Providence Women’s College, Kozhikode, has become the only educational institution from north Kerala to be selected by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) scheme, under which up to Rs.1.5 crore will be given to it for improvement in academic excellence.
While 124 colleges across the country have been conferred the status as per the 12th Commission, only seven from Kerala have been selected for it. The other colleges from the State are Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi; St. Thomas College, Thrissur; Vimala College, Thrissur; Little Flower College, Guruvayur; St. Joseph’s College for Women, Alappuzha; and St. Joseph’s College, Irinjalakuda.
The CPE status is provided only to colleges that have been accredited with ‘A’ grade by NAAC. Under the CPE scheme, the colleges are granted financial assistance for sustained development for 15 years in five-year trend. The Colleges have to use the funds to improve research activity, academic performance and hold seminars and interaction programmes, but not for infrastructure development.
The funds will be released in instalments.
An expert committee will analyse the utilisation of funds before releasing the next instalment.
College Principal Sr. Neeta A.C. told The Hindu that the CPE status was a huge responsibility to which the college expected to live up to. “The additional funds will help us a lot in improving academic standards and to concentrate more on research oriented activities,” she said. The college planned to introduce more extension activities and community service, and send more teachers for extensive training and students for presentation, Sr. Neeta said.
The college had been recommended by the University of Calicut for the status.
