As a Carolinian community, we have faced various challenges together. Today, we face another challenge, in fact, a health crisis, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this crisis, we have seen the great need to prioritize ourselves, our families, and our communities’ safety in order to survive this pandemic together. Measures such as physical distancing, closure of business and schools, streamlining of funds, and Enhanced Community Quarantines (ECQ), have been to assure this and to hasten the pace to flatten the curve. Previously, the alliance lobbied a petition echoing the calls of the students to ultimately suspend online classes as not all students have their academic requirements as a top priority in this crisis. However, the sudden pronouncement of the immediate resumption of classes after the ECQ in Cebu City ends has caused great concern that has reverberated among the student body. It is clear to the alliance now, what must be done, and what our call must ultimately be, and that is to end the semester. 

Why #EndTheSem? With the continuance of the online classes despite calls to suspend it, we have proven that fulfilling academic requirements are an unnecessary burden and not a top priority during a health crisis. As we have cited in our previous petition, when lives are at stake, clearly academic requirements are not the top priority of the studentry. Stated below are some of the points raised by the student body.

ONLINE CLASSES COMPROMISE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

- The hastily prepared and mandatory online classes compromise the quality of education and prove to be insensitive to the socio-economic factors surrounding our students. 

- Online classes are ineffective for skill-based college programs and courses, especially those which require laboratory activities. The opportunity to maximize learning avenues are taken away from the students. 

- Students also face the difficulty in the submission of requirements due to the lack of devices and materials to perform such. This is also in line with the directives of the ECQ, to close non-essential businesses for the pandemic. 

- Aside from the aforementioned, many of the students rely on mobile data or many do not have access to fast and stable internet connection.

- It is extremely anti-student to expect all students to have access to gadgets and devices to comply with requirements.

- Students who went back to their provinces often experience difficulty finding stable signals.

- Focus and prioritization is geared more towards the basic necessities to survive this pandemic and not for academic requirements. 

- There is the present and prevalent unequal development and pacing for students who miss online classes due to their various limitations granted by the current circumstances that will also prove to be an issue once classes resume.

POSTPONING THE SEMESTER IS PROLONGED AND ADDITIONAL AGONY 

- Reports on COVID-19 say the virus' peak is foreseen to be from April to June and based on our nation's slow progress in coping with the situation, it is possible that the peak may stretch out to later months.

- Even after the declaration of going back to normal operations, cases are still starting to decrease and the country will still be in recovery period, especially economically.

- Although students put importance in education, our health should not be risked by rushing the resumption of classes as cases may still rise even then caused by the premature mass culmination of groups. 

- Families will need time to recover from the effects on the pandemic, financially and mentally.

- It must also be considered that extending or postponing semester may also be in conflict with midyear classes or the next school year. A conflict that would result in compressing lessons in order to catch up to the academic calendar, a move that would be very unwise for a recovering community. 

 

As we tread on further in this struggle, we further challenge the University of San Carlos to be compassionate, inclusive and considerate of the plight of students in the middle of a pandemic. With this, an online petition calling to #EndTheSem is made to lobby for the following recommendations:

YES TO ENDING THE SEM

- All the points mentioned in the previous demands present that only ending the semester would be the viable option. 

- The current situation no longer is only a health problem but a socio-economic one. Students are also burdened by other responsibilities which they have to attend to in society.

- Education is right but so is health. While Carolinians value education, the priority of all as of the moment is keeping safe and assuring our survival. 

- As an autonomous academic institution and as stated in CHED COVID Advisory No. 6, Private HEIs have the liberty to decide for the university. Hence, urgent pro-student and pro-people actions shall be taken.

- We are paralyzed as we anxiously wait for the outbreak to end, what adds to this anxiety is the danger of having ourselves be put in a vulnerable situation by prematurely continuing classes.

- It would be more ideal for all these efforts to be streamlined into preparing the upcoming semester than forcing a difficult situation such as continuing this semester. 

- It will be beneficial for the students and faculty to be free from academic obligations. This will give us the opportunity to prioritize the health and economic situations.

- This is also a step to address the mental health of everyone as we take away an unnecessary stressor during this crisis.

- There will be more opportunities for students to maximize resources and their academic abilities if classes are handled in person, with planned and proper implementation, after the pandemic ends. 

- As a Carolinian community, we shall lend a helping hand and be united in helping our government in alleviating our situation as a nation.

YES TO MASS PROMOTION OF STUDENTS

- All students shall be given a mark of PASS (P). Students are away from avenues to move towards academic excellence due to the suspension of classes, the implementation of ECQ, and the different factors which have been discussed above. Thus, the most humanistic approach for the administration, one that will be supported by the whole community in question is to address this by granting the students mass promotion.

- Students are subject to proceed to the next level, providing a transitory period or adjustment period with the adjusted curriculum.

- There shall be no requirements deemed in effect even those which are set before ECQ.

- The PASS mark shall not affect the overall standing of the students as it shall not be computed as part of the GWA.

- For 4.0/INC marks and graduating students, the administration shall create pro-student measures with consultation with the student body.

- Proper student representation and consultation shall be enforced with these changes to ensure that these changes are well discussed. The Supreme Student Council and collegiate councils shall be present.

YES TO REVISING THE SYLLABI

- To avoid added and prolonged burden to the students, postponing and/or restarting the semester should not be implemented. 

- Quality education shall not be compromised. There will be missed courses for pre-requisites due to the delays of this semester, we propose that there be revisions to integrate these lessons in the syllabi of the courses in the next academic year. 

- There shall be reviews and refreshers to aid the students in the learning process.

- Deadlines for compliance shall be adjusted to avoid too much workload to ensure that catching up with the missed lessons will be easier.

- Allow the overload of units next semester for students who wish to avoid being delayed.

- Proper student representation and consultation shall be enforced with these changes to ensure that these changes are well discussed. The Supreme Student Council and collegiate councils shall be present.

YES TO REFUND THE FEES

- When classes were suspended, operations in the university were on hold. This means that students have assessment fees that were not utilized. 

- Unused university fees then must be refunded. For those who will no longer be staying in USC, money shall be refunded. For those continuing students, fees shall be carried over to the next semester. 

- With the health crisis also giving a cause for concern on the financial prioritization and status, the recently proposed 5% TOFI must be void in order to prioritize the recovery of the Carolinian community. 

YES TO COORDINATION WITH CONCERNED NATIONAL OFFICES

-The COVID 19 pandemic has caused ripples of unforeseen circumstances which affects not only our university but the operations of national agencies, as well. There are still other factors to be considered in our recommendations. Hence, we also call for the appeal to the national government to place a general guideline for every institution and/or office in concern:

1) Protect scholarship grants 
2) Negotiate with concerned national offices to implement pro-student directives on future board exams and the like
3) Strengthen the support of the examinees with reviewers, programs, etc
4) Proper disinfecting of the school and other nearby public places to protect the students' well-being

These are extraordinary times, one that we will only survive as a community. One that we will survive if and only if we listen to the calls of the community. Extraordinary times such as this demand humanistic approaches, and ending the sem and putting the students’ safety as the top priority is the most humanistic approach that university can take. End the sem! No Student Left Behind!