Time to make universities in Telangana disclose details of faculty, syllabus

Hyderabad: Is it time for the universities and colleges in Telangana to make full syllabus disclosure of various courses and faculty ahead of admissions?

Earlier the University Grants Commission (UGC) had mandated the universities and colleges to disclose full information about courses offered, seats available, syllabus, faculty, fee structure, reservation roaster on their website. It had also asked the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to disclose the fee refund provisions when a student intends to drop out of the courses ahead of starting classes.

The UGC mandate facilitates parents and students to make informed decisions to take admission in courses of choice and liking.

According to sources in the State Higher Education department, universities and colleges have been posting only courses offered and faculty profiles. Besides, a few more details, including grievance cell contact details in compliance with the rules related to prevention of ragging.

Websites of the State universities and several affiliated colleges are not providing the syllabus of each course on their websites. Also, the websites have details of names and profiles of the faculty and their research interests, teaching areas, number of research papers published, awards received and, positions held.

"Hardly any college, even autonomous and constituent colleges offering courses in humanities and social sciences, have details of the name of the faculty going to teach a specific paper or subject of a pgoramme in a given academic year," said an assistant professor of the Kakatiya University.

As such students and parents are kept in dark to figure out and inquire whether the syllabus of a course offered is useful and fits their future planning- to pursue a job or higher studies at national institutions or to take admissions in a university abroad.

That apart, where the colleges have provided syllabus students are not aware who will teach different components of the syllabus offered as part of a course, and the qualifications and expertise of the faculty teaching each component of the syllabus of a course.

A faculty member of the School of Humanities, Osmania University pointed out, "the good practice of full disclosure of syllabus, subject to be taught, the faculty name, his qualification and expertise are provided ahead of calling for enrolment on SWAYAM portal. It gives students interested to weigh their options before enrolling. The same process may be adopted," he added.