Various groups in CSSP community will hold an online protest and social media rally from 6pm to 8pm tomorrow, January 28, to amplify calls for genuine recovery and wellness break, and to move the start of the second semester.
This comes after the UP administration’s decision to still start the second semester on February 7 despite widespread clamor to implement academic ease and genuine recovery break.
The UP Kilos na Multi-Sectoral Alliance have previously laid out prevailing conditions, following the onslaught of typhoon Odette and the surge of COVID cases due to the Omicron variant.
Last January 25, a meeting was conducted between the UP administration and representatives from various sectors in the UP community led by the UP MSA. Among the decisions made is the opening of the second semester on February 7 across the UP System, excluding UP Open University and UP Cebu.
Furthermore, a two-week break was said to be implemented immediately at the start of the semester. Synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities are set to be suspended. However, UPD Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo stated that only one week is allotted for the said “health and recovery break.”
The changes made were criticized and condemned by disappointed students, the faculty, and employees, citing their struggles in prioritizing their health amid deadlines and deliverables.
According to the sensing forms by the UPD University Student Council, 531 students tested positive or were exposed to positive cases; 92 students are directly affected by typhoon Odette. Meanwhile, a survey by the UP MSA said that 20% (~10,700) individuals are left vulnerable by typhoon Odette.
Rise For Education – CSSP released a manifesto asserting demands for genuine academic ease.
“Based on the data collected and organized by the CSSP Student Council and CSSP FST Council through various sensing forms across the departments, many members of the CSSP community have yet to return to better conditions where they could resume dealing with the difficulties of the remote set-up.”
R4E CSSP Manifesto on Academic Ease: https://bit.ly/3r0QKzn
Last week, various formations initiated an email blast to unite with local administration to heed the community’s demands.
After Chancellor Nemenzi affirmed the university decision to open the semester on February 7, the UPD USC sent a letter to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to implement a health and recovery break.
No updates yet from Dean Bernadette Abrera and Belmonte on the said requests.
The online protest will start at 6PM; whereas the social media rally will commence at 8PM. Organizers called on the CSSP community to join the protests to amplify the demands and clamor for the UP administration to heed their stakeholders’ resounding calls for academic ease, recovery break, and moving the second semester.
#AyudaAtPahinga
#MoveTheSemUP
Featured image courtesy of LFS – CSSP
