Students of year 12 (3rd grade of high school) have started to prepare themselves to enter the level of higher education. The enthusiasm was displayed from the result of the student enrollment through the PMDK (talent and interest scouting) method that amounts to a total of 1,353 people that are accepted as students of Parahyangan Catholic University 2016-2017 academic year.
As one of the leading private universities in Indonesia, UNPAR does not only prepare the freshmen’s admission process. Now, apparently each study program is gearing up to provide ‘provisions’ for the freshmen for the purpose of preparing them to hold a new status as university students.
The ‘provision’ was conveyed in a sharing and discussion session held by the Learning Innovation Center (PIP UNPAR) on Tuesday (24/11) at the Operation Room of the Rectorate building UNPAR. The discussion, which was held at 12.00 Western Indonesia Time, was entitled “Innovative and Inspirational Learning”.
Ms. Triyana Iskandarsyah, Dra. M.Si., as the keynote speaker admitted that the Management Study Program has one compulsory course for the freshmen called Basic Leadership. Ms. Triyana along with the team of Basic Leadership explained how the course can become the main provision for students for the purpose of becoming leaders with character at the very least for themselves.
She thought that becoming a leader cannot be seen from merely title or position but through exemplary acts. The leadership concept of ‘knowing, doing, being’ refers to a book written bby Sean Covey entitled “7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens”.
In one semester, each student will experience the teaching and learning processes conducted on or off campus through the Student-Centered Learning and Reflective Pedagogy methods. The ‘provision’ itself can be divided into three forms of dynamic activities.
First, students will receive a weekly assignment to write and reflect on what they have acquired from the book “7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens”. From the courses students are expected to be able to describe their personal missions ‘how would you like to be remembered’, and which leaders have inspired them. This assignment will be kept in the Leadership Folder that was made by them in creative ways.
Second, every student will participate in a Leadership Camp for four days and three nights. According to Mr. Bambang W., as the program’s creator from the Institute for Humanities Development (LPH UNPAR), this is not merely a theoretical process but there is also internalization and reflective experience. Based on the result of the Leadership Camp Report 2015, many students have stated that they learned to be independent, learned to care for one another and for nature, identified themselves and learned to step out of their comfort zone.
Third, students will learn to broaden their circle of influence through a Leadership Project in the form of video clip, poster or even a social project. One of the social innovation projects produced is the HOMPIMPAUD ‘Home and Hope for PAUD’. The brand that was created by the students is not merely a social act but there was a process of ‘listening to and understanding’ the needs of toddlers so that every project offered by each student is relevant to the target’s need. From this social innovation project every student can apply the leadership materials, design thinking, and empathy map as a way to discover creative solutions for every problem encountered.
Through this Basic Leadership course, every freshman is expected to be ready to become university students and is able to study well at Parahyangan Catholic University’s campus.
