Semester tussle - DU teachers to hold classes in VC's lawn

Teachers at the Delhi University have decided to protest against the implementation of thesemester system in colleges, not by conducting strikes, but by holding classes outside in the lawns.

Members of the Joint Action body (JAB) ofteachers will on Thursday and Friday, conduct classes in the lawns outside the office of the vice chancellor to draw his attention to the matter of implementing the semesters for undergraduatecourses.

Karen Gabriel, associate professor at St. Stephen's College and a member of JAB said that JAB currently had around 100 members. Out of these, around 20 are expected to take their classes out in the open. 

"The classes will be taught on the two days like any normal day and the students have been told about them. The classes would start at around 8:30am and students will only have to come out in the open and then can walk back to the campus for other classes," she said.

She further added that the administration of theuniversity had never consulted the teachers before the decision to implemented the semester system was taken.

The university has already implemented the semester system for 13 undergraduatescience courses and there are now plans to completely shift all courses to thesemester system mode from the upcoming academic session.

Teachers from several departments such as economics, English, history and philosophy have already expressed their disapproval during their general body meetings at the switch to the semester system.

Teachers have alleged that the content of the courses is being diluted in order to accommodate the new semester system.

source: http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/Semester_tussle_-_DU_teachers_to_hold_classes_in_VC's_lawn_13669/

Anna University Coimbatore announces UG, PG Examination Results 2011

Coimbatore: The Anna University of Technology (Coimbatore) has announced the results of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Examinations conducted in November / December 2010 and January 2011.

The results can be accessed on the following websites:

www.ExamResults.net

source:

http://www.indiaedunews.net/Tamil_Nadu/Anna_University_Coimbatore_announces_UG,_PG_Examination_Results_2011_13562/

DU principals raise problem of absent teachers with VC

 Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Mr. Dinesh Singh, convened a meeting with the college principals on Monday. In their meeting with the vice-chancellor, they expressed their concern aboutteachers' absenteeism and the general deterioration of the academic atmosphere in Delhi University.

The VC, in the first of the three meetings, met principals of colleges in north and east Delhi, a meeting which lasted nearly five hours. While the VC reiterated the university's commitment for more transparency in governance, completion of thesemester system at the undergraduate level and improving the infrastructure of colleges, the principals urged administrative intervention to restore the academic atmosphere of the university and its colleges.

A common concern has been that of absenteeism and the university administration has promised to address the issue on an urgent basis.

According to the principal of Kirori Mal College, Bhim Sen Singh, "It is heartening to know that the new VC's immediate concern is to restore the academic atmosphere of the colleges and the university which has been adversely affected due to the recent disruptions. As college principals we also extend our support to the new initiatives he has announced. We also extend our support to the new administration as it is going to complete the implementation of the semester system from July 2011."

Another 25 principals from west Delhi colleges will be interacting with the VC on Tuesday.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/DU_principals_raise_problem_of_absent_teachers_with_VC_13527/

Oxford and Cambridge to join £9,000 club on fees

Students whose family income is below £25,000 would pay £6,000 and receive a maintenance bursary of up to £1,625
 

Cambridge university wants to triple fees in autumn next year.
Senior managers at Oxford and Cambridge universities are intent on charging £9,000 a year in tuition fees, the maximum allowed, it has emerged.

A consultation paper shows Cambridge wants to almost triple fees to £9,000 as soon as it can in autumn next year. The university will charge the maximum of £3,375 for this autumn.

Students whose family income is below £25,000 would pay £6,000 and receive a maintenance bursary of up to £1,625, under plans from Cambridge's working group on fees, published internally for consultation. Means testing will taper this £3,000 reduction to zero when family income exceeds £42,000.

Oxford's pro-vice-chancellor, Tony Monaco, has said fees of less than £8,000 would lose the university money because of national cuts to teaching and other grants. He told a Congregation, a formal meeting of senior members of the university, that Oxford subsidised undergraduates by £80m.

"That is already straining research and infrastructure ... Were we to charge £9,000, the additional income would be £14m a year." This would be used to improve outreach activities and waive fees for the poorest students.

The university calculates that to waivefees for the poorest by £3,000, would be the equivalent of charging all undergraduates £8,500. Oxford will make its decision on fees in March.

David Willetts, the universities minister, has said fees of £9,000 will be allowed only in "exceptional circumstances". MPs voted to raise tuition fees in December, after the Lib Dems pledged in their manifesto to scrap fees. The government loans students the fees until they graduate and are earning £21,000 a year.

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said: "We can now expect a race to the top now as universities rush to gain kudos by joining the '£9,000 group' as quickly as possible. How long before the most expensive start asking for the freedom to charge even more?"

The Cambridge report argues that even at £9,000, the university is still "carrying the burden of a significant loss per student … To charge less than the maximum would be fiscally irresponsible. Most if not all of our peers will charge the maximum."

A university spokesman said: "This report has been published online for consultation … It follows due consideration by a working party made up of senior academic, college and student representatives."

Universities are expected to raise fees to at least £6,000. They have to submit their plans to the government's Office for Fair Access, which can decline proposals.

New universities say they will be forced to raise fees to more than £6,000 because of cuts to teaching funds, and are concerned that students from low-income families will not be able to afford them.
Language shortage

Universities must urgently address the country's shortage of linguists, the British Academy warns. There is a growing mismatch between supply and demand in language skills, it argues in a report – Language Matters More and More. The situation has worsened since the academy's previous warning in 2009, it said. In 2010, 57% of UK pupils took no language at GCSE, while the number of A level language candidates fell by a quarter. There is a higher proportion of privately-schooled students on language courses than ever.

 

source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/09/oxford-cambridge-9000-fees