Indonesia Open University

UT's focus is on educating people who for various reasons including lack of funding, rural isolation and full-time employment, do not have opportunity to attend conventional face-to-face higher education institutions.

The university's mission is:

1. to expand the opportunity for quality higher education through the distance education system;
2. to produce competent academicians and professionals who are able to compete globally;
3. to increase participation in continuing education in order to create a knowledge-based society;
4. to increase the quality and quantity of research and development in the distance education system, especially in distance higher education;
5. to innovatively and continuously disseminate and share information on distance education especially on distance higher education;
6. to strengthen national unity and integrity through the broad and equal provision of higher education;
7. to increase cross-cultural understanding and networking through local, national and global partnerships;
8. to produce academic products in distance higher education as well as in other fields of knowledge.

UT has been awarded the ‘International Accreditation’ and ‘Certificate of Quality’ by the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Standard Agency (ISA), and ISO 9001:2000 by the Certification bodies, i.e. SAI Global and SGS. UT's study programs have also been accredited by The National Accreditation Board of Higher Education (BAN-PT).[4]

UT offers a learning flexibility system:

• no time limitation to complete the study, i.e. no dropout system;
• no time limitation on the year of graduation from senior high school, thus no age limit;
• all year-round registration period;
• flexible phase, place and time to study in accordance with student's own convenience;
• use of multimedia learning materials, including printed learning materials accompanied by audio and video cassettes/CD, CD-ROM, radio and TV broadcast, as well as Computer-Assisted Instructions (CAI) and Internet-based learning materials.

As with other higher education, UT has implemented a semester credit system (SKS) to establish study load per semester. One semester is a unit of time and learning activities for about 15 weeks. Student study load expressed in units of SKS. To reach one credit, students are expected to learn the course material for three hours per week. Special to UT, one SKS synchronized with the three modules of teaching materials, while to study one module with 80 percent mastery it takes approximately 15 hours per semester.

Students can choose the kind of tutorial in accordance with the interests or abilities. Type of tutorials that can be followed by students is as follows:

• Face-to-face tutorial
• Tutorial by letter: Students can send questions about lecture material to the head of study program.
• Tutorial by radio, television and mass media: Students can follow the tutorial through the National Programmes/RRI wave radio. Tutorial on the radio is held five times a week. While the tutorial through TVRI can be listened to students on certain days. In addition, some local mass media provides tutorials for students of UT.
• Tutorial via the Internet

Some courses offered by UT is a practice or practicum courses. The practice or practicum conducted under the guidance of instructors. Implementation of practice or practicum can be done by the students individually or in groups using a kit or laboratory facilities in the area.

UT student learning outcome evaluation is conducted in the form of Independent Tasks, the tasks of the Special Design Front Face Tutorial, Practice or Practical Exam, Oral Exam, Final Exam Semester (UAS), and the Comprehensive Written Exam (UKT).

UT has two categories: the education program and regular program of non-regular program. The regular program can be followed by the general public. The non-regular program is administered programs in particular. At this time courses that are included in non-regular program is the Teacher Education Program Equalization D2 SD (PGSD) and S1-PGSD Program; the other courses included in the regular program.

Academic leave is one of convenience given to students who for any reason cannot complete the lecture. Students can take academic leave for four consecutive registration periods without having to report to UT. Before time runs out of academic leave, students must immediately register the course so student status is not lost.

Learning activities can be conducted at anywhere and any time.

Printed material (known as module) serves as the main learning medium, supplemented by non-printed materials such as recorded learning materials (audio video cassettes, CD, radio and TV), as well as computerbased learning materials (CAI and Internet based). To provide optimal education services to students who are spread all over the country and abroad, UT collaborates with agencies such as the PT Pos Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI), Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Local Government Radio Broadcast, Radio Broadcast Private Commerce, Regional Office/Department of Education, Education Attache Embassy of Indonesia, National Library, and local libraries.

Open University is working with agencies that want to improve the quality of its employees: government agencies, state enterprises, or private. They can follow the program in the UT or order a new study program to suit the needs of the office. UT has been to get the trust of the government to improve the quality of primary school teachers through the Equalization Program D2 Elementary School Teacher. In addition, UT has won the trust to improve the quality of human resources from the military, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), PT Bank BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia), Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara, Ministry of Agriculture, Setwapres, and several other agencies.

The learning support services consist of academic and administrative services.

Academic Services The academic services are provided through tutorials. There are two kinds of tutorials: face-to-face and at a distance via radio, television, and internet. Furthermore, practical works are also provided for courses that need practicum. Both tutorials and practical works are facilitated by qualified tutors, instructors, and or supervisors, who come from various well-known public and private universities as well as from UT itself. For certain courses, resource persons are sometimes invited from business, industry and other relevant sectors.

Administrative Services Administrative services are emphasized in providing assistance to students in registration, obtaining learning materials, applying for credit transfer, and addressing other matters that can influence students’ study process.

The assessment of student learning is based on: tutorial assignments, practical works, practicum assignments, and final examination. These components reflect students’ overall learning achievement and contribute to the semester final grades of the students.

UT administers final examinations at the end of every semester or twice a year. Final examinations are conducted as supervised pencil-paper tests simultaneously throughout the country. Students who take the Bachelor (Sarjana/S1) Programs are required to take the Program's Final Assignment at the end of the program as part of the requirements. Students who take the Master Programs (S2) are required to write Master Program's Final Assignment (a thesis) and pass the final oral examination. For certain courses and cases UT also offers the opportunity for students to take the examination on-line.

Final grades are announced via various methods including through UT website, and UPBJJ-UT.

UT students may apply for credit transfer for courses previously taken from other accredited universities.

UT has 41 regional offices: 40 UPBJJ-UT and 1 PPM-LN. [5] The UPBJJ-UT themselves are located in the capitals of each Indonesia 34 provinces in addition to 5 major cities of Bogor, Purwokerto, Surakarta, Jember, and Malang, in addition to the recently (re-)established UPBJJ in Dili, Timor Leste, in 2019,[6] and the UT PPM-LN or foreign office. To support their operations, each UPBJJ-UT establishes close collaboration with various institutions, particularly with:

• The local public and private universities for getting tutors, practicum instructors, and examination supervisors;
• Local governments for conducting tutorials and examination, as well as for getting scholarships for students; and
• Local radio and TV stations for relaying the tutorials and information about academic activities. The regular tutorials broadcast by the national radio stations (RRI).

At the national level, UT also has long standing collaborations with:

• Q-Channel and TV-Edukasi for broadcasting UT's TV programs;
• RRI for broadcasting radio tutorials;
• BRI and BTN for receiving tuition fees and learning materials purchase from students; and
• PT Pos Indonesia for delivering the learning materials, examination documents and other supporting materials.

UT has established partnerships with other institutions, including the Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, Navy, Ministry of Defense and Security, Ministry of Agriculture, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara, PT Pos Indonesia, Central Bureau for Statistics, PT Indosat, PT Tugu Pratama, National Coordinating Agency for Family Planning (BKKBN), and Al-Zaitun Islamic Boarding School, Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), National Archives of Indonesia (ANRI), National Civil Service Agency (BKN), School of Business and Management (STEKPI), PT Jakarta Software Komunikasi and all provincial agencies, regencies and towns in Indonesia.

UT also has close relationships with various international organizations such as the South-East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Center(SEAMOLEC).

UT is one of the founding members of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), and the Global Mega-University Network (GMUNET). In addition UT is also an active member of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).[7]

UT has four faculties and one graduate program that offer more than 40 active study programs, including doctoral programs (S3), master programs (S2), bachelor programs (Sarjana/S1), diploma programs (D3 and D4), and certificate programs.[8]

UT offers the following programs: Upgrading qualifications of human resource in:

• Public Administration
• Business Administration
• Government Studies
• Communication Studies
• Taxation Studies
• Language Services
• Management, Accounting Studies
• Economics and Development Studies
• Applied Statistics, Mathematics, and Science
• Food Technology
• Agricultural Extension Programs

Education and training for managers and instructors:

• Training needs analysis
• Making plans for training center
• Developing learning materials, either printed or electronic
• Providing in-house training, either face-to face or at a distance
• Training program Evaluation

Community extension programs:

• Need Analysis for types of extensions programs
• Development and production of extension programs media, either printed or electronic
• Training for extension officers

Communication strategies:

• Public Speaking
• Public Relations Consultancy
• Organizational Communication

Training for operators and computer programmers:

• Word Processing
• Database
• Web Design
• Publishing
• Library Automation

Entrepreneurship:

• Management
• Supervision consultancy
• Regional economic potential

The Center for Research and Community Services of UT (LPPM-UT) has four centers:

• Center of Institutional Research and System Development
• Center of Science
• Center of Community Services
• Inter-University Center for Improving and Developing Instructional Activities (IUC-IDIA)

Research The LPPM-UT specializes research and development in the following areas:

• Open and Distance Education
• Evaluation of Educational
• Educational Management
• Policy and Institutional Studies
• Social Development
• Regional Economic Development
• Environmental Impact Analysis
• Regional Development
• Agriculture, Fishery, and Husbandry
• Sciences
• Instructional Media
• Consultancy and Research Training
• Monitoring and Evaluation

Development of management information systems LPPM-UT provides:

• Management Information System Design
• Application of Computerized Management Information
• Systems Application
• website Design and Development
• Information Systems Development
• Information Systems Evaluation
• Media Prototype Development

Community services Community services include:

• Training for continuing education programs.
• Development of people's empowerment programs to improve the quality of life.
• Development of networks and partnerships to support the continuing education and social services programs.
• Professional consultancy services in people's empowerment, human resource, education, and development of both organization and society.

Development and Improvement of Instructions The Inter-University Center for Improving and Developing of Instructional Activities (IUC-IDIA) has a mission to improve the quality of instruction at higher levels of education at open and distance higher education and conventional universities. The IUC-IDIA professional staff have experience in conducting needs analysis, developing programs, curriculum development, assessment of learning, evaluating instructional programs, developing the prototype of learning materials, developing multi-media course materials, developing computer-based tutorials, and professional training for educators, trainers, and instructor.

The IUC-IDIA services include:

• Programs for Improving the Basic Skills of Instructional Techniques (PEKERTI)
• Applied Approach (AA)
• Development of Distance Learning Systems
• Curriculum Development
• Learning Materials Development
• Tutor's Training
• Instructional Media Development
• Development of Computer-Assisted Tutorial
• Achievement Evaluation
• Classroom Action Research

The IUC-IDIA also provides consulting services for institution capacity building in education and training, particularly in the area of instructional activities and academic programs.

The IUC-IDIA has strategic alliances with other units within UT itself, with over 51 state-owned universities, and with education and training centers in 25 Departments, Colleges belonged to certain governmental departments, as well as education and training centers for specific fields (e.g. Banking, department stores, supermarkets, etc.)

• (in Indonesian) University website
  • (in English) English version
• (in English) History
• UT regional offices address