The Hindu

Mangalore, Jul 10:  Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) has proposed to form a consortium of colleges to address issues related to higher education.

The general body meeting of AMUCT here recently authorised its former president and professor of Commerce at Shri Venkatramana Swamy College, Bantwal, P.M. Raghunandan, to submit a model of the consortium before the next meeting. He was chosen the convenor of a committee to work on the proposal, Ummappa Poojary, general secretary, AMUCT, told The Hindu.

After initial discussion, model will be sent to the federation of University and College Teachers Associations in Karnataka (FUCTAK) for submitting it to the State Government. The Government would be urged to issue orders for implementing the proposal, Mr. Poojary said.

Prof. Raghunandan, the brain behind the concept, said the consortium of colleges would address issues such as closure of courses due to lack of students and similar combination of subjects offered by several colleges. It is aimed at providing a wider choice to students and allow exchange of teachers between colleges, he said.

Colleges within a reasonable area of 25 km could form a consortium. Except autonomous colleges, private un-aided, aided private and Government colleges could form a consortium. The autonomous colleges are not considered because they have the requisite infrastructure. The consortium is meant to help colleges in rural and semi-urban areas which suffer inadequate staff and student-strength, Prof. Raghunandan said.

Most colleges offer History, Economics, Political Science, Chemistry, Botony, Zoology, Physics, Mathematics and other conventional subjects. In addition, new colleges are opened every year. The students get scattered at different colleges.

As a result, some colleges suffer from inadequate strength to manage a particular combination forcing them to discontinue certain courses or subjects.

Hence no college would get required number of students to manage a course.

A situation might arise where some colleges might have to close down certain courses for lack of students. Teachers would be left with insufficient workload.

The consortium could restrict a college from offering the common combination of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (PCM) or Botony, Zoology and Chemistry (BZC) at degree level or direct it to include a certain combination.

Such a system will provide wide choice for students and protect colleges from closing down, he said. Prof. Raghunandan said Information Technology-related courses were attracting students because of job opportunities.

This had not only created dearth of students for conventional subjects but also a dearth of qualified teachers to teach those subjects.

This problem could be addressed by the consortium as it ensures exchange of teachers, he said.

Business Process Outsourcing companies require candidates knowing different foreign languages besides English.

Colleges in a consortium could offer certificate courses in different languages.