GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has put in place 16 initiatives to safeguard the well-being and safety of its campus community in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a memorandum to the campus community and neighbouring communities, USM vice-chancellor Professor Dr Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan expressed hope that the current global situation is being taken seriously by all.
Faisal urged everyone from all walks of life at the university to assist the leadership in efforts to maintain a safe environment at USM.
“You are the greatest asset to the university and we must work together to ensure the safety of you and your family in the unforeseen challenges that the world is facing today. This is part of our social responsibilities.
“This is a defining moment for all of us. The kind of moment that requires us to make some tough decisions.
“I believe that health and safety are far greater than wealth at this point in time and there is no greater call than to prioritise the safety of the USM community worldwide,” he said.
The memorandum was uploaded to USM’s Facebook page this afternoon.
Faisal said that with the increasing number of cases of Covid-19, USM anticipates the possibility of its members becoming infected.
It was recently reported that one USM member is suspected of having contracted the disease.
“With regard to this, USM is working very closely with the state Health Department.
“Any official statement on whether the case is positive or otherwise will only be issued by the Health Ministry. Up until 10.00pm, yesterday, USM authorities have yet to receive any official notification from the authorities concerned.
“Therefore, USM is committed to working closely with the ministry, and to receive and abide by the latest instructions regarding measures that can and should be taken.
“We will be ready with preventive and mitigation measures following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which has been outlined in dealing with the outbreak of Covid-19,” he said, adding that 16 initiatives have been and are being implemented.
Among the initiatives are the setting-up of a special crisis committee to deal with Covid-19, the distribution of protective gear, and readying a special allocation.
Faisal said all USM community members, both staff and students alike, are prohibited from going abroad on official matters, and must reconsider personal trips.
“We have also decided to cancel and postpone seminars, workshops and gatherings.
“In the event of a meeting involving more than 25 people (if you can’t avoid doing so), the involvement of the Pusat Sejahtera USM is compulsory. Screening is a must and preventive measures are to be taken.
“However, online meetings are considered to be the best method under the current situation,” he added.
Faisal said all lectures at USM campuses will not be held on site, but replaced with online learning, effective today.
“The Deans of the respective schools will be communicating the detailed methods with their students soon.
“The University, with the expertise from the Centre for Development of Academic Excellence (CDAE), is in the midst of implementing a larger-scale shift in teaching and learning to an online approach that minimises social interaction for all academic programmes.
“These changes will certainly raise many questions for educators and students,” he noted.
He said external visits to the campus have also been postponed and limited.
“All University services and service-based centres will continue to operate as per usual while adhering to the USM Covid-19 preventive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) throughout the entire operation period.