History of Biology Program
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), originally called the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences (FIPIA), was established on Wednesday, September 7, 1955 (20 Muharram 1375) along with the Faculty of Medicine in Bukittinggi. Its establishment was based on the Decree of the Minister of Education, Teaching, and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 41007/Kab. dated July 14, 1955. Then, Andalas University (UNAND) was officially established on Thursday, September 13, 1956 (8 Safar 1376) in Bukittinggi. At the time of UNAND's inauguration, FIPIA did not have a Biology Department and only had two departments: Exact Sciences and Geology.
The regional upheaval popularly known as PRRI-PERMESTA had stopped almost all activities at UNAND, and even FIPIA had to be closed. In 1959, UNAND's activities were gradually reactivated, but not in Bukittinggi but in Padang, which consisted of the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Medicine, PTPG/FKIP, Faculty of Law and Society, and Faculty of Economics. Until 1961, FIPIA was unable to start its activities due to the absence of lecturers and students. To reactivate or rehabilitate FIPIA, another effort was made, namely by opening the Biology Department as one of the components that was possible at that time.
The establishment of the Biology Department in 1962 was based solely on the sincerity of one of the lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine at Andalas University, Drs. Wildan Yatim Lubis, who dared to coordinate it. He was an alumnus of the Biology Department at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). In 1964, he was transferred to the Faculty of Medicine, Padjajaran University, Bandung.
The birth of the Biology Department was in the context of rehabilitating FIPIA in a very distressing condition. It was born without any permanent lecturers, without administrative offices, lecture halls or laboratories. Between 1962-1963, administrative office activities were carried out in one of the Secretariat rooms of UNAND at the intersection of Pondok Street. In the 1970s, the Biology Department, together with the Pharmacy and Chemistry Departments, began to establish itself as a relatively prestigious institution of higher education, along with the addition of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and other educational facilities located on the Air Tawar campus. In 1981, the Biology Department moved to the Ulu Gadut campus. In 1982, the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences (FIPIA) changed its name to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, abbreviated FMIPA.
The Biology Department at Andalas University has been gradually increasing the number of academic staff members who are alumni with achievements. In line with this, teaching staff have been sent to continue their S2 and/or S3 studies both domestically and abroad. Collaborations with both domestic (PEMDA) and international parties have been able to expand and improve the human resources of the Biology Department. In 1974, a research collaboration on primates and mammalogy was established with Japanese researchers, and in 1981, a research collaboration on the Sumatran Rainforest was continued between the research group from Andalas University (mostly from the Biology Department) and Japanese researchers under the Sumatra Nature Study (SNS) organization, which was later renamed the Sumatra Nature Study Center (SNSC). These activities have had a profound impact on the teaching staff's understanding of field research techniques, particularly in the taxonomy and ecology of tropical plants and animals.
These programs were continued with the next collaboration project, called the Field Biology Research and Training (FBRT). Both of these programs made a significant contribution to the development of human resources, resulting in the production of several doctoral graduates and the addition of laboratory equipment. At present, there is still good cooperation between the Biology Department and the Japanese parties. In 1991, the Biology Department, which was located in Ulu Gadut, finally moved to the NEW Limau Manis Campus.
In 1996, the S2 study program was opened with a focus on ecology. In 1998, the Biology Department received Accreditation A, which was a remarkable achievement for the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Andalas University. In 1998, the Biology Department also received a grant from Due-like to improve the quality of the curriculum, teaching staff, teaching and learning processes, and academic atmosphere. In line with the development of the new curriculum, in 2002, the Biology Department implemented a Competency-Based Curriculum.
In 2003, thanks to the hard work of the Biology Department's academic community, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Andalas University won the TPSDP Batch III grant to develop study programs in accordance with the new paradigm and Long-Term Higher Education Development Framework. Furthermore, in this year, as a continuation of the 2002 program, the Biology Department, along with other departments under Andalas University, received a grant for Sumatran Plant Conservation from the President of the Republic of Indonesia. The aim of the program was to establish the Andalas University Botanical Garden and the Tropical Plant Study and Utilization Center, as a development of the Biology Education and Research Forest (HPPB) and the Arboretum. In 2004, the Rector established the organizational structure of the Andalas University Botanical Garden, consisting of the HPPB unit, the Arboretum, and the Medicinal Plant Garden. The units directly related to the Biology Department are the HPPB and Arboretum units. In this year, several Japanese researchers who had previously been involved in the SNS and FBRT collaboration programs initiated a new collaboration between Andalas University and Kagoshima University & Kyoto University in Japan. The form of cooperation contained in the Memorandum of Understanding includes student and researcher exchanges and research collaborations.
Furthermore, in accordance with the wishes of the Academic Community of the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Andalas University to be recognized as a high-quality institution, based on the Decree of the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT) No: 4301/SK/BAN-PT/Akred-XI/S/XI/2017, the Department of Biology at FMIPA UNAND has been able to maintain its accredited A status and achievements. Andalas University has also been awarded an A accreditation status based on the Decree of the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT) No: 039/SK/BAN-PT/Akred/PT/I/2014.
Lintasan Sejarah Biologi
Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam (FMIPA) yang pada mulanya disebut Fakultas Ilmu Pasti dan Ilmu Alam (FIPIA), berdiri pada hari Rabu tanggal 7 September 1955 (20 Muharam 1375) bersamaan dengan Fakultas Kedokteran di Bukittinggi. Pendiriannnya didasarkan atas Surat Keputusan Menteri Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia No. 41007/Kab. tertanggal 14 Juli 1955. Kemudian Universitas Andalas (UNAND) diresmikan berdiri pada hari Kamis tanggal 13 September 1956 (8 Sjafar 1376) di Bukittinggi. Pada waktu peresmian UNAND, FIPIA belum memiliki Jurusan Biologi dan baru memiliki dua jurusan yaitu Ilmu Pasti dan Geologi.
Pergolakan daerah yang populer dengan nama PRRI-PERMESTA telah menghentikan hampir semua aktivitas di UNAND, bahkan FIPIA terpaksa ditutup. Pada tahun 1959 kegiatan UNAND secara bertahap diaktifkan kembali tetapi bukan di Bukittinggi melainkan di Padang yang terdiri dari Fakultas Pertanian, Fakultas Kedokteran, PTPG/FKIP. Fakultas Hukum dan Pengetahuan Masyarakat, serta Fakultas Ekonomi. FIPIA sampai tahun 1961 belum dapat memulai kegiatannya sebab ketiadaan dosen dan mahasiswa. Untuk mengaktifkan kembali atau merehabilitasi FIPIA terpaksa dicarikan usaha lain yaitu dengan membuka Jurusan Biologi sebagai salah satu komponen yang memungkinkan pada waktu itu.
Berdirinya Jurusan Biologi pada tahun 1962 hanya bermodalkan keikhlasan hati salah seorang dosen Fakultas Kedokteran UNAND yaitu Drs. Wildan Yatim Lubis yang memberanikan diri tampil untuk mengkoordinirnya. Beliau adalah seorang alumnus Bagian Biologi, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). Pada tahun 1964 beliau pindah tugas ke Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Pajajaran Bandung.
Lahirnya Jurusan Biologi dalam rangka merehabilitasi FIPIA dalam kondisi yang sangat memprihatinkan. Kelahirannya tanpa seorangpun dosen tetap, tanpa gedung perkantoran dan perkuliahan maupun laboratorium. Selang tahun 1962-1963 kegiatan administrasi perkantoran dilakukan pada salah satu ruangan Sekretariat UNAND di perempatan Jalan Pondok. Pada tahun 1970-an barulah Jurusan Biologi menampakan diri bersama Jurusan Farmasi dan Kimia sebagi lembaga pendidikan tinggi yang relatif bergengsi seiring dengan penambahan ruang kuliah, laboratorium, perpustakaan dan fasilitas pendidikan lainnya yang bertempat di Kampus Air Tawar. Pada tahun 1981 Jurusan Biologi pindah ke Kampus Ulu Gadut. Pada tahun 1982 Fakultas Ilmu Pasti Ilmu Alam (FIPIA) berganti nama menjadi Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam yang disingkat dengan FMIPA.
Jurusan Biologi secara perlahan menambah jumlah staf akademik dari alumninya yang berprestasi. Sejalan dengan ini juga dilakukan pengiriman staf pengajar untuk melanjutkan studi S2 dan atau S3 di dalam dan luar Negeri. Kerjasama dengan pihak dalam negeri (PEMDA) dan luar negeri mampu memperluas dan meningkatkan sumber daya staf Jurusan Biologi. Pada tahun 1974 telah dijalin kerjasama penelitian tentang tentang Primat dan Mamalogi dengan peneliti Jepang. Selanjutnya pada tahun 1981 dilanjutkan kerjasama penelitian tentang Hutan Hujan Tropik Sumatera antara kelompok peneliti Universtas Andalas (sebahagian besar dari Jurusan Biologi) dengan peneliti dari pihak Jepang di bawah payung organisasi Sumatra Nature Study (SNS) atau Pusat Kajian Alam Sumatera yang selanjutnya dirubah namanya menjadi Sumatra Nature Study Center (SNSC). Kegiatan ini memberikan kesan yang mendalam bagi staf pengajar tentang teknik penilitian lapangan (Field Biology) tumbuhan dan hewan tropika khususnya taksonomi dan ekologi. Kemudian program ini dilanjutkan dengan proyek kerjasama berikutnya dengan nama Field Biology Research and Training (FBRT). Dari kedua program ini memberikan kontribusi yang berarti dalam pengembangan sumber daya manusia, yaitu menghasilkan beberapa doktor dan penambahan peralatan laboratorium. Pada saat ini masih terjalin kerjasama yang baik antara jurusan biologi dengan pihak Jepang. Pada tahun 1991 Jurusan Biologi yang berlokasi di Ulu Gadut akhirnya pindah ke Kampus BARU Limau Manis.
Pada tahun 1996, Program Studi S2 dibuka dengan pemusatan Ekologi. Pada tahun 1998 Jurusan Biologi mendapatkan Akreditasi A yang merupakan prestasi tersendiri bagi Jurusan Biologi FMIPA Unand. Pada tahun 1998 ini juga Jurusan Biologi mendapat grant Due-like untuk memperbaiki mutu kurikulum, staf pengajar, proses belajar mengajar dan suasana akademik. Sejalan dengan berkembangnya kurikulum baru. Pada tahun 2002, Jurusan Biologi menerapkan Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi.
Pada tahun 2003 berkat kerja keras sivitas akademika Jurusan Biologi, FMIPA Unand berhasil memenangkan grant TPSDP Batch III untuk pengembangan program studi sesuai dengan paradigma baru dan Kerangka Pengembangan Perguruan Tinggi Jangka Panjang. Selanjutnya pada tahun ini, sebagai lanjutan program 2002, Jurusan Biologi bersama dengan jurusan lainnya di bawah Universitas Andalas mendapat HIBAH Konservasi Tumbuhan Sumatera dari Presiden RI. Tujuan dari program tersebut adalah membentuk Kebun Raya Universitas Andalas dan Pusat Pengkajian dan Pemanfaatan Tumbuhan Tropika, sebagai pengembangan dari Hutan Pendidikan dan Penelitian Biologi (HPPB) dan Arboretum. Pada tahun 2004, Rektor telah membentuk struktur organisasi Kebun Raya Universitas Andalas yang terdiri dari unit HPPB, Arboretum dan Kebun Tanaman Obat. Unit yang terkait langsung dengan Jurusan Biologi adalah unit HPPB dan Arboretum. Pada tahun ini, beberapa peneliti Jepang yang pernah terlibat pada program kerjasama SNS dan FBRT memprakarsai kerjasama baru antara Universitas Andalas dengan Kagoshima University & Kyoto University Jepang. Bentuk kerjasama yang tertuang dalam “Memorandum of Understanding” antara lain: pertukaran mahasiswa, pertukaran peneliti dan kerjasama riset.
Selanjutnya sesuai dengan keinginan Civitas Akademika Jurusan Biologi FMIPA Universitas Andalas untuk tetap dipandang sebagai institusi yang berkualitas, maka berdasarkan Surat Keputusan Badan Akreditasi Nasional Perguruan Tinggi (BAN-PT) No:4301/SK/BAN-PT/Akred-XI/S/XI/2017 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNAND mampu kembali mempertahankan status & prestasinya terakreditasi A. Universitas Andalas juga mendapatkan predikat terakreditasi A berdasarkan Surat Keputusan Badan Akreditasi Nasional Perguruan Tinggi (BAN-PT) No:039/SK/BAN-PT/Akred/PT/I/2014.
