Students, who gain admission to various colleges of Anna University this June, will find it easier to cope with the syllabus.
The university, said vice-chancellor P. Kaliraj, will run various bridge courses for students, especially in mathematics and allied subjects, wherein students have maximum arrears.
Anna University will take a series of steps to enhance the employability of students, as part of a government scheme, by engaging in public-private partnerships.
Besides improving the technical skill sets of students and enhancing their communication skills, Prof. Kaliraj said they are looking at addressing the problem of arrears among students. “A student must have minimum arrears to land a job. We aim to reduce arrears by at least 5 per cent in government engineering colleges, and by 15 per cent in private engineering colleges,” he said.
The first year of engineering is perceived as a tough time by most students, and many of them fail in subjects, especially mathematics.
Prof. Kaliraj said, as part of induction to engineering courses, the students will be imparted 30 hours of training in basic mathematics, after which they will be introduced to engineering subjects.
The programmes will initially begin in the constituent and government colleges of Anna University and gradually be initiated in private colleges.
About 30 faculty development courses too have been introduced, especially to train math teachers to impart knowledge in the right way. “Engineering mathematics is different from maths that children learn in schools,” Prof. Kaliraj said.
Urging parents to not force their children to get into engineering if they are not interested, Prof. Kaliraj said, “Students will do well here only if they have interest in the subject. Many top scorers have failed here, while poor performers in schools have excelled. Students should not take up engineering just because their parents or friends force them to.”
