The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Loyola College plans to create new infrastructure, fund more research

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Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Loyola College plans to create new infrastructure, fund more research

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Loyola College plans to raise Rs.200 crore by the time of its centenary in the year 2025. It has ambitious plans to create new infrastructure, fund more research and transform itself into a truly world-class institution.

If the government continues to offer grant in aid and pay the salaries and benefits of its staff – at least the 150 teachers who currently come under the aided category – the college will also explore the idea of converting into a university, according to principal Albert Muthumalai.

On Monday, the college launched a new Loyola Development Office (LDO) to oversee the fund-raising and networking needed to transform it into a truly international institution.

The Dean of External Affairs and Development, Joe Arun, who will head the LDO, sees its role as three-fold.

It will oversee the development of human resources, training and building competencies in both teaching and non-teaching staff.

It will have the responsibility of creating and capitalising on Loyola’s connections with other educational institutions, in India and abroad, with government and with non-governmental organisations.

The LDO will also raise funds from the alumni and other donors, and find ways to tap into existing funding opportunities.

“There is a multitude of research funding available globally, especially in high-profile areas such as global warming, HIV/AIDS and human rights…Our research projects need to exploit these,” said Father Arun.

Other uses for funding include building of smart classrooms, to execute new strategies in teaching and learning, and to construct new buildings for a business school, School of Physical Sciences, School of Media Studies and School of Education.

Asked if the ambitious plans were a blueprint for a conversion to university status, the college management made it clear that salary aid is the stumbling block. “We now have 150 aided staff, and we need to take their benefits into consideration. Will the government take care of them if we become a university?” asked Father Muthumalai.

“We cannot become a fully self-financing university because of our policy of taking in poor students…The Rs.200 crore is not for a corpus fund.”

Aided staff and students currently make up 50 per cent of Loyola College’s total strength. In the case of the proposal to convert PSG and Thiagarajar, both aided institutions, into universities, the government had agreed to maintain their salary grants and benefits.

However, that proposal is still before a standing committee of the State Assembly.

University status would help Loyola associate and compete with the world’s best.

“We want to tie up with Oxford. But they won’t consider us now. We need to come up to that standard,” says former principal Casimir Raj.

Most global rankings also consider only universities, despite Loyola’s protests that the Indian educational system is different.

Father Casimir has also taken over as the new director of the Loyola Alumni Association, which is expected to play an important role in the college’s centenary plans.

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