FMIPA UI Holds 2025 Counseling Services Socialization and Evaluation to Strengthen Student Welfare

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), through the Student Counseling Board (BKM), held a Socialization and Evaluation of Counseling Services in 2025 on Friday (25/7), at the Prof. Dr. G.A. Siwabessy Hall, UI Depok Campus. This activity is part of FMIPA UI's commitment to strengthening student psychological well-being and building a healthy and supportive academic environment.

This activity not only aimed to promote the role and services of the Student Counseling Agency (BKM), but also to evaluate its performance and the challenges faced in the psychological support process for students. Furthermore, this event served as a crucial opportunity to introduce the 2025 BKM counselor team, which consists of lecturers, educational staff, and students from various study programs.

In his remarks, the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (UI), Prof. Dede Djuhana, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of counseling services in supporting students' academic success. He emphasized that balancing academics and mental well-being is key to creating a holistic educational ecosystem.

"We believe that a healthy educational ecosystem is built not only on academics but also on attention to students' psychological well-being. Through BKM, we want to be more present and more sensitive to their needs," said Prof. Dede.

He added, "In this day and age, we need to be mentally and physically prepared to successfully complete our studies, as we all hope, including the parents of students. With the current disruptions, the existence of BKM, which collaborates across units, is increasingly important."

Since its launch in 2022, the Student Community Service (BKM) of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at the University of Indonesia (UI) has been at the forefront of providing psychological support services for students facing academic pressures and personal issues. This initiative was born in response to the increasing need for psychological support following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Echoing the Dean, the Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Budiawan, also highlighted the importance of emotional support within the academic ecosystem.

"In academic activities, we often focus solely on targets and achievements, without realizing the psychological burden that accompanies the process. In student affairs, we frequently encounter challenges such as increased stress due to academic pressure, anxiety before exams, time management difficulties, and feelings of isolation amidst a competitive campus environment," explained Prof. Budiawan.

He added, “If our left brain is used for analytical and logical thinking, then our right brain also needs space to balance the emotional and empathetic aspects.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Dean for Resources, Ventures, and General Administration, Prof. Dr. Tito Latif Indra, S.Si., M.Si., expressed his commitment to supporting the logistics and funding aspects of the BKM program.

"We ensure adequate support, including comfortable counseling facilities, an efficient administration system, and proportional budget allocation. Furthermore, we are also encouraging the integration of BKM services with the faculty's digital information system to facilitate student access," he said.

The Student Affairs Manager of FMIPA UI, Prof. Dr. Dewi Susiloningtyas, S.Si., M.Si., in her presentation emphasized that the existence of BKM is not just a mentoring program, but rather part of an institutional strategy to support student welfare as a whole.

"BKM is here to assist, support, and empower students in dealing with academic pressures and personal issues in a professional and structured manner. This represents the institution's commitment to students," said Prof. Dewi.

He also outlined the limitations of the BKM counselor's role, including that it is limited to minor psychological issues, has a specific duration, and does not provide medical intervention or clinical diagnosis. BKM is also not permitted to be used as an excuse to avoid academic evaluation.

"Students need to understand that BKM is not a place to seek leave recommendations or avoid evaluations. We are here to support them in continuing their studies in a healthy and balanced manner," he stressed.

The event continued with a presentation from Nina Marliyani, M.Si., a counselor at FMIPA UI, who raised the topic "Effective Strategies for Facing College Challenges", as well as an interactive question and answer session with students guided by Yazid Al Muntashir, S.Si. from the Student Affairs Staff of FMIPA UI.

One of the crucial sessions was the presentation by counselor lecturers across study programs, namely Dra. Siti Aminah, M.Kom (Mathematics); Dr. Akbar Azzi, M.Sc. (Physics); Dr. Sri Handayani, M.Biomed. (Chemistry); Dr. Mazytha Kinanti Rachmania, M.Sc. (Biology); Pranda Mulya Putra Garniwa, Ph.D. (Geography); and Ayunda Aulia Valenci, M.T. (Geosanis). They shared their experiences in assisting students and the dynamics they face as counselor lecturers.

The event concluded with an internal evaluation discussion with the 2025 BKM Counselor Team, discussing program effectiveness, service promotion, and follow-up on student input.

The event was also attended by Department Heads, Study Program Heads, and other Unit Heads. Their presence demonstrated institutional support for responsive and sustainable counseling services.