By Ivan Obias • October 25, 2024

The Office of the Vice President for Higher Education released a memorandum today, 25 October 2024, baring the adjustments to the university’s academic calendar and grading system for the first semester of Academic Year 2024-2025, in the wake of the Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.

Dr. Alfredo C. Fabay, the Vice President for higher education, echoed the pronouncements released earlier by the University President, Fr. Aristotle Dy, that face-to-face and online classes resume on November 4, 2024, after the All Saints and All Souls holidays. Citing the instability of power and communications infrastructure, Dr. Fabay emphasized that face-to-face classes will be prioritized as the ideal mode of instruction.

Deadline adjustments and extended semester

To address the disruptions, the semester has been extended by three days, with final examinations now scheduled to take place from 9-14 December. Faculty members are advised to streamline course content, focusing on essential learning outcomes, "in keeping with the Ignatian values of magis and cura personalis in these trying times," said Dr. Fabay.

The deadline for students to resolve Incomplete (INC) grades from the second semester of SY 2023-2024 has been extended to the first Friday before the Preliminary Exams of the second semester of SY 2024-2025. This extension aims to provide relief for students affected by delays in pre-enrollment and administrative processes. Furthermore, courses with INCs as prerequisites will be waived for enrollment in the second semester of the academic year. Additionally, SRA requirements for impacted students have also been waived.

Prefinal exams cancelled

Prefinal exams scheduled for November 2024 have been canceled. In their place, faculty members are encouraged to develop alternative assessment methods such as case studies, problem sets, and projects. Final assessments should be discussed with students by November 8, 2024.

To offset the cancellation of prefinal exams, the university is offering two options: increasing the weight of either the class standing or final examinations by 10%. This will be at the discretion of the faculty after the discussion with their students.

The university's Management Information Systems (MIS) office will assist in updating the online grading system to reflect these changes.

Community engagement and graduation compliance

In recognition of the efforts made by students who volunteered in rescue and relief operations during the typhoon, the university has deemed these activities as fulfilling the Community Outreach Program (COP) requirement for graduation, with the Center for Community Development (CCD) to release further guidelines on how these engagements will be credited.

All adjustments apply to all colleges in the university, with the College of Law and Graduate School to adapt provisions as they deem necessary.

The adjustments to the academic calendar and grading guidelines were implemented in response to the severe flooding caused by Kristine, which heavily impacted the provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ivan Obias

News Editor

Ivan Obias is currently the Interim News Editor of ThePILLARS Publication.

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