Rector Welcomes Students’ Peaceful Action

Rector Welcomes Students’ Peaceful Action

Banjarmasin – The Rector of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) Prof. Dr. H. Ahmad Alim Bachri, S.E., M.Sc., welcomed the arrival of a group of students at the entrance to the Banjarmasin Rectorate Building on Friday (27/9/2024) afternoon. Hundreds of students had gathered since noon to hold a Peaceful Action in order to demand clear information regarding the issue of the downgrading of ULM’s accreditation and the Professor’s journal mafia case.

The Rector and the ULM leadership had also been preparing since noon to welcome the arrival of students who wanted to convey their aspirations. The group of students, consisting of students from the Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru campuses, then filled the front corridor of the lobby to the Rectorate yard.

The Peaceful Action began with a theatrical performance and poetry reading from the students which was watched attentively by the Chancellor and other leaders. Furthermore, the Head of BEM ULM, Ahmad Syamsu Rizal conveyed 3 (three) student demands, namely:

1. Demand the Senate, Chancellor, and staff to convey commitment and explanation regarding efforts to restore ULM’s accreditation as A/Excellent accreditation;
2. Fully support the thorough investigation of the professor scandal case in the ULM environment and demand the names listed to be cooperative and open with the public and eradicate the entire journal mafia network in the ULM environment;
3. Urging the Senate along with the Chancellor and ULM leadership to re-emphasize the norms/ethics regarding the appointment of Professors in the ULM environment and uphold the principles of honesty, truth, and justice in responding to various problems on campus.

In response to these demands, the Rector of ULM, Prof. Dr. Ahmad, S.E., M.Sc., gave the following response:

1. The Rector has communicated with the Director of BAN-PT as the official institution authorized to determine university accreditation that currently ULM is still accredited A until there is an official letter of revocation of accreditation;
2. ULM received a warning letter due to the professor case. ULM was then given 2 (two) months to apply for re-accreditation;
3. After receiving the letter, the Rector together with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Head of LPMPP decided to form a Re-accreditation Team with a target of completing the preparation of the accreditation form within 1 (one) month;
4. The Rector has submitted to the Ministry a proposal for dismissal of one of the individuals suspected of being involved as a journal mafia in the professor case. The Chancellor also plans to deliver the proposal letter directly to the Office of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology next Monday;
5. The Rector together with the ULM leadership have updated the SOP for submitting proposals for functional promotion of lecturers, starting from Assistant Expert to Professor to 5 (five) levels of verification. It is hoped that the new SOP can prevent similar things from happening in the future;
6. ULM has made mitigation efforts through LPMPP where there is a mapping of journals, such as predatory journals, discontinued journals, discontinued journals, fake journals, to journals that are worthy of being references and publications for ULM students and lecturers;
7. ULM has also formed a Publication Management Center (PMC) institution that functions to filter all publications that will be carried out internally by ULM, where new journals can be published after receiving recommendations from the PMC.

ULM Rector , Prof. Dr. Ahmad, S.E., M.Sc., also said that he and the university leadership will continue to strive and uphold the principles of honesty, truth, and justice in leading ULM and eradicating various problems that befall ULM.

The Rector also expressed his gratitude to the students who had attended the Peaceful Action. For the Rector , the action was a form of student concern for ULM. He was proud of the students’ courage in conveying their aspirations.

“I am proud to have you (students) who have an extraordinary conscience. The anxiety and restlessness that you feel are also felt by ULM as a whole. And we who are in the ranks of ULM leadership are certainly not silent in overseeing this case. Let’s rise together, build synergy and collaboration based on togetherness,” said the Rector in his speech.

At the end of the action, the ULM Rector together with the Senate Chair and the ULM BEM Chair signed a letter containing the 3 (three) student demands as a form of commitment and seriousness.