Return to colleges, higher edu dept directs faculty members

Return to colleges, higher edu dept directs faculty members

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:7.8.2021

With online classes for arts and science and engineering colleges scheduled to begin from August 9, the Tamil Nadu higher education department has directed all faculty members to attend colleges on all working days without fail.

The higher education department announced that online classes for the 2021-22 academic year for all students, except first year students, will commence on August 9.

"The Covid protocol and standard operating procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government from time to time should be followed in the campus and it is also instructed that the faculty members of government, governmentaided arts and science colleges, engineering colleges shall attend the college on all working days without fail," a letter from higher education department said.

In government arts and science colleges, the college level admissions would begin after August 10. The applications to 143 colleges are being received online till August 10. So far, more than two lakh applications have been received against one lakh seats available in government colleges..

"Government colleges will need all faculty members to conduct admissions for undergraduate programmes. The Tamil Nadu Government Arts and Science Admissions (TNGASA) committee would send the course wise rank list to individual colleges. The faculty members need to call each and every student to confirm the admissions," said T Veeramani, president of Tamil Nadu Government Collegiate Teachers Association (TNGCTA).

He further said the reopening of physical classes should be based on the possibility for Covid-19 third wave.

However, M S Balamurugan, general secretary of Association of University Teachers said, the teachers need not be called to colleges for conducting online classes. "The faculty members are already attending the admission related works. Faculty members should be asked to come to colleges only if colleges reopened physical classes," he said.