Students in tight spot as Dhaka University continues online classes with deferred exams

Dhaka University has decided to press ahead with online classes for the next semesters without holding the final exams of the current semesters delayed by the pandemic.

The authorities, however, have no clear plan ahead. Students say it is next to impossible to sit the exams of two semesters together. They are clueless about how the grades will be decided and how the university will go about class tests, assignments, term papers and midterm exams.

The entire semester system runs the risk of falling into chaos.

Vice Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman says the authorities are emphasising ways to keep the students engaged in their studies to make up for the loss.

“We are holding classes virtually, but it is not possible to hold the exams online. And we do not have any reliable software for those exams. We will hold the tests when the university reopens,” he told bdnews24.com.

Of the 83 departments and 12 institutes at the university, 49 follow the semester system, according to the Office of the Controller of Examinations.

Thousands of students tread the entrance of Arts Building at the Dhaka University daily, but it is totally empty even on the institution's anniversary as it is shut due to the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

A student gets a bachelor's degree after completing eight semesters, each spanning six months, and a master's degree with two semesters in another year.

Each semester comprises 15 weeks of classes, a week’s leave for preparation for exams and three weeks of exams.

Group discussions, presentations, class tests, assignments, term papers and midterm exams are also held during the 15 weeks of classes. These engagements and attendance account for 50 percent of marks. The remaining 50 percent comes from the results of the final exams.

Dhaka University has remained shut since mid-March as COVID-19 cases are surging in Bangladesh.

The university authorities had initially shown no interest in holding online classes, considering difficulties like a lack of device and internet connections for all students. Online classes began in the first week of July when they changed their minds as the outbreak continued.

The current semester was supposed to end in July and got delayed due to the pandemic. Although some departments were able to complete their classes in the last three months, the exams could not be held as the university remained shut.

The registrar’s office sent a letter to all departments and institutes on Sept 24, asking them to start the online classes of the next semester without holding the exams of the current semester.

A number of departments and institutes have already started the next semester’s classes online, but others have not been able to do so due to different setbacks.

The authorities were unable to ensure the participation of all students in online classes as many students still face problems, including the lack of proper devices, cost of internet use and network problems in remote areas.

“The classes of the first semester were completed online, but the exams were not held. We could only sit for several class tests before the coronavirus. Now there are words about starting second-semester classes,” said Aminul Islam, a master’s student of political science.

“In that case, we would need to take the exams of both the semesters at a time. Although we can sit for the final exams at a time, the midterms, assignments and theses cannot all be done together. The complexities remain.”

Shirina Akter, a fourth-year student of the accounting and information systems department, shared similar concerns over the withheld exams.

“Second-semester classes are ongoing at all the departments of our business faculty. We were told that the exams will be taken together once the university reopens.”

She said that the faculty provided each student with a SIM card, using which a student can buy 30GB internet data at Tk 220 every month.

“This helps us continue online classes, but it’s not possible to take the exams online,” she said.

A third-year student of the Department of English, Hasanuzzaman, said some classes were yet to be completed in their fifth semester, but the absence of some students made the teachers unable to hold exams or give assignments.

“Around 70-80 percent of the students used to join the classes in the beginning. That has now dropped to around 40-50 percent. The university was supposed to provide internet devices or data, but nothing has been provided after three months.”

The Academic Committee decided that classes of the next semester will begin on Oct 13 or 14, though many departments failed to wrap up the ongoing semester, said Abu Md Delwar Hossain, the dean of the Faculty of Arts.

The deans are also concerned about the authorities’ failure to ensure attendance.

“All of our students are not as financially capable as the students of the private universities. They have many limitations. We need to help them,” said Prof Sadeka Halim, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The administration had collected information from the departments on what they need to ensure attendance, but nothing has been done yet, she said.

Only one person was seen at the Curzon Hall of Dhaka University on the institution's anniversary on Wednesday amid the coronavirus shutdown. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

“We are going through an extraordinary situation where the students should get the top priority. Those who are having trouble joining classes online, they need to be identified and given proper assistance. Many departments are doing that on their own. But the university administration needs to do it centrally,” said Sadeka Halim.

Prof Tofail Ahmed Chowdhury, the dean of the Faculty of Sciences, believes the faculty will not face a big problem because most of its departments still have the annual evaluation system.

But he expressed concerns over the attendance declining to 50-60 percent from 70-80 percent.

“The departments are helping the students out separately to raise the attendance. We’ve also asked the students who can’t afford the internet to contact us.”

“But I do not know what the university is doing centrally to help the students,” he added.

On complications which may arise upon starting a new semester without wrapping up the ongoing one,

“Some problems will remain. Our aim is to bring it down to a tolerant level so that any bigger issues or session jams may be avoided,” Prof ASM Maksud Kamal, the pro-VC (academic), said of the new plans to carry on with the lessons of the new semesters.

“We will hold the exams after as many review classes as needed after the reopening,” he added.

Prof Kamal also said the process to help the students for online classes was delayed because the departments could not provide the lists of insolvent students in the “proper format” provided by the University Grants Commission.

Prof Kamal said they were asked by the university administration to find ways to hold the exams in person before the reopening and publish the results online after discussing the matter with the students.