By Ian Zane T. Esparaga | February 12, 2021
“We would have wanted to buy vaccines here for Silliman but unsaon man nato, asa man ta mupalit na requirement man sa gobyerno nga kinahanglang muagi tag gobyerno,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Earl Jude Cleope said as the university weighs in on the unified internship guidelines and the incoming school year 2021-2022.
Following the announcements of the limited face-to-face classes of the medical and allied health courses, students from other colleges are clamoring for answers with their upcoming professional learning experience.
“We will deal with what CHED is telling us but these are still the programs that are unsigned and unnumbered,” Dr. Cleope told tWS.
Guidelines and health protocols are being studied as the COVID-19 cases continue to pile up.
“We have to be very careful, due diligence dictates that we should follow what is being given otherwise we don’t want to open up anything and then again what if something happens, we cannot guarantee. Whether we like it or not there’s still a surge, now the cases are higher than those months with ECQ,” he said.
Although, Dr. Cleope understands there are certain requirements that need to be followed.
“We know that all other programs have internships especially with the new curriculum, but remember we are regulated by CHED. We cannot go above what is being required by the regulatory body which we are under so but then again, we have to subscribe.”
The university is taking a closer look at the different scenarios as they weigh in on the health and welfare of students. In fact, Dr. Cleope shared that the university is open about the idea of purchasing a vaccine if not for the red-tape protocol in the Bayanihan Law.
“If the vaccination program will be fast tracked, maybe we can have a bright first semester of [the] school year 2021-2022. But then again, it is really contingent on the vaccine,” he said.
In the meantime, Cleope assured that when CHED opens its application for Higher Education Institutions that are ready to conduct face-to-face classes, the university will submit and comply provided that there are already clear guidelines. The university COVID-19 committee led by SU President Dr. Betty McCann and Chairperson Dr. Walden Orsus, Dean of College of Medicine, are already studying the possibilities together with the ad hoc committee formed by Dr. Cleope.
