Bharathidasan University has expressed surprise over the “quite low” score awarded by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) to its Academic Staff College (ASC).
According to S.Aruchamy, Registrar In-Charge, the score was not matching with the report submitted by the NAAC Peer Team. The review report of the ASC, he pointed out, looked “very positive” with “several compliments” and “good remarks” about the performance of ASC.
“We are trying to get in touch with the NAAC, Bangalore, to check about the methodology of scoring and any possible errors, and ways to rectify it,” Mr.Aruchamy said in a press release.
The university was seeking to clarify if the report pertained to the performance of the university during 2005-2010, the release said, adding that for the last two years since July 2010 when the present Vice-Chancellor, K.Meena, assumed office, several initiatives were undertaken.
The initiatives include up-gradation of computer facility to the participants; provision of NLIST facility and access to e-resources for participants thereby creating ICT-enabled learning environment; access to university library including INFLIBNET; creation of website for ASC; preparation of learning materials; creation of additional basic amenities including additional toilets and office for resource persons; and renovation of air-conditioned seminar hall.
“The university is very hopeful that the issue of apparent mismatch between the (Peer Team) report and the (NAAC) score shown in the website will be clarified very soon,” the release said.
The latest report on NAAC’s review of Academic Staff Colleges published in its website: , placed the ASC of Bharathidasan University in 63 spot as one among seven in ‘non-performer’ list. The ASC, the report said, had scored just 35 out of 100.
The other three universities: Bharathiyar, Madurai Kamaraj and Madras universities, were placed much better, though as ‘under-performers’, with scores of 55, 47 and 46 respectively.
Universities with scores below 40 were categorised as non-performers, and those with scores between 40 and 60 as under-performers.
Ranking of the ASCs in universities is based on the visits by peer teams that assess the institutions on various parameters, including teaching, learning and infrastructural facilities.
The ASC in Bharathidasan University is headed by an In-Charge official. A NAAC peer team was on a three-day in the early months of 2012 to assess the ASC in Bharathidasan University.
Incidentally, Tamil Nadu is the only State without a university with a performing ASC.
The performing ASCs in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala constitute University of Hyderabad with a score of 64, University of Mysore (63), and University of Kerala (60).
