KAMPUS KITA

Ikatan Alumni, Ikatan Kelas Sosial

Membaca nama-nama calon ketua ikatan alumni ITB priode 2011-2015, saya merasa terkagum-kagum: Amir Sambodo (Staf Khusus Menko Perekonomian), Hermanto Dardak (Wakil Menteri PU), Dasep Ahmadi (Enterpreneur), Nining Soesilo (Dosen UI), dan Sumaryanto (Deputi Bidang Infrastruktur dan Logistik di Kementrian BUMN. Sebagian besar adalah birokrat teknokrat. http://edukasi.kompas.com/read/2011/12/03/17010556/Hatta.Puji.E.Voting.dalam.Pemilihan.Ketua.IA.ITB

Masuk di PT sekelas ITB pastinya tidak lagi hanya karena sekedar ingin mendapatkan pendidikan terbaik. Lebih dari itu, orang-orang ingin masuk dalam jaringan kelas sosial seperti mereka. Belajar di PT bergengsi telah menjadi strategi kelas sosial. Orang-orang dari kelas sosial rendah semakin sulit menembus dinding PT yang berkualitas.

Hirarki PT telah menjadi instrumen seleksi sosial rasional yang sulit dilawan oleh orang-orang lemah.Ikatan alumni PT sering menjadi alat esklusi sosial. Anehnya, kedua praktek penggusuran sosial tersebut sering dilakukan atas nama nasionalisme, misalnya demi meningkatkan daya saing bangsa.

PT yang bergengsi semakin hari semakin menegaskan dirinya sebagai institusi pendidikan bagi putra putri dan kolega para elit birokrat dan bisnis.

Konsekuensi Neoliberalisasi PTN Islam Lewat Sistem Seleksi MABA

Baik perguruan tinggi negeri umum maupun perguruan tinggi negeri Islam sama-sama menyelenggarakan seleksi masuk untuk mahasiswa baru dengan sistem yang mirip, tetapi tidak sama.

Kalau perguruan tinggi negeri umum menggunakan SNMPTN dimana pendaftaran dapat dilakukan secara online (http://www.snmptn.ac.id/), perguruan tinggi negeri Islam punya SPMB-PTAIN (http://www.ditpertais.net/06/read.asp?newsID=279).

Penerimaan mahasiswa baru dengan sistem nasional adalah fenomena baru di lingkungan perguruan tinggi Islam.

Pada dasarnya, seleksi terasa rasional, tetapi tidak mesti seperti itu, kalau kapasitas sarana pendidikan tidak mampu menampung jumlah pendaftar. Tetapi, rupanya PTN Islam memperkenalkan sistem ini bukan karena fakta kondisi material seperti itu. Pada kenyataannya, sebagian besar PTN Islam selalu kekurangan pelamar, sehingga seleksi masuk hanya formalitas akal-akalan saja.

Kedua, ada kesan bahwa penerimaan lewat sistem SPMB-PTAIN ingin mengakomodasi kepentingan kaum miskin. Padahal, pada kenyataannya PTN Islam selama ini selalu "berpihak" pada kaum miskin. Karena kurang peminat, terkadang PTN Islam terpaksa menjanjikan beasiswa pada semua mahasiswanya agar mereka mau masuk PTN Islam. Kalau tidak demikian, mereka yang merasa punya modal pas-pasan lebih memilih masuk PTN umum.

Dengan demikian, surat edaran yang dibuat Direktur PT Islam (lihat di sini), yang mensyarakatkan PTN Islam menerima 60 persen lewat jalur SPMB-PTAIN dan 40 persen lewat jalur mandiri guna menjaring calon mahasiswa kurang mampu terasa ganjil.

Saya benar-benar tidak mengerti fenomena baru di PTN Islam ini.

Saya punya firasat bahwa tindakan ini adalah bagian dari penetrasi ideologi neoliberal yang mengedepankan aspek pilihan individu dalam memilih tempat belajar. Meskipun efeknya tidak akan seperti pada PTN umum, tetapi mekanisme seperti itu akan memungkinkan bagi kelas sosial menengah ke atas untuk memborong kursi PTN Islam di tanah air.

Adapun jatah 40 persen lewat jalur mandiri untuk anak-anak miskin tidak akan mengancam kepentingan kelas menengah sebab jatah itu pasti tidak akan terpenuhi. Jangankan masuk PT, tamat SD saja orang miskin seperti itu sangat sulit.

Dengan demikian, kelas orang mampu akan mendominasi jatah pendidikan di PTN Islam. Setelah tempat ini dimonompoli oleh mereka, dengan alasan peningkatan kualitas dan persaingan nasional dan global, PTN Islam akan lebih leluasa menaikkan biaya kuliah.

Kelas menengah biasanya tidak terlalu peduli dengan kenaikan biaya pendidikan sebab mereka adalah kelas yang diuntungkan.

Menaikkan biaya pendididikan di PTN Islam akan mematikan bidang-bidang studi sosial dan humaniora yang kurang memiliki nilai ekonomi. Atau dalam istilah Bourdieu, modal intelektual yang sulit untuk terkonversi ke dalam modal ekonomi.

Konsekuensinya, lambat atau cepat, apabila nilai-nilai neoliberal dibiarkan merasuki sistem managemen PTN Islam, benteng budaya dan identitas masyarakat Indonesia akan ambruk.

Akhirnya, perguruan tinggi Islam tinggal nama saja; nama tanpa substansi.

Apakah para manager dan birokrat pendidikan Islam benar-benar menginginkan itu?

Kita tunggu saja perkembangan berikutnya.

Maksud Terselubung Seleksi Nasional Masuk PTN Indonesia

"Ujian tertulis Seleksi Nasional Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negeri 2011 akan dilaksanakan serentak pada 31 Mei dan 1 Juni 2011. Selain seleksi masuk melalui ujian tertulis, ada pula jalur undangan yang dulu bernama penelusuran minat dan kemampuan".

Demikian diberitakan oleh Kompas Online.

Dulu saya pikir budaya seleksi menyeleksi itu rasional dan adil. Akhir-akhir ini saya semakin menyadari bahwa proses ini sebenarnya adalah prosedur akal-akalan yang sengaja diciptakan untuk melegitimasi ketidakadilan.

Dalam Undang-Undang Dasar 45 dan UU Antidiskriminasi secara telanjang diatur bahwa semua, tanpa kecuali, warga negara Indonesia berhak mendapatkan pendidikan setinggi-tingginya.

Tetapi pada kenyataannya, teknologi diskriminasi pada saat yang bersamaan dibuat sedemikian rupa untuk menjalankan fungsi.

Pikiran kita yang tidak normal lagi melihat mekanisme seperti itu sebagai tindakan sah-sah saja.
Coba perhatikan akibatnya!

ICW Desak KPK Usut Mafia Pendidikan

Adanya sejumlah mafia di tubuh perpajakan, juga menjangkiti lembaga pendidikan. Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) menemukan adanya indikasi praktif mafia di bidang pendidikan. Berdasarkan riset yang dilakukan ICW, terdapat 80 kasus dugaan korupsi anggaran Dana Alokasi Khusus (DAK) pendidikan di seluruh Indonesia selama tahun 2006-2009. Selengkapnya ...

SNMPTN Dibuka Dua Gelombang

Pendaftaran seleksi nasional masuk perguruan tinggi negeri dibuka dalam dua gelombang. Dengan demikian, ada kesempatan buat siswa SMA/MA/SMK yang ikut ujian nasional ulangan untuk bisa mendaftar dalam seleksi masuk yang diikuti 57 perguruan tinggi negeri di Tanah Air tersebut. Selengkapnya ...

Pendaftaran SNMPTN Dibuka

Pendaftaran seleksi nasional masuk perguruan tinggi negeri atau SNMPTN dibuka mulai Minggu (2/5/2010) secara online. Pendaftaran berlangsung mulai 2 hingga 31 Mei 2010 melalui situs web www.snmptn.ac.id. Adapun ujian tertulis akan berlangsung pada 16-17 Juni 2010. Selengkapnya ...

Teknologi informasi dan perkembangan otak manusia

Sangat menarik untuk pendidik. Pernahkah Anda mendengar perbedaan struktur jaringan otak seorang musisi profesional, seperti Eby Giade berangkali atau yang lain dari seorang atletik profesional? Pernakah Anda mengenal istilah 'digital native' dan 'digital immigrant'? Sebuah hasil penelitian melaporkan bahwa anak yang sekarang yang tumbuh berkembang sebagai digital native atau asli generasi digital-kesehariannya selalu diisi dengan aktifitas yang identik dengan fasilitas digital seperti mengirim sms dan internet-memiliki jaringan otak yang lebih rumit dan kuat ketimbang kita yang tergolong generasi imigran digital-mengerti dan mengenal alat-alat digital seperti laptop dan hp setelah dewasa.

those who reported using the Internet regularly in their everyday lives showed twice as much signaling in brain regions responsible for decision-making and complex reasoning, compared with those who had limited Internet exposure.

Mungkin ini yang menjawab pertanyaan yang kadang terlontar dari mulut sebagian orang tua, "Kok anak-anak sekarang itu masih kecil-kecil udah pada cerdas ya? Pintar ya?" Tapi tunggu dulu, kita mesti hati-hati juga sebab jangan-jangan ini kerjanya orang-orang IT supaya produk digintalnya makin laku. Tapi tidak apa-apa juga sih kalau memang benar-benar produk itu baik untuk manusia dan bukan akal-akalan, apalagi kalau baik untuk perkembangan otak manusia.Namun demikian perlu tetap diingat bahwa dibalik sesuatu yang baik apabila berlebihan seringkali membawa dampak negatif yang tak terduga.

Three Physicists Don't Expect Nobel Prize

2008 Nobel Prize for Physics go to 3 physics, an Japanese-American Yoichiro Nambu, 2 Japanese physicists for their discovery of tiny breaks in the symmetry of nature's fundamental particles that facilitate people to explain reason behind the universe existence and persistency. Amazingly, none of them has expected to win Nobel Prize. They only pursue their interests in physics. This is actually a noble value that plays an important role in keeping scientist to work for the sake of humanity.Yoichiro Nambu, of the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago, will receive half of the $1.4 million prize for work he did nearly half a century ago.

Women achieves economic independence in a Iranian Way

Islam should be an underlying principle of every aspects of a Muslim, both man and woman. life. Unfortunately, the attitudes of several Muslim thinkers and Muslims in general do not show original creativity to develop practical ways of life that get along with Islamic values. They like to import everything from the West when they are facing social problems. They think that every problem that they have has its own answer in the West. This example is very clear in the field of women movement in several Muslim countries, like Indonesia., under the flag of feminism or gender study I think we must appreciate what the Iranian society initiate in their efforts to make Islam as their way of life. See this interesting news to think about their creativity. This news contains Western bias, but at least it can make you think and be more creative like Iranian society.

Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans

More than half of all Americans believe they have been helped by a guardian angel in the course of their lives, according to a new poll by the Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion. In a poll of 1700 respondents, 55% answered affirmatively to the statement, "I was protected from harm by a guardian angel." The responses defied standard class and denominational assumptions about religious belief; the majority held up regardless of denomination, region or education — though the figure was a little lower (37%) among respondents earning more than $150,000 a year. More details ...

Fulbright Scholarship 2009-2010 - Indonesia

The American Indonesia Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) is pleased to announce the availability of approximately 40 new Fulbright scholarships under the aegis of the Fulbright Presidential Scholarship Program to pursue Ph.D. degree in the United States for the 2009-2010 academic year. The Fulbright Program in Indonesia promotes mutual understanding between the Republic of Indonesia and the United States of America through educational exchange and academic scholarship. Fulbright scholarships are available to Indonesian citizens with the appropriate qualifications as stipulated in the program descriptions listed below.

ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS

Preference will be given to applicants who serve or plan to serve as faculty members of state and private institutions of higher education in Indonesia and have not previously received any Fulbright scholarship.

Applicants will possess:

a Master’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.00 scale).
demonstrated leadership qualities.
a good understanding of Indonesian and other cultures.
a deep commitment to the chosen field of study.
a determination to return to Indonesia upon completion of the Fulbright program and to take up academic positions in higher education upon their return.
a TOEFL score.
Note: Based on recent changes in US institution requirements, the TOEFL requirement for this program has been changed. The new requirement is as follows: "Generally, the TOEFL requirement for PhD program is 575 and above. However, in certain fields a score of 550 and above will be considered."

* (Grant duration is 3 years.)

DISCIPLINES

All disciplines and fields of study are eligible for a Fulbright award. Priority fields are: Social Sciences, Religious Studies, Science and Engineering, Law, and Education—specifically, English Teaching and Higher Education Administration.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates should complete the appropriate application forms. Forms are available either by mail or in person at the AMINEF Office, Gedung Balai Pustaka, 6th floor, Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya 4, Jakarta 10720.

Please return to AMINEF your complete application package by the application deadline that includes:

Completed application form. This includes a clearly written and concise study objective.
Copy of your most recent, less than two years old, TOEFL score report.
One letter of reference, either from your current employer or previous lecturer.
Copy of academic transcript (English translation).
Copy of identity document (KTP or passport).
CONTACT INFORMATION

Specific questions regarding the application process are accepted via e-mail at the following address: infofulbright_ind@aminef.or.id. We do not accept email applications. Hard copies must be sent or delivered to American Indonesian Exchange Foundation.

DEADLINE

The deadline for the submission of application materials for this program is May 31, 2009.

Note: Program requirements are subject to change without notice.

To download form click here

For more information please visit:
http://www.aminef.or.id/fulbright.php?site=fulbright&m=ip-pro-phd-phdpresidential

NU community founded in U.S.

Youth activists of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, in the United States have founded a community that aims to help bridge understanding between Islam and the West.
Three of the four initiators of the NU community are Fulbright program grantees and alumni. They are Achmad Tohe, PhD student at Boston University, Achmad Munjid, PhD student at Temple University, and Ulil Abshar Abdalla, PhD student at Harvard University.
"Antagonism does not necessarily mark relations between Islam and the West. Islam can positively contribute to the West and the other way round instead," the students said in a statement read out in a gathering in Boston on June 29, 2008.
A number of young up-and-coming members from Muhammadiyah were also present.
The students expressed their concerns about the prejudice that still prevailed in Islam-West relations, the erosion of nationalism and statesmanship among Indonesian people and the weakening of NU as a religious organization.
In addition to the above three Fulbright program grantee/alumni, the following have also been actively involved in the establishment of the organization: Muhammad Abdun Nasir, PhD student at Emory University, Akhmad Sahal, PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, Ahmad Rafiq, PhD student at Temple University, Syamsul Ma’arif, PhD student at Arizona State University, Munajat, PhD student at Texas A & M University, Dadi Darmadi, PhD student at Harvard University, and Saiful Umam, PhD student at the University of Hawaii at Menoa.
Youth activists from the second largest Muslim organization in Indonesia who are currently studying in the U.S. who were present at the declaration are Sukidi Mulyadi, who is pursuing his Ph.D. degree at Harvard University, and Jajang Jahroni, Fulbright student currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Boston University.
Having representatives from Muhammadiyah during the declaration, they hope that NU and Muhammadiyah could work hand in hand to develop and promote contextual and progressive understanding of Islam in the U.S. (The Jakarta Post and Press Release from the organizer).

Mengapa Alokasi Keuangan PTI tidak kompetitif?

Hari ini saya berdiskusi dengan teman-teman mahasiswa di kampus saya, STAIN Manado, seputar pengembangan kampus ke arah yang lebih baik. Ada satu pertanyaan yang tiba-tiba muncul dalam benak saya dan ini tidak sempat didiskusikan, yaitu tentang managemen keuangan pada PTI. Kalau tidak salah, STAIN, IAIN dan UIN masing-masing mendapatkan alokasi anggaran tahunan yang merata. Misalnya, untuk STAIN sekian M, IAIN sekian M dan UIN sekian M. Selebihnya, masing-masing institusi mencari sendiri sumber dana dari luar.
Untuk kasus STAIN se-Indonesia, yang rata-rata memiliki daya saing rendah, mungkin ada kesempatan untuk membuat mereka bersaing secara sehat dalam perolehan anggaran dengan mempertimbangakan nilai lebih (value added) pada setiap STAIN yang dievaluasi setiap tahun. Anggaplah setiap STAIN mendapatkan anggaran 15M/tahun. Namun demikian, bagi STAIN yang mampu melakukan pengembangan inovatif secara riil pada tahun sebelumnya akan diberikan anggaran lebih berdasarkan prestasi tersebut. Dengan demikian, ada semangat untuk bersaing demi kemajuan dan nama baik PTI se-Indonesia.

Writing theses or dissertation is never be easy !!!

"This is more of a reference book than a sit-down-and-read-through book. It provides proper formatting for footnotes, in-text citations, and bibliography, and gives some guides for planning, structuring, and writing papers. If you're looking for a book that is a little better for how to craft arguments and progress through a paper logically, "The Craft of Research" is better for those reasons. Still, this is a convenient book to have on the shelf for reference, especially with proper citation." Find more ...

Challenges in implementing inclusive education

National Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo recently said he was upbeat that Indonesia, with its heterogeneous population, would be able to create a strategy and make a breakthrough in implementing so-called inclusive education, the goal of which is to promote an inclusive society irrespective of social status, race, faith and ability, with differences being respected and valued. Find more ...

Rowling dispels controversy as she works magic on university audience - Scotsman.com News

Rowling dispels controversy as she works magic on university audience - Scotsman.com News: "WHEN it was announced last month that JK Rowling was to give Harvard University's most important address of the year, she was dismissed as a 'flash in the pan'.
However, any suggestion she was unwelcome was forgotten, as she received a standing ovation lasting one minute and 50 seconds from 15,000 people attending the Ivy League university's graduation ceremony on Thursday." Read more ...

Understanding Islam

With 1.2 billion followers, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion—but also its most misunderstood. Karen Armstrong, a scholar and former nun, tries to correct some of the stereotypes in her latest book, “Islam: A Short History.” One of her key arguments: that because fear feeds extremists, any sustained attack on terrorism must include Western efforts to cultivate a more accurate appreciation of Islam.
ARMSTRONG IS CURRENTLY a visiting scholar at Harvard and the author of nine books on religion. “Islam: A Short History” was originally released in 2000 but became a best seller in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. NEWSWEEK’s Karen Fragala spoke with the writer about the true meaning of jihad, the myth of the suicide bomber’s heavenly reward, and the prospects for democracy in the Middle East. Find more ....

Sixty Graduate Students Win SSRC Fellowships to Develop Dissertation Proposals on Topics from Climate Change to Animal Studies

The Social Science Research Council has selected 60 graduate students as the second cohort of its Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) program. Go to DPDF Fellows List. Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants currently enrolled in U.S. doctoral programs, the 2008 fellows represent 39 institutions nationwide and a wide variety of disciplines, from anthropology and history to religious studies and environmental studies. The program is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the SSRC. Find more ...

Turkish court upholds university headscarf ban

Turkey's highest court today overturned a politically controversial law allowing women students to wear the Muslim headscarf at university, dealing a heavy blow to the country's Islamist-leaning government and its chances of survival. In a decision with significant implications for Turkey's future, the constitutional court upheld an appeal from opposition parties that the law - passed by parliament last February - posed a threat to its 85-year-old secular system. The headscarf issue has become one of the most highly charged in Turkish politics, with the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) seeing it as a question of religious freedom while opponents portray it as a potential gateway to a more Islamic society. Headscarf-wearing women have complained of being expelled from classes by professors while others have worn wigs to get around the ban. Read more ...

The Interaction of Logical Reasoning Ability and Socio-Economic Status on Achievement in Genetics Among Secondary School Students in Nigeria

The study examined the interaction of logical reasoning ability (cognitive development) and socio-economic status on achievement in genetics amongst secondary school students in Nigeria. Factorial Analysis of variance design with one dependent variable and two independent variables at two levels together with the t-test was used in the analysis of the result. Two hundred and forty senior secondary three (S.S.S III) students randomly selected from six secondary schools in Ethiope East and Okpe Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria, were used as subjects for the study. These were randomly assigned to four groups of sixty students per group. Four research instruments were developed and validated for the study. The result showed that the variables of cognitive development and socio-economic status have positive significant relationship with achievement in Biology. More over, it was also found that cognitive development and socio-economic status are two separate interactive independent variables in science education.

1. Is there any significant difference between the mean score of students in Genetics from upper socio - economic background and those from lower socio - economic background?

2. Is there any significant difference between formal operational students and concrete operational students on achievement in Genetics?

3. Is there any significant difference between the mean score of formal operational level students from upper socio-economic background and those of concrete operational level students from lower socio - economic background on achievement in Genetics? Find more ...

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