Mangaluru Univ: Post-lockdown 3 week classes; Exams at June end

Mangaluru: Mangaluru University Vice-Chancellor Prof P S Yadapadithaya has informed that after the end of lockdown, 2 to 3 weeks of classes will be conducted after which examinations will be held at the end of June.

The Vice-Chancellor stated these while speaking at Udayavani’s phone-in program at our office here hoping to resolve the doubts of professors, students and parents regarding current academic issues.

He stated that if the lockdown ends at the end of May, then classes will recommence to complete the pending courses from the first week of June to the third week. The exams will be conducted from the last week of June.

The Human Resources Department, UGC, Karnataka State Higher Education Council and the Vice-Chancellor of all Universities in the State met to discuss the activities roadmap after the lockdown. The Department of Collegiate Education is expected to come out with the decided schedule within 10 days.

Since not all students can access online classes, we advised at the meeting that classes will have to be conducted for two to three weeks after the lockdown and before the exam. The Minister of Higher Education has agreed to this and the Higher Education Department will publish the guidelines in this regard, which will also include the directions to be followed for the current and next academic year.

According to the information received from Association of Mangaluru College Teachers (AMUCT), Heads of Under Graduate and Post Graduate Departments between 90 and 95 per cent of the undergraduate courses and 80 to 85 per cent of Postgraduate courses have been completed.

Upon the end of the lockdown, exams will be held for the undergraduate and postgraduate semesters. Results of these examinations will be declared before the end of July. The remaining semester exams of the undergraduate classes will be conducted in the first week of August. There’s also been a talk that from next year, there will be a uniform academic schedule across all universities in the state.

Maximum precautions shall be exercised in accordance with the lockdown guidelines during classes and examinations. Use of face mask and sanitizers will be mandatory. Social distancing will be maintained with new classroom norms. For example, if there are 60 students in one class, it will be divided into 20 students of three classes each. Priority will be given to final year students. Students from outside the district will be quarantined for 14 days in the university’s hostels.

To announce the results sooner, the University has started preparation for digital evaluation of answer papers. Already MBA 3rd semester exam’s answer papers were successful evaluated through digital systems. This time it will be used to evaluate the undergraduate and postgraduate answer papers. Multiple scanners will be installed in each of the districts under Mangaluru University’s jurisdiction. Here the answer papers of the respective day’s examination will be scanned. and uploaded on the Internet in a digital format. There are about 5 to 6 computer labs in each district for the digital evaluation of the answer papers. Under this system, the answer papers can be evaluated within 10 days and the results can be published in 24 hours.

As per UGC guidelines, students are required to maintain 75% attendance. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis students attendance will be declared as “deemed to attended.” This will be covered in the Higher Education Department’s directions. Hence, students should not worry about their lack of attendance. Also, those students in quarantine or in a sealdowned area will be allowed to a one-time special examination.

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of adopting an online education system. Hence, from the next academic year onwards all academic programs will have 25% digital learning component and 75% face-to-face learning component. In this regard, training for teachers and non-teaching staff will be provided.

Guest lecturers service will be continued this year. They will be working as per the term stated in their appointment orders.

(This is an abridged version of the Vice-Chancellor’s talk during the phone-in)