Enhancing the academic quality of a university or other educational institutions, all of the academicians need work together. Nevertheless, the teamwork could not go by itself without previous established standards.

Hence, magister program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) would conduct a workshop of composing academic standards with the purpose of improving the educational quality of each major. The workshop taking place at a magister classroom on the fourth floor, UMY, was attended by all lecturers and head of graduate program of UMY on Wednesday (5/11).

Dr. Achmad Nurmandi, M.Sc., director of magister program of UMY stated that besides fostering the academic quality, this workshop aimed at preparing a visitation of departments. “Within the next year, there would be four departments proposed the visitation, which are Master of Islamic Study, Master of Hospital Management, and the other two doctoral degrees. This workshop points at organizing every aspect which is needed in the visitation,” he told.

Additionally, Nurmandi argued that the academic standards of magister programs of UMY arranged in the workshop was basically with the purpose of the implementation of education, research and publication, as well as community service which was Excellent and Islamic. It was included in several points like lecturer’ career, curriculum arrangement, research and publication, as well as community service in order to appropriate with the vision and mission of the university, Excellent and Islamic.

Nurmandi added that the workshop would be divided into three groups which discussed several different points. The first group would focus on lecturers’ career, curriculum of departments, as well as students and alumni. “The second group would concern with learning process, academic atmospheres, infrastructures and information system. And, the other group would talk about research, publication, community service, and cooperation,” he explained. Besides, Dr. Arif Raharjo, M.Si., leaded the workshop was in the first group said that curriculum of master degree of UMY should encompass three essential aspects. “The first is religion, science, and Muhammadiyah’s movement. The second consists of philosophy of science, and the last is research methodology,” he expounded.

Arif also conveyed that the curriculum would be explored as the university vision and mission, and it would have been future orientation. “It is along with the development of science and technology, sense of divinity and humanity, and the encouragement of establishing justice and social prosperity. The curriculum would prepare the students to comprehend Al-Islam and Kemuhammadiyahan,” he uttered.