CHED approves P18.3 M Smart Campus grant to BukSU

MALAYBALAY CITY (OP-IPS) The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the P18.3 million funding for Project Endeavor, BukSU’s Smart Campus Initiative.

Dr. Oscar B. Cabañelez, BukSU President, together with Mr. Dante S. Victoria Jr, Vice President for Administration, Planning and Development and Project Leader participated in the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 24, during the CHED Press Conference on Smart Campus and Updates on Limited Face-to-Face classes.

Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera III, CHED Chairperson, presided over the virtual event, which was also attended by other grantees of the smart campus development.

The CHED Smart Campus grant is part of the government allocation provided in Republic Act 11494 otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” to help SUCs implement flexible learning modalities.

Of the 111 state universities and colleges (SUCs) who submitted smart campus proposals, BukSU is the only SUC in Region X and one of the 19 SUCs in the first batch of grantees.

The BukSU Project Endeavor envisions a resilient and next-generation university where information and communications technology (ICT) supports quality instruction, optimizes research activities, sustains extension and community engagements, boosts production and performance, and streamlines governance and management of resources. Its main objective is to develop an enabling environment where technology can provide new platforms for holistic student development, upscaling of personnel competencies and increased operational efficiency. The project is set to benefit BukSU’s 15,000 students and more than 600 faculty members.

Project Leader VP Victoria explained that Project Endeavor will augment the implementation of BukSU’s Flexible Learning Systems through three smart campus solutions.

First, the campus area network will be expanded through a fiber optic cabling system connecting the BukSU Annex Campus to the Main Campus and installing more internet access points to areas in the main campus identified as dead spots.

Second, internet connectivity in the campus will be strengthened via upgrading to a 1Gbps CIR leased line.

Finally, the university will subscribe to a licensed, propriety learning management system (LMS) for synchronous and asynchronous online learning.

Dr. Cabañelez thanked the national government and CHED for supporting higher education institutions (HEI) to be a beacon of hope and a bastion of innovation for learning amid the pandemic. The university is also grateful to its governing board headed by Commissioner Perfecto A. Alibin for endorsing the project. (Richard Ian Mark T. Necosia/OVPAPD)