In its second year as a new study program at UPN East Java, the D4 English Department for Business and Professional Communication (BISPRO) has attracted 200+ enthusiasts. From the results of graphic data obtained as of April 1, 2024, the interest of prospective new students in the BISPRO department reached 258 people. With this high number of enthusiasts, the strictness of the Bispro department is the highest of other study programs, this is also because the Bispro department only accepts 16 people for new student admissions through the SNBT route. With the number of enthusiasts reaching 258 people while Bispro only has a quota of 16 people, making Bispro has a ratio scale of 1:16.
Not only the SNBT route, Bispro has also fulfilled the quota of new student admissions through the SNBP route as many as 13 people. Compared to the previous year which only received the Mandiri route, now Bispro has been opened for all lines, namely SNBP, SNBT, and Mandiri.
The increasing interest in the Bispro study program made the Head of the Bispro study program, Mrs. Laksmi, feel proud but also worried. He expressed his concern because the study program was considered very new and worried about problems. Mrs. Laksmi also said that she would try to add facilities as well as add human resources to prepare new students in 2024, "So the preparation to receive them later in the new academic year, of course, we will involve students who have already entered, as well as we are still trying to add facilities, also add human resources. Likewise with the increase in human resources, so hopefully later this year maybe there will be lecturers who will continue S3, or maybe later participate in other prestigious activities that also increase their knowledge and can be shared with students, more or less like that." Said Mrs. Laksmi as the Head of the Bispro study program.
The increase in interest in the Bispro department is due to promotions carried out by lecturers and students over the past year. The lecturers started the promotion period before SNBP, the promotion was also carried out with a team from the University. Then after SNBP was completed, Mrs. Laksmi with another lecturer, Mrs. Tyas, had the opportunity to promote in other regions. Mrs. Tyas went to several schools in the Trenggalek area, while Mrs. Laksmi had the opportunity to visit schools in the West Bali area.
Mrs. Laksmi also revealed another reason why the Bispro study program is quite popular this year, "in my opinion, because one, the field of English itself has become one of the most popular study programs or majors. Then the second, because our study program not only teaches English but there are also elements there about elements of communication, about business, the name is BISPRO so English for business and professional communication, now that might be one of the attractions of public interest to send their children to Bispro, more or less like that." She said.
Bispro as the only D4 study program at UPN East Java, expects excellent graduates who are ready to enter the world of work. Bispro students are prepared in terms of their human resources, both from knowledge, attitudes, and also other skills outside of the academic field. The Bispro study program also continues to strive to cooperate with external parties, with partners, both government institutions and private institutions. Government and private institutions will be used as internships for Bispro students, then students are expected to be proud and can become permanent workers at the institution.
Therefore, Mrs. Laksmi hopes that the quota of 40 new Bispro students in 2024 can be fulfilled optimally. Mrs. Laksmi also hopes that with high interest in enthusiasts, the quota of new students for the Bispro study program can be increased to more than 40 people, "I don't know later if with such high interest because we are the highest, whether it can be opened for 2 classes in the next year 2025, let see. This year is still 40, hopefully with the interest earlier maybe it can be added again." She said on April 2, 2024