JobberClub » UGC

16 new colleges qualify for Gujarat University affiliation

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:22:04 +0000

Only 16 of the 92 new institutes seeking affiliation with Gujarat University qualify to launch their courses as per the new rules issued by University Grant Commission (UGC). The report of the same has been submitted by scrutiny committee appointed by need committee of Gujarat University on Tuesday.

These 92 applications were for new self-financed institutes offering bachelor of business administration (BBA), bachelor of computer application (BCA) and bachelor of commerce (BCom).

According to UGC’s new rules, the institute should have at least five acres of land. If an institute does not qualify on this basic criteria, it will not be considered.

“Based on the report of scrutiny committee, the need committee will be further sending the Local Inquiry Committee (LIC) that will further look into the institutes for infrastructure, faculty, building and other details according to UGC and university requirements. The LIC will visit these campuses soon and submit report in the syndicate meeting,” said vice-chancellor of Gujarat University, Parimal Trivedi.

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Universities in Gujarat to switch to credit system by next year!

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:11:30 +0000

Gujarat is fifth state to apply this system after Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Prades in India. On lines of universities abroad, state government announced on Thursday that universities in Gujarat will implement the choice-based credit system (CBCS) from next academic year.

This means an undergraduate student of economics can also take physics or chemistry as an “elective subject” or a student of music could also do mathematics to upgrade the overall performance and credit. This globally accepted system is already implemented in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Following a directive from the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) to effect it at the earliest, the state government announced in the Assembly on Thursday that the state’s universities will switch from the current percentage based system to CBCS. By next academic year (2011-12), CBCS will be implemented gradually in universities, to be completed in three years.

State education minister Ramanlal Vora told the Assembly: “It will facilitate graduate and post-graduate students to use their talent. It will also help them rank themselves while seeking admission abroad and in other states.” The government has begun preparing textbooks for elective subjects.

Saurashtra University, Rajkot, and Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, and a few technical institutes have partially implemented CBCS. While science colleges will do it first, arts and commerce colleges may take some more time.

With the introduction of CBCS, there will be three types of subjects, with credit system as the base. There will be a core course, which each student must take, and a foundation course, which can be English for arts students. Then, there will be elective courses, which a student can take in order to improve the overall credit performance.

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India opens doors to foreign universities

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:07:54 +0000

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved a legislation to allow foreign educational institutes to set up campuses in India and offer degrees.

The Centre on Monday approved a legislation to allow foreign education providers set up campuses in India and offer degrees. The ‘Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry & Operation) Bill, 2010’, was cleared by the Union Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This paves way for its introduction in Parliament.

“This is a milestone which will enhance choices, increase competition and benchmark quality,” HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said after the approval of the Bill by the Cabinet. The Bill seeks to regulate the entry and operation of foreign institutions, which will set up centre and offer degrees in India.

This Bill was hanging fire for over the past four years owing to opposition from various quarters, including the Left parties, over certain provisions. Last year, it was referred to a Committee of Secretaries which brought modifications to certain provisions earlier existed.

The Bill was approved by the Cabinet without any changes. The proposed law prescribes eight-month time bound format for granting approval to foreign educational institutions to set up campuses. They will have to go through different levels of registration process during this period and will have to register with UGC or any other regulatory body.

The regulatory body in higher education, either UGC or any other body that would replace UGC, will scrutinise the proposals of aspiring institution as per India’s priorities and advice government whether to allow the institute operate in the country. Sibal has already said that quota laws will not be applicable to foreign universities eyeing campuses in India.

Though 100 per cent foreign direct investment through automatic route is permitted in the education sector since 2000, the present legal structure in India does not allow granting of degrees by foreign educational institutions here. The proposed law would facilitate globally-renowned institutes to participate in India’s higher education sector.

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GU to introduce semester system in PG courses!

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:15:59 +0000

Gujarat University (GU) is mulling over introducing semester system in post-graduation courses from the next academic year. The university has called for a meeting of heads of all departments on Sunday.

A meeting of joint board of vice-chancellors and education department was held in Rajkot three months ago, in which UGC’s instruction to start semester system in colleges was discussed. It was decided that the semester system should be introduced in PG courses on a trial basis first.

The meeting will also have a presentation on various aspects of semester system in PG courses from heads of various departments.

“Once semester system is successfully implemented at PG level, it can be easily introduced to graduation level courses,” said a GU official.

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What is in College teacher’s self appraisal form?

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:55:09 +0000

Who has prepared Self Appraisal Form

The appraisal form has been prepared by a committee consisting of former vice-chancellors, college principals and education department officials. The panel sought to know from lecturers their education qualification, background etc. to verify these with the credentials furnished at the time of joining the job, and hence put these in the appraisal forms. Among the other heads, the form also seeks info on teaching methods — lectures, interaction, group discussions — and teaching aids that college lecturers practice.

Permanent record

Higher education sources said filling up appraisal forms were left to the discretion of lecturers for this year. Currently, the idea is allow teachers to acquaint themselves with the ‘self-inspection’ and familiarise themselves with the questions. After it is made compulsory in 2010, the feedback and data will be computerised to serve as a permanent record for use to determine increments and other benefits along with enforcing accountability among the staff.

Lecturers are instructed to hand in the filled up forms to principals after the HoD puts his remarks and grades. Performance will categorised under the heads A, B, C, D where A stands for Very Good, B for Good, C for Average and D for Below Average. Principals will assess the performance reflected in the appraisal and discuss the issues with the lecturer concerned.

Next, students’ appraisals?

There are about 850 grant-in-aid colleges in the state employing some 10,000 teachers, including lecturers, professors and principals. Sources said UGC has also recommended that students’ appraisals be taken to know how college lecturers teach.

Performance check
1. Leave record
2. Refresher courses undergone
3. Research activities undertaken
Teaching Methods
1. Whether restricted to just lectures
2. Any interactive sessions with students
3. Group discussions with students
4. Projects
5. Q&A sessions
Teaching aids
1. Explaining through maps, graphs
2. Multimedia tools used
3. Computer Aided Learning

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College teacher’s need to fill appraisal form in Gujarat!

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:21:15 +0000

The Gujarat education department has initiated a move to appraise the performance of college lecturers with the aim of increasing quality of education and accountability among teachers. The department has sent out appraisal forms to all grant-in-aid colleges in the state and put it up on its website for lecturers to access, fill up and return to college principals. The measure was recommended by University Grants Commission long ago, but is being put into practice in Gujarat only now.

Appraisals are voluntary for lecturers for now but will be made mandatory next academic year onwards. Sources said the education department felt the need to introduce the norm to access teachers’ performance for the purpose of pay hike, promotions and fix responsibility for laxity in duty. Hitherto, there was no record of what the lecturers taught, how long they attended duty and even whether they did duty or skipped it without sanction.

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