#SmartUniversity: SLSU granted 24.5M funding to improve flexible learning
Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) receives P24,568,110.00 grants from Smart Campus Development program of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the project entitled “Establishment of SLSU’s Enterprise Network Infrastructure and Multimedia Centers for an Improved Flexible Learning Management System Implementation.”
University President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, together with Vice President for Executive Operations and External Affairs Dr. Juanita M. Costillas as witness, participated in the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 24 during the Press Conference on Smart Campus and Update on Limited Face-to-Face Classes before the presence of CHED Chairperson Dr. J. Prospero E. de Vera III and other presidents from different state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country.
The project helps to connect all six (6) SLSU campuses to work as one network. It is an intervention that will lay down the foundation and support to the University’s ongoing initiatives to successfully implement the Flexible Learning Management System in which the existing cloud-hosted Learning Management System (LMS) serves all 9 colleges across all campuses.
SLSU has migrated into a full online registration system at the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic which also needs additional information and communications technology (ICT) investments to improve user experience in accessing this platform.
With the changing educational landscape, the government allocated three billion pesos, through Republic Act (RA) No. 11494, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” to assist SUCs in the “development of smart campuses through investments in ICT infrastructure, acquisition of learning management systems, and other appropriate equipment to fully implement flexible learning modalities.”
Institutional Need – Campus Area Network
The 876 faculty members for the second semester of Academic Year 2020-2021 across all campuses are serving 11,298 combined enrollees from all SLSU campuses in which 95% of the students have intermittent internet connection (Category 2) or do not have it at all (Category 1). Presently, a total of 30 routers are already established in all campuses and 43 more are being proposed.
Although there is an existing network security features used by the University, SLSU eyes for more advanced and competent network security features and systems to provide an upgraded and faster university-wide internet connection services.
Impact and Sustainability
With the University’s vision of becoming a high corporate university of Science, Technology and Innovations together with its top mission to develop Science, Technology and Innovation leaders and professionals, the enhancement of the campus area network supports the primary functions of the University, specifically, on the delivery of flexible learning.
The University believes that this project does not only improve the instructional strategies or the mode of teaching and learning delivery but also the provision of a powerful, dynamic, new channel of access to the world of information, and with some enhanced communication mechanisms on campus ensuring a healthy and happy learning and working environment for students and employees, respectively.
President Yepes extends her gratitude to the Duterte Administration and all the ‘champions of quality higher education’ in the houses of Congress and Senate.
“Thank you to Sir Popoy de Vera, SLSU’s governing board chaired by Commissioner Aldrin A. Darilag, and to the whole project team members,” President Yepes said.
The modalities in the delivery of teaching and learning, and research and extension services are greatly affected as SLSU continues to respond to the unprecedented disruptions brought by COVID-19 pandemic.