VC holds meeting, takes stock of overall situation

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 23

Prof BS Ghuman, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, held a meeting to take stock of the overall situation prevailing on the campus, pedagogical techniques, governance systems and sustainability of the timetable being followed in each teaching department.

He called upon heads and other teachers to ensure that there were no ‘differences’ between them and students compelling them to approach him or the other higher authorities, for redressal of their problems. His intention, he said, was that he did not not find ‘any student sitting in his waiting room calling for the visible and easy resolution of their genuine grievances which could be resolved at the departmental level.’

While stressing upon increasing the employability of passing-out students, especially in professional courses, Prof Ghuman called for “revisiting, revising and redesigning the course curriculum making these more of learning-centric than memory-scratching and compatible with societal and marketing needs”.

The concept of hiring adjunct faculty, well-trained in their respective fields should be followed more rigorously, he said.

As a deviation from the usual practice of VC addressing the gathering all by himself, he called on the stage the authorities concerned to share his views on a subject, starting with Prof Gurmeet Maan about MOOCs, Dr AK Dham for career guidance and placements, Capt Gurtej Singh about the security and beneficiary management of the transport system and Dr Ritu Lehal about sensitising girl students about their safety.

Prof Ghuman further said many improvements were needed to be made in respect of the doctorate-level research, making it more systematic, transparent, competitive than subjective, based not merely on the prerogative or bias of the supervisor in picking up the prospective candidates. He also advocated the cause of formalising a standard format for writing of synopsis and summary reports. He also denounced the practice of frequently repeating the names in the panel of examiners.

In his vote of thanks, DAA, Prof Inderjit Singh categorically said with the expert guidance and patronage of the VC, the university would be bailed out of the financial crisis in the coming three-four months.