The Academic Council of Mangalore University at its meeting on Wednesday agreed to extend the autonomous status of five degree colleges for six more years till 2016-17.
The colleges are St. Agnes College, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, St. Aloysius College, St. Ann’s College of Education, all in Mangalore, and Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara College at Ujire.
The council agreed to extend the autonomous status based on the report by a 12-member review and evaluation committee of the university.
The colleges had been granted the autonomy for five years from 2007-08.
As per the statute governing the grant of the autonomy, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the university would have to review the status of autonomy once every six years. After the UGC reviewed the status and recommended extending the status of autonomy the university had taken up its exercise.
Vice-Chancellor of the university T.C. Shivashankara Murthy who presided over the meeting told the council that the observations of the council would be placed before the Syndicate for its approval in its next meeting. Later it would be sent to the government.
Not up to mark
The 12-member committee of the university in its ‘remarks and recommendations’ column commonly observed that except St. Ann’s College of Education, other colleges offering postgraduate courses would have to create research atmosphere on the campus by encouraging the faculty to take up sponsored research subjects. The committee observed that there was lack of qualified faculty (with Ph.D. and national eligibility test passed teachers) to teach postgraduate courses.
The council approved regulations governing a diploma course in mobile application development and web technologies and a postgraduate course in food science and nutrition. Prof. Murthy said that the regulations would be sent to the government. If the government approved them those colleges interested to offer those courses could start them.
Mission statement
He said the university has drafted its vision and mission statement.
The 32-year-old university did not have a vision and mission statement. The draft would be sent to all postgraduate departments on the campus for suggestions if any.
The vision and mission statement would serve as a guide to the university, he said.
