S. Subbiah, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of Alagappa University, has said he would accord top priority to ensure that the varsity retained the ‘A Grade’ accreditation of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and emerge as the University with Potential for Excellence.
Talking to reporters after assuming office as VC here on Friday, he said the university had been retaining the NAAC’s ‘A grade’ accreditation since 2005 and all out efforts would be taken to retain the grade next year also.
“We will aim for securing the coveted University with Potential for Excellence status,” he said adding the UGC has shortlisted Alagappa University in the list of six universities in the State for the status. “In 2011, the university had retained the accreditation with overall weightage of 3.21 out of 4 and next year, we will retain the accreditation with a higher weightage,” the VC said and appealed to both teaching and non-teaching members to work tirelessly to take the institution to greater heights.
He said the university would become the first institution in the State to start Paralympic courses. The State government has given its nod, he said. As the State government desired to promote Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education, the university would allow the affiliated colleges to increase the intake of students by 30 per cent against sanctioned strength from this year, he said.
Special education facility
Mr. Subbiah said the university has proposed to establish ‘Centre for Special Education’ to train teachers qualified to teach mentally challenged and other special children and offer counselling to their parents.
The Centre would offer a two-month course to those who had completed Special Education courses offered in the university, he told The Hindu after assuming office on Friday.
“We plan to invite special education experts from the US and Germany to train the teachers to teach and take care of the special children using latest technologies,” he said adding the experts would be asked to stay here for a couple of months.
Parents of the special children who struggled to look after them would also be trained and counselled at the centre, he said.
“The centre will be started very soon,” he said.
