Jenderal Soedirman University Purwokerto Will Soon Hold Face-to-face Lectures

Unsoed Purwokerto Chancellor Suwarto accompanied by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Akhmad Sodiq (Photo: Sumarwoto/Antara)

JAKARTA - Jenderal Soedirman University (Soedirman University) Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java will soon carry out face-to-face lectures that are prioritized for students of the class of 2020 and new students of the class of 2021.

When giving a press statement in Purwokerto, Rector Soedirman University, Suwarto, said the face-to-face lectures were planned to start after the midterm exams or the third week of October 2021.

"This face-to-face lecture will be carried out in stages and temporarily prioritized for class 2020 students and new students, especially those from Banyumas and Purbalingga regencies", he said accompanied by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Akhmad Sodiq, reported by Antara, Tuesday, October 5.

According to him, this is also carried out by the conditions that have been set and by the available quota.

He said the list of courses in each study program that had been prepared for face-to-face lectures would then be informed by the faculty and course participants would register at their respective faculties.

Although some lectures will begin to be held face-to-face, he said, the faculty will continue to provide facilities and infrastructure as well as lecturers for students who choose to study online.

Regarding the technical implementation of the face-to-face lecture, Deputy Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Akhmad Sodiq, said Soedirman University would coordinate with the Banyumas Regency COVID-19 Handling Task Force.

"In addition, each faculty also forms a Faculty Health and Safety Team or Faculty COVID-19 Task Force to compile, prepare and implement standard operating procedures for health protocols together with the University COVID-19 Task Force", he said.

The Soedirman University COVID-19 Task Force will also coordinate with the community around the campus to support the prevention of COVID-19.

He said students who will take full face-to-face or blended lectures must be in good health, have been vaccinated, have permission from their parents, and apply the health protocols that have been prepared.

"Mixed or blended lectures are a combination of face-to-face and online. Some of the courses will be offered later, if in the lecture process there are 14 face-to-face sessions, maybe the one that is presented depends on each study program that offers it", he said.

He said that if all the lecturers were young and in good health, all lecture materials could be given face-to-face.

According to him, the mixed lecture method also considers the availability of lecturers, for example, lecturers who are elderly or over 60 years old are avoided from face-to-face lectures.

"In addition, if the number of students (who take certain courses, ed.) is large while the lecturers are few, perhaps there will be certain sections that are carried out face-to-face, especially parts that are difficult to achieve if given online. It has implemented the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Health Sciences with strict health protocols", he said.

He said mixed lectures had also been carried out for practicum activities and final guidance.

In the implementation of face-to-face lectures, he said, each faculty also prepares facilities and infrastructure by the required health protocols, such as maximum room use of 50 percent or a maximum of 25 people.

In addition, preparing support for emergency actions, providing temporary isolation rooms if there are academics and education personnel who have symptoms of COVID-19, as well as other provisions according to health protocols.

"This face-to-face lecture will continue to be monitored and if there is an increase in COVID-19 cases, the chancellor can stop the face-to-face activities and conduct an evaluation. Thank God, based on data from the last two months, Soedirman University is in a state of zero COVID-19 cases", said Sodiq.