THE UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) will keep its current 30% online learning setup even as the University allowed colleges to conduct up to half of their course hours online to soften the impact of the Middle East conflict.
AB Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan said the AB administration would use the days after the Holy Week break, which will run from March 30 to April 5, to assess the directive and plan any possible adjustments.
“We don’t need to change anything because we are exercising 30% (online learning) as of press time,” Turingan told The Flame.
“The plan is moving forward so for the next academic year [is the] target as far as I know,” she added.
The decision came after a memorandum released on March 26 by the Office of the Secretary-general gave academic units flexibility to hold online modalities beyond 30% without exceeding 50% of course hours for the rest of academic year 2025-2026.
READ: UST allows academic units to hold up to half of classes online to conserve energy
The AB dean said the faculty would continue its 70:30 onsite to online class setup, which allots two hours for onsite classes and one hour for asynchronous learning.
This ratio has been in place since the University made the hybrid mode of instruction its permanent setup to take advantage of available technologies.
The directives contained in the memorandum is part of broader efforts to promote campus-wide energy efficiency while maintaining uninterrupted learning.
The memorandum said skill-based courses may retain a higher proportion of on-site modality to avoid disruptions to intended learning outcomes, while summative assessments and validation of online assessments must still be conducted onsite.
UST also implemented various energy conservation measures, including regulation of air condition usage and switching to energy-efficient infrastructure. Consultations among University offices for sustainability efforts are also ongoing.
The measures came in the wake of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s signing of Executive Order No. 110, which declared a state of national energy emergency to ensure a stable oil supply and to prevent the disruption of economic activities.
The order also expands his options in assisting vulnerable sectors and in curbing illegal activities that may contribute to price hikes. F
