The Role of Universitas Terbuka

The Role of Universitas Terbuka

In the context of Indonesia’s Education Environment

Ojat Darojat, Universitas Terbuka-Indonesia

Rustam, Universitas Terbuka-Indonesia

Lidwina Sri Ardiasih, Universitas Terbuka-Indonesia

An Abstract

Universitas Terbuka (UT) is one of education components which has been assigned by the government to provide services for qualified higher education especially for society which are for some reasons cannot join conventional higher education, for example teachers who dedicate themselves in remote areas now can increase their quality and qualification without leaving their students. Based on 2006 statistics data, there are 282.103 active students and 192.952 are Primary Education students. To improve the quality, relevance, and competitive capacity, UT has proclaimed and committed the quality assurance to make all units be more directed and systematic, such as instructional activities, development of multimedia learning material, tutorial activities, and centralized case bank system.UT has also conducted many kinds of efforts to be dashing and powerful through three main characters, i.e. good governance, accountability, and the development of better institution image. For the optimum capacity of UT as a distance higher education, UT has supported the government program to increase teachers quality especially elementary school teachers and has been involved in illiterate programs which educate 900.000 illiterates in 2007. Furthermore, optimum capacity is also focused on regional centre especially on human resources development, maintaining network, supplying infrastructure, and managing pattern of working organization which focuses on the achievement of students’ satisfaction and other stakeholders striven for guiding all the time.

Keywords: the role of UT, Indonesia’s Education Environment

Introduction

There were three main characteristics in reformation movement in Indonesia: demanding the democracy, autonomy, and decentralization in national life. This influenced the policies about recent education in Indonesia. The education policies in Indonesia at the moment give some lights for increasing quality and accessibility of education sectors. Indonesian 1945 Constitution explicitly stated that National budget and states had to be allocated at least 20% for education sector. Ascertainment and acknowledgement for teachers as professionals were initiated by National Education System Act No. 20, 2003 and Government Regulation No. 19, 2005 and later affirmed in Teachers and Lecturers Act No. 14, 2005. It is stated that a range of basic policies will have a great influence towards educator quality insurance which in turn can actualize qualified education development for every single citizen. Government has ascertained sets of the basic policies which can be viewed as a new era of national education countenance.

In reformation movement, government has formulated vision, missions, aims, and education innovation strategies stated in National Education System Act No. 20, 2003. It is stated that national education has a vision that is to actualize education system to be powerful and dignified social regulations in order to empower Indonesian citizens to be qualified human beings and able to answer the challenge of changing world. Universitas Terbuka for the last few years has worked hard to take part in realizing the government ideas.

In this paper there are three main topics going to be discussed: firstly, UT’s Contribution to improvement of access, equity, equality of opportunity, and participation in higher education, secondly, the improvement of quality, relevance, and competitive capacity, and third, The Management, Accountability, and Public Image of UT.

It is not difficult to predict the future of distance learning related to the method of teaching learning in Indonesia. The infrastructure and facilities of conventional/face-to-face higher education system cannot longer accommodate the growth of Indonesia’s school-aged population. The challenge that UT faces focuses on the model of teaching learning, the human resources, effective implementation of the policies, and the system management itself. Compora (2007) supports the opinion above by giving nine-step component models needed in administration management, i.e. Assessment, Budget, Coordination, Delivery Method, Evaluation, Faculty Involvement and Training, Generate a Mission Statement, Hierarchical Approval System, and Implementation of Support Systems.

A further similar development of distance higher education model has been the formation of a network system. This kind of institutional network collaborate together to coordinate and accomplish the missions of distance education to widen access, increase opportunity and improve participation of the society (Holmberg, 1995). This network system can jointly develop learning materials, conduct and provide research services, or share resources as well as learning materials for joint uses by the participating institutions. Principally, the practice of distance education involves networking, collaboration and outsourcing of many operational activities and uses of resources with the establishment of some kind of a networking system.

The Directorate of General Higher Education (2006) stated that increased equity and students’ accessibility is also of national prime important. There are three main activities included in this effort, a) reducing national disparity and avoiding risk of disintegration, b) supporting democracy and formation of civil society, and c) improving the quality of labor (national manpower) to increase nation’s competitiveness. UT faces those activities as challenges to play an important role as an educational institution, especially distance education. Related to accessibility and equity, UT guarantees that all students who fulfill the academic requirements can access UT.

UT’s Contribution to improvement of access, equity,

equality of opportunity, participation in higher education

Universitas Terbuka (UT) is one of education components which has been assigned by the government to provide services for qualified higher education especially for society which are for some reasons cannot join conventional higher education. Since it was established in 1984, UT has been designed and given special assignment from the government to succeed the program of increasing even distribution and extension of education access. UT with its accessible capacity which is different from conventional education institution able to provide higher education services for all society live in cities and remote areas. Indonesian citizens who live in remote areas now can enter higher education without leaving their daily activities. Teachers who dedicate themselves in remote areas now can increase their quality and qualifications without leaving their students.

Based on 2006 statistic data, there are 282,103 active students at UT; they spread out in all over Indonesia and some of them are abroad. Primary Education students, Elementary School Teacher Education and Early Childhood Teacher Education, are 192,952 and the rest is regular students.

FIGURE 1

UT’s STUDENTS BODY, 2006

(According to faculties and UT Regional Offices)

UPBJJ / Teacher Training and Science Education Faculty / Math and Science Faculty / Social and Political Science Faculty / Econo-mics Faculy / Post Graduatu Faculty / JUMLAH
PENDAS / NON PENDAS
BANDA ACEH / 5145 / 1124 / 3 / 163 / 102 / 0 / 6537
M E D A N / 8174 / 937 / 60 / 439 / 447 / 61 / 10118
BATAM / 2197 / 323 / 37 / 572 / 400 / 0 / 3529
P A D A N G / 5242 / 1451 / 90 / 409 / 362 / 0 / 7554
PANGKAL PINANG / 3206 / 864 / 86 / 1113 / 379 / 16 / 5664
PEKANBARU / 6556 / 439 / 138 / 300 / 355 / 0 / 7788
J A M B I / 2526 / 171 / 148 / 358 / 207 / 0 / 3410
PALEMBANG / 10581 / 1908 / 158 / 721 / 413 / 0 / 13781
BENGKULU / 1691 / 445 / 130 / 377 / 132 / 12 / 2787
BANDAR LAMPUNG / 9362 / 1284 / 231 / 414 / 427 / 26 / 11744
J A K A R T A / 2300 / 1592 / 514 / 6656 / 6459 / 74 / 17595
S E R A N G / 8850 / 550 / 157 / 473 / 778 / 0 / 10808
B O G O R / 5635 / 921 / 223 / 1217 / 1570 / 0 / 9566
BANDUNG / 6040 / 2077 / 496 / 7837 / 3129 / 0 / 19579
PURWOKERTO / 7266 / 1905 / 134 / 739 / 414 / 0 / 10458
SEMARANG / 15965 / 940 / 179 / 968 / 830 / 0 / 18882
SURAKARTA / 5039 / 367 / 58 / 403 / 303 / 0 / 6170
YOGYAKARTA / 1250 / 642 / 119 / 952 / 708 / 0 / 3671
PONTIANAK / 5667 / 2025 / 365 / 1799 / 766 / 29 / 10651
PALANGKARAYA / 2634 / 210 / 101 / 620 / 181 / 0 / 3746
BANJARMASIN / 5774 / 1609 / 110 / 445 / 302 / 0 / 8240
SAMARINDA / 4308 / 806 / 271 / 804 / 458 / 0 / 6647
SURABAYA / 10024 / 525 / 79 / 643 / 656 / 0 / 11927
MALANG / 10313 / 331 / 53 / 356 / 226 / 0 / 11279
JEMBER / 2272 / 188 / 9 / 66 / 73 / 0 / 2608
DENPASAR / 1457 / 240 / 63 / 270 / 264 / 0 / 2294
MATARAM / 13820 / 308 / 37 / 135 / 92 / 0 / 14392
KUPANG / 8036 / 1003 / 125 / 1144 / 323 / 0 / 10631
MAKASSAR / 4525 / 726 / 48 / 133 / 202 / 0 / 5634
P A L U / 2373 / 190 / 15 / 136 / 61 / 0 / 2775
KENDARI / 5795 / 442 / 127 / 365 / 149 / 0 / 6878
MANADO / 1046 / 102 / 75 / 678 / 319 / 0 / 2220
GORONTALO / 1806 / 214 / 47 / 481 / 367 / 0 / 2915
A M B O N / 1740 / 324 / 11 / 533 / 161 / 0 / 2769
JAYAPURA / 3356 / 324 / 47 / 515 / 307 / 0 / 4549
TERNATE / 983 / 109 / 10 / 827 / 163 / 0 / 2092
LUAR NEGERI / 0 / 7 / 2 / 94 / 114 / 0 / 217
Jumlah / 192952 / 27623 / 4556 / 34155 / 22599 / 218 / 282103

Source: BAAPM - Universitas Terbuka, 2006

Notes:

The number of active students meant in figure 1 is the total number of UT students who actively register courses every semester and students who do not register courses not more than 3 semesters.
Primary Education students of Faculty of Teachers Training and Education (FKIP) are students of DII PGSD, DII PGTK, and Degree Program (S1) PGSD.
Students of regular study programs of FKIP include students from Indonesian Education Study Program (PINA), Mathematics Education Study Program (PEMA), etc. In the Student Record System (SRS) UT, the students of Faculty of Economic (FEKON), Faculty of Social and Politics Science (FISIP), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science (PMIPA), and Faculty of Teachers Training and Education (excluding PGSD and PGTK) are categorized regular students.

In providing qualified teacher for the future needs, government is now facing problems of increasing quality about 2,7 million teachers. Based on Balitbang data (2004), the number of elementary teachers is 1,431,486. 40.14% have DII Degree and only 8,30% have S1 Degree. There are still 1,312,672 teachers or 91,70% teachers who need to get their S1 Degree.

In registration period 2006.1 there were 192,952 Primary Education students. Most of them, 187,192 students, are elementary teachers who are taking PGSD spread out in 400 counties/towns or in 4,300 learning center.

The Improvement of Quality, Relevance, and Competitive Capacity

UT conducts quality assurance based on quality indicator per component. Job reports and the implementation of quality assurance system from every unit are both the measurement and evidence of continuing and successful work program for the following year. Since 2004 UT has proclaimed and committed the quality assurance and it causes in all units to be more directed and systematic. The overall increasing of instructional activities and academic quality has been continuously carried out and based on developed strategic master plan and operational plan. The development of multimedia learning materials which were developed in a small number now are being increased on implementation stage in a big number. Tutorial activities conducted by involving tutors from local public universities. Kinds of learning assisted service step by step have been developed in order to create the adequate learning process in learning center. The learning interaction in learning center is being encouraged to establish culture of professional dialogues as their bases in understanding and solving many kinds of problems related to their courses. Face-to-face, written, and distance-mode tutorials (through radio and TV, internet: online), assignments, practical works, other academic treatments which are relevant to the characteristics of courses in order to increase the quality of tutorials and overall process of students learning.

The increasing of learning process is integrated by improvement of sub sector evaluation. Since 2001 UT has carried out innovation in developing computerized and centralized case bank system. By the end of 2005 it was developed 5,832 sets of items (96%) for 628 courses. Sets of items developed by involving a number of lecturers from reputable public universities and the items logged in the data basis bank items and ready to be used any time. For the needs of practice course assessment, UT has developed a number of instruments such as assessment instrument for ability of teaching demonstration for teachers and practicum assessment instrument.

To answer the challenge of quality, relevance and involvement of studied science area which fit to the needs of working field the students have opportunity to do feasibility and deepening of every course, they also encourage to applying their knowledge and experience in their real lives. About 85% regular students are workers meanwhile 100% of the Primary Education students work as teachers. By having real experience, all UT graduates are qualified and can give a light and answer the challenge of competitive capacity and can synchronize learning activities and the needs of society.

Higher achievement in forms of quality certificate and international accreditation awarded to UT by International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) on 1 August 2005. It is an evidence of hardworking to initiate quality of all exertion components. UT also gained ISO 9001:2000 in learning materials services from SAI Global in February 2006. In 2006 and 2007 the process of achieving ISO for the development of multimedia learning materials and testing in UT Head office and for Management in 11 regional centers. This aims to increase quality of every component in UT.

The Management, Accountability, and Public Image

For more than twenty years, UT has conducted many kinds of efforts to be dashing and powerful. External and internal conditions are the source of energy as a basis of ability in the future. UT has set a vision to be one of the centers of excellence among distance higher education institutions in Asia by 2010 and in the world by 2020. It is set and become a foundation for all components to move forward. There are three main characteristics which help the goal: first good governance, accountability, and the development of better institution image.

Good governance is not merely a jargon but it is a matter of choice of way of life which has to be undergone by all components to achieve the supremacy. As a way of life, good governance can be manifested in the guiding operational values as follows:

Democracy in conducting institution daily and put in the front the government and UT’s interests not someone or group’s interest.
Accountability reflects in obedient of applied law norms, rules, ethics, moral-social, tradition, culture, politeness, and respect for others. All components in conducting education in UT can be accounted for society.
Transparency in UT can be observed, seen, perceived or sensed by some party who deserves to see, observe or sense.
UT is just, fair, or impartial. Just principle in due to two important points. First, equal treatment for law sanction or breaking rules. Second is merit system, welfare gaining which fits and equals to employee’s work and responsibility.
Effectiveness and efficiency in using UT sources have to be focused and for achieving of the aims, mission and vision.

Meanwhile, developing UT image has been constructed in many programs. International, national, and local seminars, conferences, graduation days, building and maintaining networking, publication through various kinds of mass media, and all programs relating to Three Services of University achieved in order to gain better image in the future.

Optimum Capacity

Optimum Capacity or absorption in UT as a distance higher education is larger than conventional universities. The absorption ability is limited by various factors and one of them is the ability of institution in the form of its supremacy. If we observe students intake characteristics in registration period of 2006.1 the optimum capacity as follows:

In supporting government program to increase teachers quality especially elementary school teachers are about 1,431,486 and only 114,518 (8,30%) have S1 Degree. If the institutional ability is being increased to 300,000 from 187,192 elementary teachers studying their DII PGSD and S1 PGSD 33,927 teachers. The optimum capacity can only be conducted in terms of:
Academic activities and administration are supported by adequate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipments.
Eligible infrastructure especially in regional centers.
Advance education and training for institution especially regional centers.

Regular program

In registration period 2006.1 there were 89,151 students of regular program spread in 4 faculties. UT optimum capacity from the number needs to be increased to be 200,000 students if three terms above fulfilled.

In other words, UT has its optimum capacity up to 500,000 students. To get detailed view if two characteristics above mapped based on optimum capacity map per regional center as follows:

TABEL 2

THE LANDSCAPE OF UT’s OPTIMUM CAPACITY

(Based on UT’s Regional Centers)

UPBJJ-UT / NON PENDAS / PENDAS
Active students / Optimum Capacity / Active Students / Optimum Capacity
BANDA ACEH / 1392 / 3122 / 5145 / 7999
M E D A N / 1944 / 4362 / 8174 / 12707
BATAM / 1332 / 2988 / 2197 / 3417
P A D A N G / 2312 / 5186 / 5242 / 8150
PANGKAL PINANG / 2458 / 5514 / 3206 / 4985
PEKANBARU / 1232 / 2764 / 6556 / 10193
J A M B I / 884 / 1983 / 2526 / 3925
PALEMBANG / 3200 / 7179 / 10581 / 16451
BENGKULU / 1096 / 2458 / 1691 / 2630
BANDAR LAMPUNG / 2382 / 5343 / 9362 / 14556
J A K A R T A / 15295 / 34312 / 2300 / 3576
S E R A N G / 1958 / 4393 / 8850 / 13759
B O G O R / 3931 / 8819 / 5635 / 8762
BANDUNG / 13539 / 30373 / 6040 / 9391
PURWOKERTO / 3192 / 7161 / 7266 / 11297
SEMARANG / 2917 / 6544 / 15965 / 24822
SURAKARTA / 1131 / 2537 / 5039 / 7835
YOGYAKARTA / 2421 / 5432 / 1250 / 1944
PONTIANAK / 4984 / 11181 / 5667 / 8812
PALANGKARAYA / 1112 / 2496 / 2634 / 4095
BANJARMASIN / 2466 / 5533 / 5774 / 8978
SAMARINDA / 2339 / 5247 / 4308 / 6699
SURABAYA / 1903 / 4269 / 10024 / 15585
MALANG / 966 / 2168 / 10313 / 16035
JEMBER / 336 / 754 / 2272 / 3532
DENPASAR / 837 / 1877 / 1457 / 2264
MATARAM / 572 / 1283 / 13820 / 21487
KUPANG / 2593 / 5821 / 8036 / 12494
MAKASSAR / 1109 / 2488 / 4525 / 7035
P A L U / 402 / 903 / 2373 / 3690
KENDARI / 1083 / 2429 / 5795 / 9010
MANADO / 1174 / 2633 / 1046 / 1626
GORONTALO / 1109 / 2489 / 1806 / 2808
A M B O N / 1029 / 2308 / 1740 / 2705
JAYAPURA / 1193 / 2676 / 3356 / 5218
TERNATE / 1109 / 2489 / 983 / 1528
OVERSEAS / 217 / 486 / 0 / 0
Total / 89151 / 200000 / 192952 / 300.000

As stated in DGHE presentation (2006), there are 82 States Universities and 2.545 Private Universities in Indonesia. There are 4.0 million students (15 % national tertiary education participation rate), 1.17 million PTN’ students, 2,27 million PTS’ students, and 0,56 million others. UT, as a state university of about 300.000 students, also reaches students in remote regions where options for higher learning are limited.

Based on geographical access, there are 40% students located in Java island, 26% in Sumatera island, 11% in Kalimantan island, 9% in Bali, NTB and NTT, 8% in Sulawesi island, and 1% in Maluku island as well as in Papua island.

Optimum capacity for every regional center set by counting supportive ability which is available in the field such as human resources, infrastructure. Meanwhile in supporting government’s program that is illiterate program, UT has optimum capacity to educate 900,000 illiterates in 2007. Based on the Statistics Center Bureau (BPS) in 2003/2004 showed that the number of illiterates age of above 10 years were 15,533,571. According to Balitbang the number is going to increase in the future if we see the projection data of DO elementary students of low classes are about 200,000 – 300,000 children every year. In networking with Directorate General PLS in 2006 UT involved about 600 students from PGSD to educate 3,450 illiterates spread in 9 provinces as the basis of illiterates and pilot project area.

One of the important aspects gained by UT in the form of achieving optimum capacity is developing regional centers known as revitalization of regional centers. To get better and comprehensive views about revitalization of regional centers next is the explanation about the strategic plan in developing regional centers in the future relating to human resources development, guiding and maintaining network, supplying, maintaining and using infrastructure, and managing pattern of working organization.

Human resources development

In general, one of challenges that UT has to cope in developing human resources in regional centers is to increase competency including knowledge, behavior, and skills which has to get by every staff. In 2006 the number of regional centers staff were 876 people detailed can be seen in the following table:

The conditions of abilities of staff in regional centers are different. In achieving its optimum capacity, UT has to carry out sets of education and training programs for regional centers staff refer to working performance standard. Working performance standards of regional centers is drafted by UT head office which are then discussed by all regional centers in National working meeting.

Guiding and Maintaining Network

Since 1984, UT has been equipped with operational network spread in all over Indonesia. At the moment UT operational network has developed into 37 regional centers followed by developing areas in some zones. As an illustration, the following is the operational network in regional centers.