Newly admitted students of Petra Christian University through its recent Achievement and Cooperation Procedures will soon be able to enjoy a new program called YES, set up by the university to help students develop their own potential as well as improve themselves. Ronny H. Mustamu, the program’s head of the comittee, said YES, short for “Young, Excellent, and Smart, is the university’s new student guidance through the Internet. The program has three meanings, “‘Yes, I am,’ ‘Yes, I want,’ ‘Yes, I can’. Through the program, students are expected to be able to develop creativity, responsibility and leadership.
The program Is innovative, especially in encouraging new students to be aware of the importance of Information Technology and the Internet in the education world nowdays. This kind of programs is new and has never been conducted by other universities or education institutions in Surabaya. Though the academic year of 2000/ 2001 has yet to be started, new students could use the program to borrow books at the library by accessing Petra’s homepage or e-mail system. Once they have joined the program, the new students could also write-up their own portfolio, a personal homepage or create their own interest or discussion groups.