HYDERABAD: Sindh University (SU) shares with Higher Education Commission Islamabad its current concern not to compromise student premium time, no matter what the odds were; and also HEC foresight for varsities to stay virtually ready to transmit education. This is the reason we meet Faculty-wise to discuss to streamline all that may be needed to do so.
This was said by SU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat while chairing online video-conference meeting of SU Faculty of Natural Sciences.
The VC said they were brought to battle unprecdented challenges. That those were the unusual times mandating unparalled strategies to cope academic losses that were likely to incur on account of turbulence, disturbance and impediments caused by the pandemic Corona literally crippling institutions to carry on in normal course of academic activity.
Dr. Burfat added that they needed to explore and introduce innovative, dramatic and novel online, virtual teaching-learning options to minimize academic and research damage that had become too very conspicuous in the ongoing epidemic crisis and subsequent mass immobility across the globe.
The Vice Chancellor was joined in this online discussion by Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences Prof. Dr. Abdul Rasool Abbasi, SU Registrar Dr. Ameer Ali Abro, Instiute Directors, Department Chairpersons and faculty from within the Faculty domain.
Dean Dr. Abbasi informed the Vice Chancellor that all teachers had already conferred students with 40 marks assignments that would be accounting for the midterm examinations they would have taken if all were normal.
The Varsity’s Director Internet Services Dr. Yasir Arafat Malkani informed that they were working on a parallel plan that comprised two options: A and B. He added that as per option A they were exploiting social media tools like email communication, FaceBook page links, Google devices and WhatsApp streams to academically interact with students; adding that as per option B they were developing a full-fledged and efficient Virtual Learning Management System (VLMS) with a view to integrate teaching-learning materials being prepared by faculty through student E-portal medium and other online domains if the lockdown situation prevailed beyond anticipated timeframe.
Academic Heads of various teaching departments of the Faculty of Natural Sciences shared with Dr. Burfat that they had already impressed upon faculty within their respective venues to begin working on developing and designing online teaching modules to administer in case the need be. Vice Chancellor Dr. Burfat thanked all stakeholders for their dedicated input aimed at continuation of academic activity in the difficult days.
