UST WILL transition to online classes and remote work on Oct. 16, the Office of the Secretary General announced on Friday.
Classes on the day may be held synchronously or asynchronously, UST said in its announcement early Friday.
Student leaders had requested two days of online classes and academic ease but were turned down.
In a Facebook post on Friday evening, the CSC said a number of students had also expressed concern for their health following the “seeming outbreak” of the flu in the University.
“We…humbly ask that an academic ease be declared on Oct. 16 and 17 imposing (sic) that there would be no deadlines, quizzes, or graded assessments, and the classes would be as much as possible held asynchronously only,” the CSC request stated.
Quoting the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (OVRAA) and the Office of the Secretary General (OSG), the CSC said the request could not be granted because at least six class days had been affected by suspensions due to national holidays, inclement weather, and poor air quality, not counting disruptions caused by the Bar examinations.
They also noted that postponing high-stakes assessments, which must be conducted on-site, might be detrimental to students.
“There are only two weeks left before the Undas Break, and this period is usually for high-stakes assessments, including the preliminary examinations,” the OVRAA and OSG were quoted as saying.
“Postponing these later will likely disadvantage students as exams and deliverables may pile up, and deadlines may be set at shorter intervals,” two offices told the CSC.
The University added that the duration of the Undas break, which will be observed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, was lengthened to allow students and staff to have a “much-needed respite.”
Minor assessments may be conducted on Oct. 16, while affected high-stakes exams must be rescheduled by academic units to be taken on-site, according to a separate memorandum released by the OVRAA.
Some 240,000 jeepneys are expected to join the nationwide transport strike, which will begin on Oct. 16, according to transport group Manibela.
Since the duration of the strike was uncertain, the University said it would continue to monitor the situation and make announcements accordingly.
The OVRAA and OSG advised academic units and staff to prepare contingency plans should it be necessary to continue classes online.
