As per the letter issued by the Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC) of the Muhammadiyah Central Board of Executives No. 01 / EDR / Covid-19/2020 regarding the prohibition of learning/face-to-face activities for every Muhammadiyah Educational Institution, Rector of tUniversitas Muhamadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) Dr.Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P., IPM fully supports the MCCC PP Muhammadiyah directives as stated in the Letter. Higher education institutions that are not ready with everything related to face-to-face lecture facilities are required to continue conducting online course scheme.
“For UMY, learning activities/lectures will still be carried out according to the initial plan. Lectures will start on Monday, September 14, 2020, with a scheme as previously informed in the Rektor Menyapa event. This semester, lectures in face-to-face (offline) mode will be implemented to help shape student skills, but we will still emphasize online lectures. To lessen crowding on campus, there will only be one batch each month that will attend offline lectures. The 7th semester students will conduct offline lectures first, then change to the 5th semester students in the following month and then the 3rd semester in the following month, “explained Gunawan.
In accordance with the direction of the MCCC, tertiary institutions wishing to hold face-to-face activities must be equipped with facilities and infrastructure that comply with standard health protocols during a pandemic. These requirements include providing a place to wash hands at each building entrance, providing a hand sanitizer in every building hallway and office, mandatory masking regulations in the campus area, spraying disinfectant in every building and room, arranging lecture chairs with social distancing, installing fans as a substitute for air conditioning, and body temperature check before entering the campus gate and at the entrance to the building inside the campus area. Universities must also equip itself with various rules and protocol standards that have been published and socialized.
On Saturday, September 12, 2020, a coordination meeting was held by the Chairperson of the Muhammadiyah Central Board od Executives, MCCC, the PP Muhammadiyah Higher Education Council and all the leaders of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Universities throughout Indonesia. Prof. Dr. Haedar Nashir, M.Si emphasized that all parties must empathize and support doctors and medical personnel by guarding themselves against the virus, through disciplined adherence to Health protocols, by wearing masks, washing hands with soap, maintaining distance and avoiding crowds. Prof. Haedar also emphasized that Muhammadiyah is very serious in its efforts to combat the spread of the virus and asked all Higher Education Institutions to optimize their task force.
