VC-SU holds virtual vis-a-vis interface with Arts Faculty stakeholders to hammer out academic pattern if lockdown persists post May
Arts and Humanities occupy pivotal place in the arena of subjects the world has ever offered to humanity. Art, music and literature sustain mankind, offer them hope when times go bleak and shine like a silverline at the end each tragic tunnel. This is what arts are doing for man in these despairing days of pandemic. We therefore regard Arts Faculty of the varsity and all its institutes and departments there-in, of paramount importance; and have gathered here via this virtual mode to hammer out way forward not to compromise academic engagement in this vital branch of knowledge.
The above thoughts were advanced by SU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat while chairing online video-conference meeting with SU Faculty of Arts.
The VC said they were brought to combat perilous problems, mandating unparalled strategies to cope academic losses that were likely to incur on account of turbulence, disturbance and impediments caused by the pandemic Corona literally crippling institutions to carry on in normal course academic activity.
Dr. Burfat added that they needed to explore and introduce innovative, dramatic and novel online, virtual teaching-learning options to minimize academic and research damage that had become too very conspicuous in the ongoing epidemic crisis and subsequent mass immobility across the globe.
The Vice Chancellor was joined in this online discussion by Dean Faculty of Arts Prof. Dr. Hafiz Abdul Ghani Shaikh, SU Registrar Dr. Ameer Ali Abro, Instiute Directors, Department Chairpersons and faculty from within the Faculty domain.
Dean Dr. Shaikh informed the Vice Chancellor that all teachers had already conferred students with 40 marks assignments that would be accounting for the midterm examinations they would have taken if all were normal.
The Varsity’s Director Internet Services Dr. Yasir Arafat Malkani informed that they were working on a parallel plan that comprised two options: A and B. He added that as per option A they were exploiting social media tools like email communication, FaceBook page links, Google devices and WhatsApp streams to academically interact with students; adding that as per option B they were developing a full-fledged and efficient Virtual Learning Management System (VLMS) with a view to integrate teaching-learning materials being prepared by faculty through student E-portal medium and other online domains if the lockdown situation prevailed beyond anticipated timeframe.
Academic Heads of various teaching departments of the Faculty of Arts shared with Dr. Burfat that they had already impressed upon faculty within their respective venues to begin working on developing and designing online teaching modules to administer in case the need be.
Thanking all in connectity, Vice Chancellor Dr. Burfat expressed the hope that by unfliching faith and academic devotion; they would be able to overpower the epidemic threat consequences at the campus.
