12 October 2020
OVPAA Memorandum No. 2020-117
For: The Faculty, Chairpersons, Institute Directors and Deans
Through the Chancellors
From: Maria Cynthia Rose Banzon Bautista
Vice-President for Academic Affairs
Re: Mid-Semester Reading Break on 2-6 November 2020
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One month of remote teaching and learning has passed with two more months to go before the end of classes. It has been a tough month for our academic community as it faced unprecedented and multiple challenges.
To manage the stress of adjusting to the new experience of remote learning in the midst of a pandemic and to allow students to catch up, focus and understand the course learning materials given them, we are scheduling a System-wide Mid-Semester Reading Breakon the week of 2-6 November 2020.
For students, this is the time to do advance reading or to simply take a break from grappling with heavy course demands, on the one hand, and a high level of COVID19-induced anxiety, on the other. For faculty members, this break may be a time to further reflect on adjustments to be made in course delivery and assessment, if any, or to rest from close monitoring of learning among students with differential access to Internet connectivity and telecommunication signals.
During the Reading Week, we enjoin our faculty to refrain from
- Conducting synchronous sessions and/or asynchronous activities and assessments; and
- Setting deadlines for course requirements on these dates.
Thank you for your consideration. Stay safe.
The Office of Student Affairs, in collaboration with the Human Resource Development Office, Information Technology Office, and Ugnayan ng Pahinungod is inviting you to attend a Webinar on “KEEPING MENTAL HEALTH IN-CHECK: Ginhawa (well-being) in the New Normal’’ on 29 October 2020 (Thursday), 2 PM via Zoom. Dr. Violeta "Doc Bolet" V. Bautista, licensed clinical psychologist, director of the UP Diliman Psychosocial Services, and professor emeritus of the Department of Psychology, is the resource person.