The Hindu : National : A first for St. Xavier's in West Bengal

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Thursday, Jun 29, 2006

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A first for St. Xavier's in West Bengal

Special Correspondent

To be autonomous from July 1

KOLKATA : St. Xavier's College will start functioning as an autonomous college from July 1.

It is the first college in West Bengal to be granted autonomy. Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi will be formally declaring it autonomous, its Principal, Fr. P. C. Mathew, said here on Wednesday.

The authorities of the 146-year-old college were intimated of the decision by the University Grants Commission and the Calcutta University. Saturday marks the start of a new academic session, Fr. Mathew told The Hindu.

"Autonomy means freedom to grow with responsibility, the freedom to revise our syllabus and make it more relevant and to make use of the new technologies available for more effective teaching... It has tremendous potential in terms of academic improvement and introducing new teaching methodologies and we shall now have our own Controller of Examinations," he said. "Autonomy will also allow us to take risks in order to find a more meaningful and worthy life," Fr. Mathew said. The authorities had applied for autonomy nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

Post-graduate studies have already been introduced in the college, which has 45,000 students and a teaching staff of 135 members.

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