To focus on relief operations and rebuilding the metro, the Ateneo has cancelled its final exams.
This, along with other announcements, was listed in Loyola Schools’ Vice President Assunta Cuyegkeng’s memo today, September 30.
No finals
“The basis of the final grade will be the current class standing of the student,” stated the memo. Final exams would be optional to students who wish to raise their grades. They could also opt to instead do a requirement equivalent to the final.
Communications Technology Programs Head Alyson Yap clarified that all requirements starting October 5 will be optional.
“If [students] wish to pass certain requirements to be given starting Oct 5 such as papers, projects, exams, [students] may do so but these requirements are optional,” he said.
According to Sanggunian President Gio Tingson, all previous requirements still stand but he clarifies that it still depends on the teacher.
In view of the cancellation of exams, senior Nathan Santos said that the administration is very considerate in this time of crisis. “I believe that this move paves the way for those who were greatly affected by this tragedy to rebuild their lives.”
However, Mica Martinez, a freshman, feels wary about the cancellation, saying that the finals were a way for her to pull her grades up. For her, choosing to take them is difficult “unless they let [students] choose whether they should include the exam score into the final grade.”
Senior Ayeth Pajanel says that the cancellation of the finals made other school requirements lose their purpose. “All boils down to the final exams.”
Classes extended
The memo also stated that classes would be extended until October 21. Tingson said that this was in line with the Commission of Higher Education’s (CHED) required number of class days.
Pajanel said that the extension compensates for the loss of school hours. Yesterday, September 29, CHED announced that classes would be cancelled until Saturday. “[The extension] sucks because some of us [have] booked flights already.”
Cuyegkeng encourages everyone to assist the “affected members of the [Ateneo] community by volunteering” in the relief operations ongoing in the College Covered Courts. Volunteers are also needed for the debriefing and counseling of volunteers and victims, as well as accommodations for Atenean victims.
“Over 1000 Ateneans are victims of Ondoy. Two hundred students are still unaccounted as well as 100 faculty [members],” Tingson said. After this week, rebuilding activities will be held.
With reports from Bea C. Cupin and Joan C. Medalla
