Page 16 - Annual Report 2020

he year 2020 witnessed how Isabela State University embraced
Tthe pressing concerns on public health to sustain the delivery
of instruction. The University recognized that education continu-
ity is no different from other fundamental human needs at stake.
Responding to this, the University formulated policies and related
guidelines with the inclusion of precautionary health measures,
along with alternative learning modalities to facilitate continuing
universal access to quality education.
As a result, the University has been able to go thru the affected aca-
demic year, thereby successfully holding the first ever virtual graduation
for the Batch 2019-2020; and onward the opening of the First Semester
for Academic Year 2020-2021. Adding to these, the University did not
derail from offering demand-driven courses responsive to the emerging
needs of industries; scholarship support and education grants remained
at all time high; and graduates exceptionally marking in national board
exams- all of which ensuring academic vigor despite the trying times.

Catch-up Plan: ISU’s Initial health security.
Response In view of this, the University
The CoViD-19 pandemic initiated the Catch-up Plan. This
would not come to belt Northern provided the University a stra-
Luzon until the events of March. tegic direction to address major
The Provincial Government of setbacks of the unfinished Semes-
Isabela has seen it fit to place the ter, spanning onward the course
province under State of Calamity of the pandemic. In doing so, the
during the fast-paced growth of University has strategically looked
CoViD-positive cases from Metro into the needed components in the
Manila to neighboring regions. learning delivery thru the conduct
Eventually, Malacañang imposed of electronic surveys, which in-
Luzon-wide “Enhanced Communi- clude: availability of Information
ty Quarantine” to hold the escalat- Communication Technology (ICT)
ing pandemic. Infrastructure, Faculty readiness,
The University, at that time, and Student Receptiveness. The
was halfway thru its Second Se- results led into the crafting of
mester of the Academic Year Flexible Teaching and Learning
2019-2020, resulting setbacks on Modality (FTLM), which contained
academic operations. In-campus policies that acquainted the Uni-
learning were halted, with face-to- versity to the new normal learning
face classes discouraged in strict set-up.
adherence to health protocols on
social distancing. ISU immediately New Normal Learning: FTLM
called for the repatriation of its With the inevitable changes
students, either from their lodging at hand, the University geared
areas and internship venues for FTLM that introduced blended

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