T
he previous academic year turned to an abrupt close as the students’ usual yearending requirements were modified to comply with the mandates of the University and the government in view of the safety precautions against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Examinations were conducted online and other pending coursework were to be submitted electronically as well. Summer classes had been moved or integrated in the coming years. Months have passed since the students bid their hasty goodbyes to that bitter end of a year, and yet again, complications present themselves with the coming of a new one. As the popular saying goes, “The show must go on,”—but is everyone ready for it? Crowdsourcing Over the course of the supposed summer break, the University has constantly updated its students and faculty of its different course actions amidst the crisis. Emails sent by the XU Communications Office ensure that the memoranda, safety reminders, and other kinds of information are received by its constituents. As the Administration took into discussion the strategy for the new school year, they introduced the idea of online learning through surveying. The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) posted the Survey On Availability Of ICT Devices Among XU Higher Education Students on April 27. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Prospero de Vera III mentions in a virtual meeting with the higher education committee of the House of Representatives on April 30 that Higher Education Institutions (HEI) may open in August 2020 if they are using flexible learning. He elaborates, “‘Flexible learning’ for HEIs involve a combination of ‘digital and nondigital technology.’” De Vera notes that this does not necessarily require connectivity. For HEIs that use the face-to-face setup, classes may start in September. As the representative of the student body, the Central Student Government (CSG) took an initiative to convey the viewpoint of the students with their survey titled, “Constituency Check On Online Learning”, distributed on May 5. Of beginnings in July Only a few days later, the announcement of XU’s proposal for the coming school year took
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Vol. 46 No. 5 July 2020
