Kuvempu University has asked the teaching faculty to work extra hours a day to complete the evaluation of answer papers beginning on Monday, February 17. As per the instruction from the university, the faculty have to rush to the evaluation centre after taking classes in the colleges.
The university has set up four centres – Shivamogga, Sagar, Koppa, and Chikkamagaluru – for evaluation. The teaching faculty, spread over Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts, have to reach one of these centres after taking classes to assess answer papers.
“The digital evaluation process will be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The teachers, after taking two or three classes in the college, can travel to the nearest centre and evaluate up to 8 p.m. We are making this arrangement to complete the evaluation process in a short duration and avoid students missing classes,” said S.M. Gopinath, Registrar (Evaluation) of the university.
At present, Kuvempu University lags behind other universities in the academic timetable. “To avoid inconvenience to our students, we have to match the timetable of other universities,” he said.
The university has issued a circular to the principal to ensure the teaching faculty take part in the evaluation compulsorily and warned of action against those who did not follow the instructions.
The university’s decision has not gone down well with the teaching faculty. Many have said that the university took this decision without understanding the practical difficulties involved.
“We will do either teaching or evaluation in a day. But it is not possible to handle both responsibilities together. How can the university expect us to travel from the college to evaluation centres and continue evaluation up to 8 p.m? Teaching faculty have to prepare for classes and also have other responsibilities at home. We will not accept this method,” said Prof. Sabita Bannadi, chairperson of the forum for Kannada faculty at the university.
She also added that the faculty should have the liberty to choose the centre of evaluation.
The teaching faculty of the Government First Grade College in Bapuji Nagar in Shivamogga has written to the Registrar (Evaluation) raising their objections.
A professor, on condition of anonymity, stated that the university authorities were imposing their decision on the faculty without taking the stakeholders into confidence. “If we are taking three classes in a day, we need an equal number of hours for preparations. It is not possible to do both teaching and evaluation. There are people with kids at home. How can the university expect the teachers to continue to work up to 8 p.m.?” the professor said.
When these issues were brought to the notice of the registrar, he said, in the interest of the students, the faculty had to take the risk.
Published - February 15, 2025 07:47 pm IST
