IBA's undergraduate programme goes online again after Covid-19 case

Students given option to avail ‘flexible learning system’; regular classes for graduate students to continue

KARACHI:

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi on Thursday decided to resume online classes for its undergraduate students— naming it "flexible learning system"— after emergence of a Covid-19 case in one of its hostels.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the IBA academic board held today.

As per the decision, the university has decided to split its teaching process in two parts and waived off the requirement for undergraduate students to physically attend classes till further notice.

Introduced under the name of "flexible learning system", undergraduate students will have the option to attend online classes at home or come to campus to take classes. However, these classes will also be online on campus.

IBA spokesperson Haris Siddiqui, while confirming the decision, said that the number of graduate students was limited, therefore the university is able to conduct the physical classes on campus.

He said that the hostel students have been advised to continue their stay till the annual examinations as physical presence for them was mandatory.

The number of students in IBA's undergraduate programme was just over 3,500 while the total enrolment was over 5,000.

Yesterday, IBA Karachi was closed for two days after the emergence of a Covid-19 case a day earlier.

All educational activities during the aforementioned period would remain suspended while students and teachers would not be allowed to enter the premises of both the campuses.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the first case emerged in the hostel of the IBA's Karachi University campus. The affected student had recently joined the university from Islamabad and had been taking classes along with other students.

They said that the administration has decided to disinfect both campuses to stop the spread of contagious disease.