Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Head of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver published a message regarding the IKU agenda which has changed with the New Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
My Dear Kültür Family
In this first message of the new year, as the Head of the Board of Trustees and as a member of the Founding Family, the most important agenda of mine is to know how to increase the happiness and well-being of my colleagues at work.
We are following the promising developments regarding the second wave. The first vaccination process of the COVID 19 was realized in our country last week. As Istanbul Kültür University, we allocated the necessary resources for vaccination in December in order to establish the highest level of health and safety in our work environment. At this stage, we continue to investigate and follow up the applicability of the process.
I would like to take this occasion to state that I follow the studies conducted at our university with interest and appreciation for our psychological health and endurance. I would like to thank both our Department of Health, Culture and Sports that is under the management of Dr. Dilek Baykal, and our Guidance and Psychological Counseling Application and Research Center, which provides intensive service at our university, especially during the pandemic period, with the great effort of the Clinical Psychologist Alev Yıldırım.
The 2020-2021 academic year will be a year in which we will protect and develop our organizational psychology. In this context, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Önder Kavakcı, Head of the Psychology Department of our university, and esteemed academicians of our department are preparing an important study regarding the organizational climate and psychology of Kültür. Our main goal in this evaluation study, which will be held only for our staff in the university, and which we will share the details in the upcoming days; is to measure the intensity of possible burnout, anxiety, stress we experienced during the pandemic period and even its effect on our lives. In other words, to be able to define the problem in different dimensions. According to the results of this study, which will be shaped by the knowledge of our Head of Department, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Önder Kavakcı, and of our psychology department and by the experience in the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, we will be able to develop solutions that are relevant for the needs of the Kültür Family. Name and other personal information of any member participating in the evaluation will not be requested. I can assure you on this. It is important that we can express ourselves clearly in the study that will be prepared within the framework of the ethical standards of psychological science. I would like to convey my thanks and wishes to our Head of Department Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Önder Kavakcı and our Psychology department. I would like to state once again that this study, which will be carried out for the first time to reveal the big picture regarding our organizational psychology, is very valuable for Kültür climate; I especially ask you to support the study with your participation and opinions.
My Dear Kültür Family,
Our Rectorate Office shares with you weekly the calendar of the remote working process that we have put into use as of December 1, 2020. At this point, we will continue our business processes with the remote working system until February 1, 2021. However, according to our academic calendar, we are about to complete the fall semester of our university. Finals, perhaps the most sensitive period of the academic year for our students, academic staff and families, started last week. We have experience in digital measurement and evaluation in the first phase of the pandemic. With the CATS V3, which we put into use in the 2020-2021 academic year, improvements were made to increase the performance of exam applications. Of course, every exam has a mental, emotional and intellectual weight. The reflections left by students and academics are also different. Measurement and evaluation, which is inherently difficult, have become even sharper during the pandemic period. When I interpret the events from both our students and academics’ point of views, I am aware that the process is not easy at all. However, this is a different period. The recovery of learning is always possible. I trust our academicians in managing this final period with an approach that will strengthen and reinforce the communication between student and academician and set an example for other universities.
My Dear Kültür Family,
2021, in spite of everything, has brought good developments that make us smile and worth sharing. We met in the first week of the year for the 95th anniversary of our Honorary President Master of Civil Engineering Fahamettin Akıngüç. The messages of our Honorary President on living in this meeting that we held digitally due to the circumstances were hopeful for us. Our Honorary President shared with us that living is so beautiful that it cannot be left to chance, it will not be given up, and it is meaningful enough to be worth all struggles and stubbornness, and then conveyed his love and salutations to our university members.
Hoping to meet again on our campuses as Kültür Family as soon as possible,
Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver
İKÜ Head of the Board of Trustees
