these uncertain times.
The Oblation at the UP Open University Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. UP MPRO File Photo.
The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) issued OVPAA Memorandum No. 2021-122 on September 6, enumerating the academic policies for the first semester/trimester of Academic Year (AY) 2021-2022.
The regular academic load of 12 units is still in effect. UP continues to implement its no-fail policy, except for students found guilty of intellectual dishonesty.
No grade of “4” or “5” shall be given, but students may receive an incomplete or be dropped from their courses. Dropping, however, is not an option to be taken lightly by faculty members. The University requires them to “exercise utmost prudence” in dropping students. The annotation “due to COVID-19 pandemic” will accompany the “DRP” and “INC” in the students’ transcripts of record.
Faculty members are asked to be flexible in meeting deadlines on a case-to-case basis, especially in cases where the student’s inability stems from “difficult circumstances.” Attendance in synchronous classes should also not be required because of differences in connectivity capabilities. Recordings of these classes and assessments or graded activities are done during class time should be made available to those who are unable to attend.
UP reiterates that faculty should be available for consultation ten hours per week during regular office hours. Their schedules must be indicated in their course guides. Faculty are encouraged to reach out to their students and be reminded to give feedback and respond to student messages. Faculty members who perceive students to be struggling with their workload should urge them to consult their advisers and/or teachers in the courses concerned.
Similar to previous semesters, students and teachers will be given a week-long “reading break.” Despite what the term implies, students and teachers may use this time to simply rest and take a breather from classwork. The memo emphasizes that this week should contain no course deadlines, no synchronous classes, and no asynchronous class activities and assessments.
The following rules and policies are also suspended in the first semester/trimester of this academic year: Maximum Residence Rule or MRR, degree program retention rules, and academic delinquency rules—warning, probation, dismissal, and permanent disqualification.
Unlike in AY 2020-2021, when the deadlines for Leave of Absence and the dropping of courses were moved to the end of classes, the deadlines for LOA and dropping will follow the AY 2021-2022 academic calendar.
To read the full OVPPA memo, click here: [OVPAA Memorandum No. 2021-91].
Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
Cross posted from UP System Website