Date:23/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/23/stories/2007112357860100.htm

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Seven engineering colleges planned

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Anna University–Tiruchi (AU-T) has decided to start seven constituent engineering colleges spread over 11 districts in its jurisdiction with the objective of making quality education affordable to students belonging to rural schools. The first of these proposed institutions would become functional at Panruti in Cuddalore district from 2008-09, offering six B.E. programmes _ Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics and Communication and Computer Science Engineering, and IT_, Vice-Chancellor V. Ramachandran informed on Thursday.

The remaining colleges would be started in a similar way in subsequent stages in the districts of Perambalur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram, he said.

Of the 20 such institutions that the Government has planned for the State through the four government technical universities, AU-T will have the largest share of seven colleges. Anna University–Chennai and Anna University–Tirunelveli will have four constituent colleges each and Anna University–Coimbatore will have five.

With concurrence from the Department of Technical Education, the AU-T has extended its Faculty Development Programme (FDP) facilitating teachers to acquire M.E. qualification to faculty in polytechnic colleges. The university has received 300 applications from polytechnic teachers from all over the State for the FDP that will commence in January 2008. The FDP got operational from the start of the current academic year for teachers in affiliated engineering colleges. To begin with, teachers in Computer Science Engineering department were facilitated to take up FDP and complete their post-graduation by fulfilling 67 to 70 credits under Modular-Based Credit Banking Scheme. From January onwards, the FDP would encompass Structural Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Embedded System Technologies, Pervasive Computing Technologies, Communication System and Software Engineering as well. The university was exploring possibilities for extending FDP for PG programmes for aspirants in corporate sector through e-learning mode, the Vice-Chancellor said.