As a response to the challenge of teaching education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Benilde continues to embrace the new normal with Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021 by providing a safer space for learning with Virtual Benilde (VIBE). Thus, the Registrar’s Office provided a list of answers to the possible inquiries regarding the term via Benilde Mail and SIS Page last Aug. 3.
“However, in Benilde, we choose to focus on things that are within our control and on possibilities. The College has been preparing through intensive faculty training, online learning materials development, and operational systems update,” the announcement stated.
Readiness for VIBE
- Preparedness for being an online student this term will be assessed through the results of students’ “Self-Assessment for Online Learning Readiness” survey.
- Tips to excel and become successful for the term is also provided in “EdTech’s Guide to Online Learning” and “CHECK: A Guide to Effective Online Learning.”
Pre- and During Enrollment Related Queries
- Flowchart-Based Course Offerings
- The courses, GE, Core, and Major Courses alike, will be offered on the basis of the student’s flowchart. There are some courses that are not yet to be offered for it varies on its readiness for online or on-board delivery.
- If the course is needed for an expecting graduate only by the end of the term, a student can make a petition for it.
- A special class can be applied in alternative for a petitioned course that falls below the minimum number of students if:
- the student is expected to graduate by the end of the term, and;
- there is a faculty member to handle the class.
- For irregular students, there is a possibility that not all the courses he/she needs to enroll would be offered.
- Fully-online thesis courses will be offered.
- Practicum and OJT are offered with the College’s devised alternatives that are posted in the SIS login page.
- Options to complete the Practicum/OJT course will be limited to the alternatives advantageously determined by each respective program.
- Laboratory courses by online delivery will be offered to SDA and SMIT students. SHRIM’s laboratory courses are still subject to government approval.
- Courses pre-enrolled for the 3rd Term of AY 2019-2020 will be applied to 1st Term AY 2020-2021. Nonetheless, those who haven’t pre-enrolled prior to the lockdown will be taken care of by the Registrar’s Office.
- Students who took BOLT may still proceed with the enrollment process even if the grade is still not yet given.
- The courses, GE, Core, and Major Courses alike, will be offered on the basis of the student’s flowchart. There are some courses that are not yet to be offered for it varies on its readiness for online or on-board delivery.
- Liberty to Choose and Adjust
- Students can choose, add, or drop their subjects during the adjustment period from August 24 to September 6.
- Late enrollment will be strictly restricted.
- Minimum load: 9 units; Maximum load: 18 units
- Overload is not allowed.
- Course Dropping is allowed up to the second week of classes with the following retention fees:
- 25% of tuition within the first week of classes
- 50% of tuition within the second week of classes
- Course Withdrawal is allowed from the 3rd week to the 5th week of classes.
- Withdrawn courses appear as “W” in the student’s Transcript of Records.
- No refund.
- Students can choose, add, or drop their subjects during the adjustment period from August 24 to September 6.
- Leave of Absence, Maximum Retention Period, Dropping, Withdrawal, Shifting, Returnee, and other concerns
- Online applications for all RO processes (Dropping, Shifting, Withdrawal, etc.) will be processed once the students meet the RO’s conditions. Request for evaluation must be done through email to registrar@benilde.edu.ph and the following details must be provided:
- ID number
- Full name
- Degree program
- Detailed Request
- MRP Extension is subject to review that can be denied on the grounds of academic performance and remaining units.
- International Students who are currently in their home country with the status of AWOL (Absence Without Leave) may enroll this A.Y. by filing for returnee status. Once approved, they can enroll for the term.
- International students with expired visas can enroll for the term as long as they are not in the Philippines as per advice of the Bureau of Immigration.
- Students who request to shift to another degree will be assessed and evaluated by the Registrar’s Office.
- For Scholars
- Subject to the Maximum Residency Policy (MRP) of the College, scholars are now allowed a 3 term Leave of Absence (LOA) as needed. Exceeding the allowable period will automatically forfeit the scholarship.
- Scholars can apply for Leave of Absence (LOA) once he/she submits the contract’s Addendum that will be emailed to them.
- They must file to the RO first for an LOA form and then they should provide a copy with a letter explaining the reasons for the leave to the Student Grants Office (SGO) after.
- For queries, e-mail scholarships@benilde.edu.ph
- Scholars are also now allowed to enroll a minimum of 9 units per term. However, Dean’s List (DL) vyers must subscribe to the number of units required.
- 9 units for SMIT-CDP
- 12 units for all other programs
- Term Grade Point Average (TGPA) requirement still applies.
- Online applications for all RO processes (Dropping, Shifting, Withdrawal, etc.) will be processed once the students meet the RO’s conditions. Request for evaluation must be done through email to registrar@benilde.edu.ph and the following details must be provided:
- Important Dates to Remember
- August 3 to 15: Online Pre-enrollment
- August 17 to September 19: Viewing and printing of the Student Enrollment Record (SER) [formerly known as Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF)]
- September 6: Deadline of Enrollment
- September 17: Deadline of Payment
- September 7: Start of 1st Term AY 2020-2021
- December 19: End of 1st Term AY 2020-2021
- Tuition
- The table of Fees per course will be posted in the log-in page of Benilde’s Student Information System (SIS).
- Discounts:
- 12% on tuition fee
- 100% on laboratory fees
- About 20-30% on miscellaneous fees
- Discounts:
- The table of Fees per course will be posted in the log-in page of Benilde’s Student Information System (SIS).
Post-Enrollment: Things needed to remember for the 1st Term
- Requirements for full participation on online classes
- The basic requirements to participate are the following:
- A reliable Internet connection with a minimum speed of 6 mbps.
- A working desktop, laptop (preferred), or tablet with easy-to-use keyboard and audio-video capability.
- Any word processing tool, spreadsheet program, and/or any presentation software.
- Specific technical requirements for certain courses can be found in the SIS login page.
- Knowledge about course schedules, which can be accessed through SiS Login Page, Benilde website, and SER (for SMIT students only).
- The basic requirements to participate are the following:
- Delivery of Classes
- Classes are mostly self-paced with set deadlines.
- Majority of the online sessions are asynchronous, which can be online or offline and needless for real time engagement with professors and classmates.
- Certain courses will apply a modular delivery approach as the term will be divided into two modular periods with seven weeks each.
- It can either be delivered and completed within the first seven weeks of the term or the second half of the term.
- Number of synchronous (pre-scheduled, real-time and face-to-face) meetings:
- For modular courses: 3 to 5 meetings
- For non-modular: 5 to 7 meetings
- Synchronous sessions should follow the posted class schedules.
- Campuses will remain inaccessible to students but online support will be aiding the students throughout the term and these are the following:
- Online academic support from mentors (online instructor, Academic Adviser, Program Chair, Associate Dean, or Dean).
- Learning Resource Center (LRC) Virtual Library (for online collections and digital reference services)
- Online well-being services and programs from Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC).
- Center for Inclusive Education’s online support (for students with specific education needs and other physical and sensorial disabilities)
- Digital Technology Office’s online technical support for password and access concerns.
- Education Technology Office’s online technical support for issues and concerns in the use of BigSky Benilde.
- Intellectual Property Management Center’s online Intellectual Property support services
- Platforms for Online Classroom
- BigSky will be the College’s official online classroom where materials and activities of the courses enrolled will be accessed and submitted.
- Other than BigSky, platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook, and Skype can be used to facilitate synchronous sessions while sites like Google Drive or YouTube can be used for online file sharing.
- Course Requirements
- Requirements are in line with the course syllabus.
- Class participation may include responses from teacher-initiated online discussions, feedback to classmates’ posts, and relevant questions about the subject that are addressed to the students and/or mentors.
- Students must comply with the General Dress Code policy during synchronous classes. Nonetheless, the faculty may require the use of corporate/executive attire or any other school specific uniform for some sessions.
- Dean’s Lister
- Grades earned will be computed for Term Grade Point Average (TGPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
- To qualify for DL, the minimum load for SMIT-CDP is 9 units while all other degree programs are required to have a minimum load of 12 units.
- Graduation
- For graduating students at the end of 1st term, a ceremony will be held if the prohibition of public gatherings will be lifted. Otherwise, a virtual ceremony will be arranged.
For more details and inquiries, students can refer to the SIS login page, Benilde website, BigSky, and can contact those offices concerned via email.