Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) once again presented a Rektor Menyapa (Rector’s Greetings) session, this time aimed at establishing a friendship with parents/guardians of students through the Microsoft Teams virtual channel, UMYogya YouTube channel, and the Instagram TV live channel on Saturday (11/7). Between the three channels, there were almost 1000 participants/parents/guardians of students that took part in the Chancellor’s Greeting.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and currently has no end in sight, which presents major problems, including on an educational standpoint. Whether it’s about how the education system works, the cost of education, to the safety of students when lectures can finally be once again run face to face. Indonesia is currently trying to apply the New Normal transition period. Through this session of Rektor Menyapa, Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto M.P assured the students’ parents that UMY is ready to carry out lecture activities either through online classes using the MyKlass application, or offline or face to face when conditions are possible.
“This is indeed our time to meet with the parents of students to achieve the same perception about the learning process in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. We conveyed to students’ parents that UMY already had a health protocol, a student arrival protocol, a student entry protocol to campus, a student protocol to attend lectures and a practicum that we had prepared ahead of time with the Tamantirto sub-district, Kasihan Subdistrict, Bantul. So it is clear that UMY is ready and safe to carry out lecture activities. For online learning, we have a MyKlass platform that we continue to develop and have used during the pandemic,” said the UMY Rector again.
In addition, the students’ parents were also invited to discuss the problems faced by their children during lectures in the middle of the pandemic by asking questions directly or via chat available on Microsoft teams, Youtube, and Instagram. The parents were enthusiastic to ask the UMY rector various questions, including the process of the practicum, graduation ceremonies, and fee reimbursement, which UMY had done by cutting tuition fees in the coming semester.
“We have made a decision. Odd semester lectures will be held online until 30 November 2020. The practicum that was supposed to be conducted in July-August 2020 will be postponed and carried out in December 2020, with the exception that COVID-19 conditions have been resolved. For students who will graduate in September 2020, they must complete the graduation process before the deadline of July 27, 2020,” added the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Dr. Ir. Sukamta MT., IPM.,
On the occasion, UMY announced five new students who were awarded the Muhammadiyah Medical Program scholarship. Three students received scholarships in the Medical Education Study Program, and two students received scholarships in the Dentistry Education Study Program. The five students have gone through a long selection stage to get a Muhammadiyah doctor scholarship worth 550 million per student. The scholarship is intended for those who are less financially able.
“Thank you very much for UMY for giving my child the opportunity to get a medical scholarship. Hopefully, my child can become a Muhammadiyah doctor that is useful for the nation, “said one of the scholarship recipients from the dentistry education study program, Dwi Meilani. (Hbb)
