Panjab University forms panel to start online courses

Panjab University (PU) on Monday decided to start online courses and for this a committee has been formed under Prof AK Bhandari, while chairperson, University School of Open Learning (USOL), and members from various faculties will also be included. The decision was taken in a meeting of chairpersons under vice-chancellor Prof AK Grover. 

Online courses to generate revenue 

PU had earlier told UGC it had to accelerate participation in UGC/MHRD’s Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) programme. The PU had added that they were not being able to generate impressive amounts through distance education and open learning platform due to ‘segregation’ of USOL, which primarily overseas this activity and which has limited, fixed amount of personnel, who could not cater to diversified and innovative courses. 

How it will be done 

“To oversee this, one method adopted by some of the universities is not to have segregated distance learning department having fixed teachers working for distance education. It is proposed and is very much desirable that the entire faculty of the university, by rotation, contributes to the distance and open learning programme.”

“Every teacher, by rotation, could be required to work and generate resource material for distance and open learning programmes for one or two semesters, taking off from his/her teaching duties in the patent department, which would be shared by faculty of USOL and/or department of evening studies or by the guest faculty. In other words, faculty for regular and distance learning mode will not be compartmentalised,” says PU proposal submitted before UGC.

Reservation in PhD 

The chairpersons meeting cleared reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Castes and people with disabilities in PhD seats. Earlier, no reservation was being given. 

A presentation on online hostel admissions for 2017-18 was given before chairpersons. “It will bring transparency. We already have a portal. Three wardens are working on it,” said Emanual Nahar, dean students welfare, PU. 

It was also decided that the students who were provided 10% concession in lectures in the last semester for having participated in cultural and extra-curricular activities in Panjab University (PU) will not be extended favour this time. Also, the cases of shortage of attendance will be submitted in one lot. 

A number of students were given 10% concession in lectures in the last semester to tide over attendance shortage. As per UGC, 75% attendance is mandatory to take exams.