The Chancellor of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman urged UP’s students, faculty, and staff to “do balancing acts” and be “realistic” of limitations in the academic setting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, UP Diliman began holding classes under a remote learning setup.
“Flexibility is the principle that should guide this semester,” UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo said in his message Tuesday, September 15 to the academic community.
“Therefore, exploration of our capacities, more than evaluation of our performance, should guide the approach to academic work, of both students and faculty,” Nemenzo added.
Nemenzo also encouraged his constituents to reflect on their roles in the University as the country struggles with the ongoing public health crisis. “This gives us an opportunity for deep learning… and not rush through the semester simply chasing after performance indicators,” he said.
“We have the freedom to define what is meaningful academic work given our new context,” the Chancellor continued.
According to Nemenzo, the University strives to improve its services despite the many challenges it is facing. “We are building the infrastructure for more agile approaches to education. The shift to remote teaching and learning requires us to transform mindsets and practices.”
The UP Board of Regents, the school’s highest policy-making body, decided to push through with the opening of classes on September 10.
The University System launched a fundraising campaign last July to assist more than 5,600 of its financially challenged students. More than ₱4 million in donations have so far been raised by the said initiative.