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| Monday, June 23, 2008
Get two degrees simultaneously in three years
Chennai: From this academic year onwards, students will have
the option of pursuing two degree courses simultaneously instead
of spending an additional two or three years to acquire an added
qualification.
In a pathbreaking initiative, the Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU) has tied up with 160 colleges and universities
across the country to help students enhance their qualifications
while they enroll for undergraduate or postgraduate degree courses
in these institutions.
The arrangement would enable students to take up degree, certificate
or diploma courses for value-addition. So, if a student enrolls
for a BCom degree course in a IGNOU partner-college, he or she
can simultaneously study BA (Economics) through IGNOU. Similarly,
a BA (History) student would be able to opt for a value-adding
certificate course in tourism.
The Open University will provide printed, audio and video learning
material to the partner colleges and universities. Each institution
would have to use its faculty to conduct "contact classes"
for enrolled students for an additional two to four hours a
day, either between 4.30 pm and 8.30 pm or an hour in the morning
and three hours in the evening. Besides, on weekends, classes
would be conducted for six to eight hours.
"This is the outcome of our Convergence of Open & Distance
Learning and Conventional Systems initiative aimed at enhancing
the gross enrolment ratio in higher education institutions from
the existing 10 to 15% during the next five years. All colleges
can partner with us for this and we will support the institutions
by providing study materials and resources," IGNOU pro-vice
chancellor Om Prakash Mishra said.
In Tamil Nadu, well-known names like the Lady Doak College in
Madurai, PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, SASTRA Univeristy
in Thanjavur, Periyar Maniammai University in Thanjavur, Karunya
University in Coimbatore, Jamal Mohammed College in Tiruchi,
and the Bishop Heber College in Tiruchi are among 26 partnering
institutions. In other states, institutions such as St Xavier's
(Kolkata and Ahmedabad) and Nirmala Niketan College of Social
Work (Mumbai) have joined the initiative.
"Any regular student who has enrolled for an undergraduate
or postgraduate degree programme in the part-nering institution
through the conventional system can simultaneously enroll for
a degree of the same level in IGNOU," Mishra added.
In such cases, credit transfer will also be possible for certain
subjects which are similar for both courses. Partnering universities
(not colleges) can also jointly formulate novel degree programmes
with the IGNOU.
Mishra said the convergence scheme was a "benign fire"
that was likely to engulf the entire country soon. "This
will undercut unemployment and unemployability. I expect at
least 5,000 colleges to partner with us in the next three years,"
he said.
Courtesy: Times of India
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