The Bangalore University (BU) has embraced a gamut of changes in recent times, and some experiments have met with considerable success. One is the four-year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) course, credited with reviving demand for pure science. Buoyed by this success, BU varsity will soon offer four-year courses in arts and commerce too.
Revealing the ambitious plan, Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev, in an interview with The Hindu, said the new courses will be on stream from October this year. “This is an important move with regard to the prerequisite for a four-year college degree to pursue higher studies in the U.S. and other western countries,” he explained.
Smart classroom
Another important addition from the next academic year is the introduction of one smart classroom per discipline, complete with interactive boards and computers for each student, “instead of didactic lectures”.
No one ‘fails'
BU has also come up with an innovative way to tackle the high incidence of exam result-related suicides — to abolish the word ‘fail'. Instead, ‘to repeat' is being written on marks cards, as it has a better effect psychologically since ‘fail' is a malignant word.
On the ongoing debate relating to scrapping of some “unpopular” courses, Dr. Prabhu Dev said BU was open to suggestions, and the options before them included shifting them to the distance education mode.
Technology
On the research front, apart from scholarships, BU is also channelling resources (approximately Rs. 15 crore) towards procuring high-tech equipment.
Application of technology into important procedures is also evident.
Online evaluation
“We have started online admissions and fee collection. This year, we also started online evaluation of BCA answer scripts, and soon this will be extended to other courses as well. For the first time, students can see their papers online. These exam reforms have paid dividends,” he said.
