Curriculum Reform by Universitas Terbuka

In higher education, quality must be the number one priority. To ensure the level of quality provided to the students, Universitas Terbuka (UT) has implemented various instruments and strategies. UT has established the Center for Education Quality Assurance as the front line in maintaining quality assurance. Moreover, UT has developed upstream-to-downstream programs to ensure quality, one of which is the creation of a curriculum that aligns with regulations and meets the current standards of competence required by the public. UT designs a comprehensive curriculum and regularly conducts continuous reviews to improve its quality.

On Monday, 13/02/2023, UT organized an Offline Discussion on Creating Common Perception, Curriculum Reviews, Finalization, and Learning Tools at the Universitas Terbuka Convention Center (UTCC). The program was attended by UT's Rector, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D.; UT's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, S.S., M.A.; Expert Staff Members of the Office of UT's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, as well as heads and senior officials from UT's faculties. Also present were the Expert Reviewers Team of Curriculum Design and Distance Learning and the Reviewers Team of Distance Learning System. The program commenced with a report by the Expert Staff for Program Evaluation and Accreditation, Tuti Purwoningsih, S.Pd., M.Sc., highlighting the importance of a well-designed curriculum that meets the needs of the public and undergoes dynamic evaluation.

Prof. Ojat Darojat, UT's Rector, delivered a speech at the event, emphasizing that academic quality assurance is non-negotiable for UT to remain competitive in the future. He described the curriculum as the soul and self-worth of UT in terms of its academic aspects, influencing students' learning experiences. Prof. Ojat Darojat stressed the importance of packaging the curriculum to meet the needs of the people and the significance of flexible and dynamic designs that provide students with practical experience in the community. UT aims to achieve this through various review stages to ensure compliance with standards and meet current needs. Prof. Ojat Darojat also referred to the vision of UT's former Rector (2001-2009), Prof. Dr. M. Atwi Suparman, M.Sc., who aimed to make UT a world-class quality open university. Compliance with the instructions, regulations, and guidance of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and obtaining ICDE certification are seen as indicators of meeting international standards.

The program included presentations on the Policy of Study Program Curriculum Development at UT and the Procedure for Curriculum Development by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, UT's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. The event concluded with a discussion on Curriculum Finalization led by Tuti Purwoningsih, Expert Staff for Program Evaluation and Accreditation at the Office of UT's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. UT firmly believes in continuous improvement and development. Holding quality certifications to date does not slow down its efforts to become an even better university. With this mindset and determination, UT will continue to enhance its quality and strive to become a world-class university.