Alumni’s success in government, industry, and society is not solely derived from the knowledge and values they acquire in the classroom. Leadership experiences gained through managing Student Activity Units (UKM) often contribute to their career achievements after graduation.
Recognizing this, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is committed to improving the management of student organizations to enhance the quality of organizational traditions among students and thereby support their competency and leadership development.
Dr. Arie Sujito, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, emphasized that the quality of learning is influenced by how well university and faculty administrators provide accessible facilities for student activities.
This ensures that students feel comfortable learning both inside and outside the classroom.
“Of course, the activities of student activity units are part of our efforts to hone students’ potential and capacities in the fields of arts, sports, and organizational leadership,” he said in the Multimedia Room 1, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, while giving directions for the 2024 UGM Student Activity Unit Monitoring and Evaluation.
In response to the demand for improved UKM performance, UGM’s Directorate of Student Affairs is conducting an activity audit to create spaces for students to self-assess their performance.
“In evaluations and monitoring like we are auditing now, it is not overly administrative or burdensome, nor is it teaching students to create complicated receipts. More importantly, it’s about the values placed as the basis of our activities,” he explained.
Professor Indra Wijaya Kusuma, Head of the Quality Assurance and Reputation Unit (SPRMU UGM), said that the Internal Quality Audit involving 50 UKMs is expected to encourage each manager to evaluate their activities.
The results of these evaluations will be used for improvements. If achievements have already been reached, the results will also be used to raise standards to a higher level.
Thus, the 2024 UKM Internal Quality Audit also aims to ensure that all findings from the previous year’s cycle can be followed up on and shortcomings addressed.
“We want to see the alignment between student organizations’ direction and implementation of management. Mapping the readiness of student organizations in preparing strategies and programs for the transformation agenda of UKM organizations into grades 1, 2, or 3,” he added.
“All UKMs will be observed, and we will map out potential opportunities for improving student organizations. So, the scope this time aims to achieve two things: data on student organizational transformation and strategies for adapting to the new student affairs paradigm.”
Dr. Hempri Suyatna, Secretary of the Directorate of Student Affairs, acknowledged that student organizations’ activities, including event management, have often lacked sustainability, sometimes resulting in losses.
Therefore, he aims to encourage UKMs at UGM to become more independent.
Moreover, the proposed Rector’s Regulation also suggests that board members’ terms of service, especially presidents, could extend to a second year.
“This is what we want to encourage to make UKM programs more sustainable. In the future, we hope to see organizational governance that is inclusive, culturally rooted, achievement-oriented, reputable, caring, collaborative, competent, and independent,” he explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang
Photographer: Donnie