Page 273 - Universitas Terbuka Center of Excellence In Asia 2010 and The World 2020 (A Journey Towards a Leading Open and Distance Education Institution 1984-2008)

Up to 2006, concept of UPBJJ and policies were of various forms due to
unique local conditions in each UPBJJ. In 2001, UT proposed to change its

Structure of Organization in order to meet the needs of distance education

operational system. Through a long and serious process , the Minister of
Education and Culture Decree No. 123/0/2004 on UT's Organization and Work
System was issued on 6 October 2004. Chapter XII in the decree states that

UPBJJ is technical implementation unit in distance education program

administration under the auspices of UT Rector.

Role and Expansion of UPBJJ

Establishment of UPBJJ

At the beginning, UT had 32 UPBJJ scattered all over the country. At that

time , there were 27 provinces in Indonesia. So, there were provinces with two or
three UPBJJs. West Java had two UPBJJs : in Bandung and Bogor. East Java had

three UPBJJs : in Surabaya , Malang and Jember. Consideration for the
establishment of UPBJJs at capitals of province was existence of a university

and potential number of students. Timor Timur, which was then still part of the
Republic of Indonesia, was an exception . Following the separation of Timor Timur

from the Republic of Indonesia in 1998, UPBJJ Dili was automatically closed
down. So, the number of UPBJJs reduced to 31. The picture below shows the

first inauguration of Heads of UPBJJ.

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