When do students go to Savar for the Residential Semester?
Students are eligible to attend the RS in their second semester, after completing their first semester at Mohakhali to a satisfactory standard. This requires students to have
- attained a minimum CGPA of 1.5 and
- Passed the English 091 course.
Is the Residential Semester compulsory?
Yes, completing the RS is compulsory for all BRACU students, as it is a requirement for every degree. Students who fail to attend this program will not be able to graduate from BRACU.
Where is the Savar Campus located?
Away from urban congestion, BRACU’s Savar Campus is located in the rural village of Khagan on the Ashulia-Birulia road in Savar. It is about an hour’s drive from Dhaka. Students must use BRACU’s transport on the first day to join Savar Campus.
How many academic courses must students take during the Residential Semester?
Compulsory courses include Bangla, English, Bangladesh Studies, and Ethics & Culture. In addition, there are compulsory study tours and field visits to rural areas that give hands-on understanding of rural life, the development process and the rural culture of Bangladesh.
Students need to buy course materials from Ayesha Abed Library at Savar Campus (course materials will be available days before the course starts).
What percentage of attendance is needed in order to pass?
A student will need to attend 90 percent of classes in order to be allowed to take the final examinations.
What are the Experiential Learning Activities (ELA) and their purposes?
The RS curriculum gives Experiential Learning Activities that develop students’ social skills and academic coursework equal importance.
These activities include on and off-campus initiatives such as social learning labs, study tours, institution and organization visits, co-curricular activities and village immersion programs. Participation in all co-curricular activities is mandatory for all students.
Why are activities outside of the campus important?
Activities outside of the campus are important for students, to help them acquire firsthand knowledge of their subject matter, outside the classroom e.g. students will take a day trip to a neighbouring village.
How is participation in activities rewarded?
Students who perform exceptionally are awarded with the Vice Chancellor’s certificates.
Certificates and prizes are also awarded to students who complete a Residential Semester activity e.g. dance, or yoga. Students who miss two or more activity classes will not receive the certificate.
What are the dormitory opening and closing times?
The dormitory gate will open at 6:30am in the morning and close at 10:00pm sharp. Students are responsible for reaching their respective dormitory in time.
How frequently can students leave Savar Campus to visit home?
The RS semester is designed to be entirely residential, so students are discouraged from leaving campus. Students will be allowed a short leave in emergencies, and possibly in exceptional circumstances, provided they submit a leave application that must be approved by the concerned authority.
Any overstay of leave without a valid reason will be considered a breach of discipline and the offending student will not be granted further leave for the rest of the semester.
When and how frequently can students receive outside guests?
Only nominated visitors, preferably parents, are allowed to visit the students on Parents’ Day:
May 11 & 12, 2018, Friday and Saturdays from 3:00pm-5:00 pm. They may also visit the campus from 3.30pm-5.00pm on the following Fridays thereafter: June 01, July 06 and July 27, 2018
What personal items should students bring with them?
Students should bring formal and casual wear, some sportswear, two sets of medium or small locks (for their room door), five passport-sized photos and a photocopy of their health card. They should also bring personal toiletries, stationary for class, and any required medicines. Two or three seated rooms with beds, bedcovers, pillows, pillow covers and mosquito nets are provided. Students are discouraged from bringing expensive cell phones, cameras or ornaments.
Strictly prohibited items include desktop PCs, sound systems, electric heaters, irons, playing cards and illegal drugs. Management cannot be held responsible for the loss of personal belongings or valuable items. Students are requested to bring light luggage so that it can be carried to the dorms easily. Students are also requested to submit the payment/deposit slip and grade sheet to their respective dorm tutors during dorm registration.
Student conduct
Students should also keep from plagiarism, eve teasing, bullying, sexual harassment, unfair means in the examination, misbehaving with the teachers & staffs, destroying the assets of the campus, any kind of theft/stealing, any kind of fighting, any kind of political activism, violation of rules, using a fake visitor’s profile, socially unaccepted relationships with other students, entrance in the opposite gender’s dorms, leaving the campus without permission, racism, use of slang, gambling, viewing adult movies, smoking in the non-smoking area, writing on walls or bringing any kind of arms onto the campus. Strict action will be taken on any student transgressing these rules.
Strictly Prohibited
Bringing, taking or sharing of drugs on Savar Campus is strictly prohibited. Any student caught doing any of these things will face BRACU’s Disciplinary Committee, and may be expelled from the university. Suspected drug abusers may also be asked at any time to take a urine/blood test, and, if tested positive, will face the same rigorous disciplinary procedure. Only prescription drugs recommended by a qualified physician are exempt.
What is the protocol for students facing problems with fellow students or the dorm?
Students should report any problems to the house tutors, faculty members or counsellors. If the matter remains unresolved, the problem can be reported to the Assistant Campus Superintendent (ACS) and, in extreme cases, to the Campus Superintendent (CS).
What facilities are available on Savar Campus?
The academic facilities on the Residential Campus include well-equipped classrooms, spacious conference rooms, a rich library with reading areas, and modern computer labs with internet connection. There are comfortable dormitories for students and faculty members, four large dining halls, an auditorium for presentations and meetings, and grounds for outdoor games. Savar Campus also offers medical services, psychosocial support, and sports facilities.
Medical services
The campus has a resident doctor and staff nurse. The university has also made institutional arrangements with Savar’s Enam Medical College and Hospital for medical emergencies. However, students have to bear their own medical costs. Parents are encouraged to share any concerns for their child’s healthcare, which is not included on their health cards, such as drug use. In addition, students are required to mention any proposed doctor’s appointments, along with the doctor’s name (where possible), in the health card, otherwise s/he will not be permitted any leave during the semester in this regard.
Psychosocial supports
Working with a counselor may help students to see their problems with greater clarity, acquire insights into its origins, and think about how to move forward constructively. Counseling can also help students in making decisions that are right for them. Therefore to help students in this regard Savar Campus has one male and one female full-time psychosocial counsellor to support students undergoing any kind of personal or social difficulties.
Sports facilities
Savar campus has the necessary infrastructure for students who wish to play football, cricket, table tennis, carom, handball, volleyball, or badminton. However, students will have to bring their own sports equipment, such as balls, bats, racquets etc.