Mumbai varsity to offer credits system
Times of India, May 13, 2010
MUMBAI: Studying economics along with law or maths in tandem with music will now be possible at the University of Mumbai.
In a watershed move, the faculty of the university's three largest streams—arts, science and commerce—have approved a choice-based credit and semester system at the undergraduate and post-graduate level from this June. The three proposals will now move up to the academic council, and will be tabled later before the management council for official sanctions.
The credit system, followed for aeons in universities around the world, takes into account a student's performance throughout the entire duration of the course, unlike now, where only his/her final exam scores get recorded. Also, credits are given for the number of hours a student attends class, thus keeping a check on attendance. Hence, credit is defined in terms of hours, and students are evaluated based on classroom tests and final semester exams.
Each of the three-year-long courses will now be sliced into six semesters, two semesters making up a year. Eventually, the cumulative of each semester's average will make up the final score (see credit calculator). Examinations will have two components: a written examination at the end of each semester and a host of classroom-level tests, where teachers will conduct internal continuous assessment in the form of surprises tests, quizzes, written assignments or fieldwork. This will allow flexibility to faculty members and ensure that a student is up to date with course work.
"The credit system will ensure that students attend class to earn their credits.
The final graduation marksheet will reflect what the student has picked up in the entire three-year course. Classroom tests and presentations will empower teachers and will cut down students' stress levels too," said Parvathi Venkatesh, dean of faculty, arts.
Internally, the university will continue assessing students in marks, but these scores will be converted to grades (quality) points. For example, a student scoring between 70 and 80 will have a quality point of 8.
The maximum quality point is 10 (scores between 90 and 100) and minimum is 0 (scores less than 40).
Siddheshwar Gadade, dean of the faculty of commerce, said the university would not be able to immediately allow students to take up courses across different streams.
"Hence we have merely woven the credit system into the existing structure," he explained. "But once the system is well oiled and functioning smoothly, we will allow students to move across streams—eventually, our system will provide the flexibility to study commerce with chemistry or even history."
S B Patil, dean of science, said, "The new system will enable a science student to take up psychology if he wants and complete his credits. If a student wants to move to another university or institute, his/her credits will be transferred." He added that continuous assessment, open book tests and other progressive developments in colleges and university departments would follow soon.
The originating point of the credit system was in 2008 when the University Grants Commission directed all vice-chancellors to adopt the semester system, introduce academic reforms and go in for the choice-based credit system (CBCS). While drawing up the fund allocation under the 11th Plan Statement, the UGC had stated that grants would be directly proportional to the implementation of the academic and administrative reforms suggested by it.
When varsities in Maharashtra did not act upon the directive, the state government rapped them and linked their annual grants to the implementation of CBCS. Now other state universities are to follow suit and usher in the academic reforms from either the coming academic session or the next one.
According to the UGC, close to 70 universities have so far agreed to adopt the new system—several central and state varsities have already implemented CBCS. Currently, the UGC give grants to 180 universities across India.
"The semester system will hopefully end the tried-and-tested method of selective cramming just in time for the final exams," said a former vice-chancellor. Mumbai University will be expected to conduct exams more frequently so that students can take them as and when they want to.
Once the university councils okay the proposals, the varsity will conduct workshops for college heads and teachers so that the implementation process is smooth.
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