Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Move to introduce choice-based credit system

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, DEC.19 . Bharathidasan University would convene a workshop in January to discuss the move to introduce choice-based credit system in its affiliate colleges from the next academic year, the Vice-Chancellor, C. Thangamuthu, said here today.

Faculty representatives from all departments in the affiliate colleges would be invited to participate in the workshop and put forward their views on the system, Dr. Thangamuthu said responding to pleas from a cross section of Senate members of the university to defer the move until the stake-holders were made fully aware of the pros and cons of the system.

Speaking on the issue at the Senate meeting here today, some of the Senate members felt that there was a lack of clarity among students and faculty members about the system.

The university should not rush through the proposal as the concept was not understood fully.

Some others pointed out that some of the autonomous institutions, which had adopted the system, had faced several practical difficulties.

Rural students might be left at a disadvantage. Besides, government colleges would find it difficult due to lack of adequate infrastructure and a large number of vacancies in faculty positions.

However, Dr.Thangamuthu said the choice-based credit system was adopted in many international universities and colleges.

In the context of globalisation, students would be able to sell themselves better if they spoke the `academic language' that would be understood internationally.

The system would not bring in any change in the core component of degree programmes. Students could take any number of credits from a group of electives.

It was intended to enable students migrate to different disciplines instead of caught in the existing rigid system.

Besides, the system would not entail any additional workload for teachers. Teachers would neither be rendered surplus nor additional postings would be required.

However, the university would invite inputs of teachers on the issue through the workshop and prepare a manual on the system for bringing in better understanding.

All necessary steps would be taken to ensure a smooth transition.

The Syndicate member, K.V.Krishnamoorthy, who came up with a formal reply to the members' concerns, said the university had no choice as the University Grants Commission has asked the universities to introduce the system under its 2003 revised regulations fixing minimum standards of instruction.

The system would promote an inter-disciplinary approach and eliminate compartmentalisation of knowledge.

The university has arranged for transfer of credits among various universities in Tamil Nadu and the UGC had asked the universities to explore the possibility of exchange of credits among institutions in the SAARC countries.

Earlier, in his introductory remarks, the Vice-Chancellor said the university has adopted an inter-disciplinary approach by grouping different departments into schools of excellence. Fourteen such schools have been formed.

The School of Environmental Sciences, School of Marine Sciences and School of International Languages would be started soon.

Responding to a resolution moved by a member, the Syndicate member, K. Meena, said the university was working on organising campus interviews at the university level.

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