Motorcyclists pass by the Ganesha School of Economics (STIE) campus on Jl. Legoso, Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, Thursday (12/10). The location used to be the premises of the Suluh Bangsa Teacher Training College (STKIP), which is now recorded as “closed” at the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government has revoked the operational licenses of 25 private universities deemed to have failed to fulfill the national standard requirements for higher education institutions. The public has been urged to be cautious when choosing universities.
The 25 private universities are just the latest in a string of 192 higher education institutions shuttered in the past two years. The causes varied, including poor administration, internal conflicts and the selling of fake diplomas. Currently there are 4,560 state and private universities operating in the country.
Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry sub-directorate of university institutional control head Henri Tambunan said in Jakarta on Thursday that the 25 private universities had been given between six to 12 months to improve. “We immediately closed private universities that had committed gross violations, including selling fake diplomas, as they had committed crimes,” Henri said.
The ministry’s director of institutional development Totok Prasetyo said that there were three major reasons behind the closures of these private universities. These reasons were closely linked to the standard requirements for higher education institutions that guarantee high quality in all educational aspects, including in the institution, lecturers and the achievement of universities’ three main tasks (known as tri darma in Indonesia) of education, research and community service.
The first reason was that these private universities asked the Private Universities Coordinating Body (Kopertis) and the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry to give them permission to close down. The lack of applicants to these universities had disrupted operations.
Secondly, these private universities were factually non-existent. In the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry’s database, these universities were still listed as active or in development. However, upon verification, the buildings were either non-existent or no longer universities.
Thirdly, these private universities were found to have committed light, medium or gross violations. Light and medium violations include internal conflicts or a lack of discipline in quality assurance. For these violations, universities are given six months to improve themselves.
If these universities face a shortage of lecturers, they are urged to recruit permanent lecturers with proper qualifications in line with the study programs that need them. If there are management conflicts, they should be resolved, including through courts. “After the first six months, the ministry can give another six months [to resolve the problems]. If the problems aren’t resolved after one year, then it is closure for them,” Henri said.
One of the unlicensed private universities was the Timika State Polytechnic in Papua. The management did not apply for a license to establish the university before the building was constructed and students recruited. “This is fraud. Apart from forced closure, we have also filed a police report,” Henri said.
Meanwhile, an example of a “missing” private university was the IMNI School of Management. In the ministry’s database, the institution was stated to be under development. However, when Kompas visited its address in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, it found that the university’s building had been sold to another party. Its branch in Gondangdia, Central Jakarta, had been torn down and replaced with an office building.
Recommended closure
Head of the Jakarta branch of Kopertis, Illah Sailah, said that IMNI had been declared inactive since 2015 as it could not fulfill the national standards for higher education, including the provision of an adequate number of lecturers. After more than a year, there were no signs of improvement at IMNI. This prompted Kopertis to recommend its closure.
The Jakarta Indonesia College of Industrial Management (STMI Jakarta) had changed its name to STMI Jakarta Polytechnic. Its building in Cempaka Putih was filled with classroom activities. However, some of its students were concerned over the legality of the college’s diploma. “Several alumni have complained that they could not register as civil servants as their diplomas were not recognized by the state,” a student said.
STMI Jakarta Polytechnic deputy director Ridzky Kramanandita said he had no idea about the revocation of the school’s operational license.
The future of 6,400 former students of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) University in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, is also uncertain. They have refused to enroll in a university opened by the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry. The students wish to continue their education but they do not want to restart from the first year.
East Nusa Tenggara regional secretariat’s social development bureau head Barthol Badar said that the problem at the PGRI University began with the emergence of two managements in 2013. This continued until June 2017.
The Yappann College of Administration Sciences in Tanjung Barat, South Jakarta, had no activities.
Similarly, the building registered as the location of Pusaka Nusantara College of Social and Political Sciences (STISIP) no longer functions as a college. The building now houses the Pusaka High School. “Back when the STISIP was still active, the learning activities took place in the evening,” STISIP Pusaka Nusantara alumnus Wawan said.
In Yogyakarta province, no activities were seen at the closed private universities there. An example was the YIPK Academy of Finances and Banking on Jl. Lowanu, Yogyakarta city. On Thursday, there were no signs of a college at its address. Instead, only shop-houses and residences were found.
A similar sight was also found at the address of the Indonesian Secretarial and Management Academy (ASMI) Bantul on Jl. Ring Road Selatan, Krapyak, Yogyakarta province.
Yogyakarta Kopertis coordinator Bambang Supriyadi said that no activities had been seen for a long time at the addresses of the closed local private universities.
In North Sumatra, 18 private universities face possible closure at the end of this year. They had been given a year to fulfill basic requirements, including the availability of land and buildings, adequate numbers of lecturers and students as well as a clear organizational structure. “However, we have yet to see any improvement,” North Sumatra Kopertis coordinator Dian Armanto said.
Chairman of the Association of Private University Management’s (ABPPTS) central board, Thomas Suyanto, said that private university management boards should commit to providing the highest quality of education.
Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohammad Nasir said that high-quality higher education could not be achieved instantly. There were processes that needed to be followed. The protection of people’s rights to obtain high-quality education services is provided through the higher education database that is accessible at the address forlap.ristekdikti.go.id.
“Any irregularity in the learning process and in the attainment of degrees can be traced. We need to unite in fighting fraudulent activities in our education system,” Nasir said.
