Calicut University gears up for makeover of its degree courses

A new beginning: The biggest attraction of the new credit system will be that the credits can be carried or transferred.

The University of Calicut is all set to launch a choice-based credit semester system for its bachelor degree courses from the new academic year. The university has chalked out this revolutionary academic reform with great caution and preparedness.

Having got the go-ahead from the Academic Council a few weeks ago, the university has set a new academic calendar for its undergraduate courses beginning this week. “We have set clear deadlines and will insist on abiding by that in order to address the anxieties of the people about the new system,” said C.L. Joshy, Calicut University Syndicate member and convener of the steering committee for undergraduate courses restructuring.

The new calendar stipulates that the last admission to senior degree classes should be made by July 30, and colleges should close for Onam holidays on August 27 so as to reopen on September 7.

According to the new calendar, the first internal examinations of B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., BBA and BCA courses will be held in the third week of August. The second internal examination of the first semester will take place in the second week of October, and the results declared in the first week of November.

The external examinations of the first semester will be held in the first week of November. The university authorities are hopeful of publishing the results in the last week of December. “With the introduction of bar-code for answer scripts, we can definitely give early results,” said V. Rajagopalan, Controller of Examinations.

The second semester classes will begin in the third week of November. The first internal examination will take place in the first week of January 2010, and the second in the second week of March 2010. The results of the internal exams should be ready by the third week of March. The external examination of the second semester will be held in the second week of April 2010. The results of the second semester will be announced by the third week of July.

Although no calendar has been set for the third semester, the university is hopeful of beginning the second year (third semester) on June 1-2, 2010. The academia is apprehensive about the reforms especially on two counts—the availability of enough faculty to manage the new system and the efficiency of the university in conducting the examinations and announcing the results on time. Several teacher posts in colleges are now lying vacant. “At present we don’t have any apprehensions. The Minister (for Education) has assured to fill the vacancies soon,” said Vice-Chancellor Anwar Jahan Zuberi.

Prof. Zuberi said the university had taken all measures to expedite the system in view of implementing the major academic reform. “Yet, we will get to know shortfalls in the first semester,” said the Vice-Chancellor.

The staff councils of all colleges will have to nominate a student advisor to coordinate the courses on each campus. The student advisor will have to address the queries and concerns of students, parents and teachers alike. Besides, each teaching department will have its own co-ordinators.

The university held workshops in the third and fourth week of June to equip the teachers to handle common courses such communication skills and languages.

Teachers have been airing concerns about their proficiency in teaching new common courses or subjects. The university has roped in enough resource persons to give the teachers proper orientation.

The new system will replace the old concept of papers with the term ‘course’. The three-year bachelor degree programmes will have 30 to 35 courses with each semester covering five to six courses.

A student has to acquire 120 credits for successful completion of a UG programme. Each course will offer the student two to four credits. The biggest attraction of the new system will be that the credits can be carried or transferred. The new system will have different kinds of courses like common courses, core courses, complimentary courses and open courses.

There will be 10 common courses for all UG programmes irrespective of science, commerce or humanities. These courses can be chosen by the respective faculty from a pool of 12 courses offered by the university.

But one course on environmental studies will be mandatory for all. The ten common courses will get 40 out of the 120 credits. The common courses and the complimentary courses (formerly the subsidiary subjects) will be done in the first four semesters. The last two semesters will be exclusively for core courses. Along with semesterisation, the university will also introduce grading from this academic year.

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