by KAREN RENEE S. NOGOY
THE FACILITIES of seven colleges in the University have been retrofitted and are ready to be used for limited face-to-face classes, the Facilities Management Office (FMO) said.
The University has retrofitted the facilities being used by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, College of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, College of Education and the College of Science, FMO environmental health, safety, and crisis engineer Jared Gunting told The Flame.
St. Raymund de Peñafort Building, which houses both the Faculty of Arts and Letters and College of Commerce and Business Administration, was borrowed by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery to comply with the health protocols for its limited onsite classes.
The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery also occupies the St. Martin de Porres building, together with the College of Nursing.
The Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Science, and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) are using the Central Laboratory building for their laboratory works. The De Elera building was also retrofitted for the College of Science.
Other buildings occupied by the CRS for the limited in-person classes are the St. Martin de Porres building and some borrowed rooms at the Benavides building, which houses the UST Junior High School.
Limited face-to-face classes for some medical and health allied programs started in June last year.
The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) will occupy the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes O.P. building, which previously accommodated senior high school students. The Albertus Magnus building will also be used by the CTHM and students of the College of Education.
CTHM would start its limited in-person classes in April for four laboratory courses, the UST Hotel and Restaurant Management Society has announced.
Gunting said the facilities of three colleges namely Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School, and Conservatory of Music are still being retrofitted.
Adjustments would also be made on some facilities in buildings that were already retrofitted since they would be used by students from other year levels and programs, he added.
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Last week, the FMO confirmed that it has finished retrofitting some University facilities and is preparing other programs for limited face-to-face classes.
Earlier this month, the Office of the Secretary General instructed the FMO to continue working with the University’s academic, administrative, and research units to ensure that their facilities are compliant with health protocols.
Despite the downward trend in COVID-19 cases, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Cheryl Peralta told The Flame recently that the University is not planning to resume face-to-face classes for all colleges this term. F