Universitas Gadjah Mada will begin easing campus restrictions on June 15, 2020. Students, especially those who are finishing their task on the final assignment, become a priority group to be able to return to campus to conduct or continue their research in the laboratory or university to fulfill their final project.
Then how about the preparation of UGM laboratories? For example, in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering (FTP), this faculty has prepared several policies following up on the chancellor's circular on the direction of the New Normal Regulation at UGM. It is precisely related to the implementation of research and field practice. Research and practice activities in the laboratory will begin in a limited approach in accordance with strict health protocols. Besides, the field practices will be reduced or adjusted or undertaken virtually.
Prima Andri Nugroho, Ph. D as a lecturer and administrator of the Laboratory of Energy and Agricultural Machinery, Department of Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering (DTB) of UGM said that the laboratories at FTP began to make preparations to welcome students to do practice activities in the campus. Each department began to organize, condition, and arrange research activities and practicum schedules according to university guidelines.
"For practice activities in the lab will start this week and prioritize final-year students who complete their final assignments because data retrieval has been delayed for almost three months," he explained.
He conveyed by referring to Circular Letter (SE) UGM Rector No. 3711 / UN1.P / SET-R / KR / 2020 and SE Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology UGM on Guidelines on KBM in the Covid-19 Pandemic Period. DTB issued guidelines for Final Assignment research procedures (TA) for undergraduate (S1), master's ( S2), and doctorate (S3) in the Emergency Response Phase. Guidelines for research procedures that follow the Covid-19 preventive health protocol must be obeyed and applied among other students to ensure body temperature under normal conditions before starting the study. If you have a fever or other symptoms of illness, students are prohibited from conducting research activities.
"Students are required to wear personal protective equipment such as masks, face shields, gloves provided by the department, and bring their own hats/headgear/hair net during the study," he explained.
Students are required to clean their hands by using soap / hand-sanitizer before starting research and repeating it regularly.
"The faculty has prepared hand-sanitizers at several points," he said.
While in the field research activities, students are required to prepare and bring the letters/documents needed to get to the research location, such as health records and assignments, and follow the health protocol procedures set by the region where the research location is undertaken. Students are prohibited from gathering a mass of more than ten people during the research process in the field.
Next, to maintain students' safety while conducting research in the laboratory, they set physical distancing rules by limiting the maximum number of students who can research in the laboratory according to laboratory capacity—disinfection of tables and research equipment following the Covid-19 prevention protocol.
While the practicum coordinator at the Biology Faculty Laboratory of Biochemistry, Lisna Hidayati, S.Sc., M.Biotech., Said that the Faculty of Biology had prepared facilities to support the implementation of research on campus entering a new normality period following the health protocol. One of them provides a portable sink at several points. Besides, encourage each laboratory to carry out research activities according to the health protocol recommended by the government.
Lisna said that not only did the body temperature check before entering the laboratory. Students were also required to wear a complete PPE when working in the laboratory.
"Students are required to wear gloves (gloves) even though they do not work in a molecular manner, masks, laboratory coats, and face shields like in the Biochemical Laboratory," he explained.
He said the laboratory had provided PPE like gloves and masks. Likewise, with hand-sanitizer.
Meanwhile, to maintain a safe distance, each laboratory has issued a policy of the maximum number of students who can use it in a day.
"For example, in the Biochemistry Laboratory, only four students can work in the laboratory a day," he said.
Besides, there will be online health socialization for students on Friday (12/6) regarding the preparation that must be undertaken before conducting research in the campus laboratory. This system includes applying for permission to the faculty, completing a free Covid-19 certificate for students from outside DIY, and the protocol for conducting research in the laboratory.
Author: Ika
Photo: Firsto
Translator: Natasa A