STAKEHOLDERs' STAND: Students of Avinashilingam Deemed University for Women, who took part in a workshop on

A cross-section of students of Avinashilingam Deemed University for Women, Coimbatore, who got the opportunity to suggest changes in their curriculum, came out with some innovative recommendations.
As directed by the University Grants Commission, the university organised a two-day students' workshop on "Curriculum Restructuring" on January 20 and 21. Student representatives from various streams such as home science, science, humanities, management, and education, took part, presented papers and also participated in the group discussions.

The discussions were divided into three sections - academic skills, employable skills, and life skills. There were three to four students for each section. The paper was presented by either one group member or by all of them.

According to R. Saravana Selvan, Assistant Professor, Department of English and Foreign Languages, Bharathiar University, who was the moderator, students came up with very innovative ideas. "The presentations were well prepared and presented in a confident manner. They put forth their views without any hesitation. The suggestions did not strictly involve changes in curriculum, but also included various amendments that they wanted to be brought in for a student-friendly education. Though all of them cannot be accepted as recommendations, it was good to see that they have perceived deeply and come up with them," Mr. Saravana Selvan said. Under academic skills, the recommendations put forth were arranging more of vocation-oriented certificate courses, online examinations, application-oriented question papers, and creating awareness on fellowship programmes.

Under employable skills, the recommendations included setting up a career guidance cell in the university, execution of final year projects and internships in organisations, more focus on IT oriented courses, formation of business clubs, networking of classrooms, introducing of part-time jobs within the campus, giving communicative English as an add-on course, and conducting regular examinations on aptitude skills.

Under life skills, the students urged talent-generation through different clubs, conducting science exhibitions, introducing yoga and regular counselling classes. A. Venmathi, Professor, Resource Management, of the university, and one of the organisers of the workshop, said it was organised in answer to the Government and UGC's directive that the actual stakeholders be asked for ideas and inputs when a change is involved.

"To make students industry-ready, it is essential to incorporate need-based changes in curriculum. We gave an opportunity to students to select representatives and threw open questions as to why do we need to change the curriculum and how should we change etc. Since the university is eligible to incorporate any changes in curriculum, the students' recommendations will be taken into account," she said.-hindu.com