Students to be given Representation in University Bodies

Chennai: The Common University Act, to be in tabled in the coming Assembly session, will enable student representation in university senates and academic bodies, Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudi said here on Friday.

The Government was also planning to introduce a scheme to put college teacher recruits through a two-month orientation course on latest teaching methodologies, he said during the valedictory function of the National Convention on Contemporary issues in Higher Education, organized by Ethiraj College for Women.

The State Government was seeking more control over private educational institutions, which violated norms. One such attempt was to rationalize admissions and the fee structure in private engineering colleges. The two-day convention passed a series of resolutions demanding among other things, continuation of the reservation policy in educational institutions, large-scale reorientations, large-scale reorientation of the teaching-learning process and special food and clothing allowances for poor women students.

The UGC should promote demand-driven educational system, standardize higher education on a par with global standards, give complete academic autonomy to women’s institutions and take up competency mapping, the resolutions said. Private bodies, should be encouraged to invest in institutions of higher learning and inter-State and inter-institution agreements should be facilitated for exchange programmes.

Leela Abraham, secretary of the convention, handed over the recommendations to the Minister. S.Jagadeesan and M.Thavamani, chairman and principal of the college respectively, were present.

Students to be given Representation in University Bodies