SUST Correspondent
Authorities at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) continue to push for the academic activities to avoid a session jam at any cost amidst the offset of the global coronavirus pandemic.
“The threat of session jam certainly looms large at all public universities but the SUST will not face such difficulties… We are working with all the stakeholders to resume academic activities considering all aspects,” SUST Vice Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed told the Bangladesh Post on Wednesday.
“Our deans of different faculties, chairmen and teachers of different departments are coordinating to chalk out plans in order continue the classes,” he said.
As part of its moves, the university will install a learning management systems (LMS) software in the next week to facilitate the academic activities, even if the pandemic continues to batter for long.
Prof Farid said, “We will receive the delivery of LMS software by next week. It will allow teachers to create class online, add assignments and assessments, and communicate with students smoothly.”
Once the LMS software is installed it will also allow students to access the courses and course materials online, complete assignments, and communicate with their respective teachers, he added.
Meanwhile, the SUST authorities provided 15 GB data free of cost to its students.
“A total of 2,016 students receive data for free and it will continue. Besides, some 900 insolvent students were given Tk 3,000 each so that they face no difficulty in continuing their study,” VC Farid said. About 78 percent students now attend the virtual classes due to various measures taken by the university, he added.
SUST became the first public university to introduce online classes on April 4 within a month coronavirus was first reported in the country on March 8. VC said they are going to hold a special academic council meeting to decide academic activities.
Replying to a query Prof Farid said, rules on social distancing, health and hygiene guidelines will be imposed, to be applied for both teachers and students once the university reopens.
“If we get green signal both from the government and the health experts we will reopen (the university) and resume academic activities in a limited-scale with postgraduate, M Phil and PhD students to get the priority,” the VC added.