Tamil Nadu: Ten new govt colleges have no faculty

CHENNAI: Ten new government arts and science colleges that have around 2,000 students enrolled for Year 1 have just one faculty member each. Students of the colleges, which includes two colleges for women, are yet to have online classes while other government colleges began online classes more than a month ago.
With universities planning to hold semester exams in December, students fear they may be underprepared.Some universities are also asking the colleges to upload internal assessment marks of first year students.
“Without conducting any classes, how can we conduct an assessment and upload marks? Each department needs at least two faculty members to conduct online classes,” a faculty member from one of the colleges said.
The new government arts and science colleges were established in Rishivandiyam in Kallakurichi district, Alangulam and Sankarankovil in Tenkasi district, Jayankondam in Ariyalur district, Pulikulam in Coimbatore district, Tharagampadi in Karur district, Vanur in Villupuram district, Srivlliputhur in Virudhunagar district, Kuthalam in Nagapattinam district and Sholingur in Ranipet district. While seven of the colleges were proposed in the assembly in March, the other three were announced last year.
After creating 170 faculty members posts, the state government enlisted the colleges for online admissions for 2020-2021 and appointed a faculty in-charge to oversee the admission process. Each college started admissions with five degree programmes.
“There was a very good response from students as we were able to fill 75% to 95% seats. But they haven’t been able to attend classes. One or two colleges are trying to tie-up with the government colleges nearby to accommodate students in their online classes,” another faculty member said.
A representative of the college teacher association said new appointments would delay things futther. “But the higher education department can transfer faculty members or send them on deputation to these colleges. One faculty in-charge alone cannot run new colleges,” the representative said.
Sources in the higher education department said they are taking steps to transfer teaching staff from nearby government colleges to the new colleges.