Bharathidasan University has approved the first proposal for conducting a special refresher course under self-support mode at the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre.
The decision was taken at the last meeting of the Senate against the backdrop of UGC cutting down funding for the purpose.
The practice of hiking registration fee per participant from ₹1,000 to ₹5,000, however, has not gone down well with a section of academics.
It was in deference to requests made by teachers in the early phase of their career that the university took a decision to have more than 20 refresher courses per year (the usual number of programmes conducted with UGC funding), since there was a compulsion for more number of college and university faculties to attend the programmes in a time-bound manner for their career advancement.
It was announced during the meeting of the Senate that the expenses incurred towards conduct the special refresher course will be collected from the participants.
Replying to a proposal by B. Ravindran, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Thiru Vi. Ka. Government Arts College, Tiruvarur, for a refresher programme in physics, Director (Full Additional Charge) of UGC HRDC, Bharathidasan University, S. Senthilnathan said the course could be organised during April-May subject to the condition that a minimum of 50 participants paid a registration fee of ₹5,000 each.
The proposal was given positive consideration by Vice-Chancellor P. Manisankar keeping the welfare of teachers in mind, Prof. Senthilnathan said.
There were nearly 300 applicants for two UGC-funded refresher programmes conducted last year on Material Science and Nano Science. Within the university region, at least 100 applicants could not attend any of the two refresher courses. The special refresher course would be of help to them, Prof. Senthilnathan said.
During 2013, Bharathidasan University conducted orientation programmes through the erstwhile Academic Staff College at its own expense to enable young faculties to move up the career ladder for attainment of the different slabs of Academic Grade Pay in a progressive manner.
But, in the recent years, after the UGC cut down funding to₹ 60 lakh from ₹1 crore per annum for the HRDCs, many other universities, including Andhra University, Annamalai University and University of Madras, have conducted special refresher courses on a need-based manner, it is learnt.
“After making it mandatory for teachers to participate in refresher courses at the HRDC, the UGC is now unwilling to grant funds, and has made the teachers to bear the cost. Under the self-financing mode, the HRDC will only function as a tuition centre,” former president of Association of University Teachers (AUT) K. Pandiyan said.
Conduct of special refresher courses in addition to UGC-funded refresher courses has become imperative in a scenario where faculties appointed in large numbers at one go are under compulsion to participate within a specified duration. Else, the faculties will face the ignominy of stagnating in a particular cadre, Prof. Senthilnathan said.
A bulk of the amount collected as registration fee from participants go towards paying resource persons at the rate of ₹1,500 per 90-minute session.
There will be two three-hour sessions every day for the refresher programmes spanning 21 days of which 18 are working days, he said.
