Autonomy to Colleges

Dr M Lakshmipathi Rao
Retd. Prof of Physics & Former Director, IQAC

Osmania University

Autonomous

Auto = Self; Nomos = Law

Having a self governance
Functioning independently without
control by others
Existing/developing Independently of
others
Obliged to account for ones acts

Spirit Behind Autonomy

Colleges with potential needs more autonomy
Teachers need more academic freedom
State holders like
(a) Faculty.
(b) Students.
(c) Alumni.
(d) Guardian.
(e) Local community
should be provided with more responsibility

The autonomy is defined in terms of

freedom to prescribe courses of
studies and device methods of
teaching and evaluation.
Autonomy and freedom (Academic,
financial and administrative) should
be accompanied by accountability.

Concept of Autonomy

Aims of Autonomy

Opportunity to the teachers and

students to make innovations.
Utilize their creative talent.
Improve the standards of teaching,
examination and research and
Quickly respond to social needs.

The academic programmes.

the content and quality of

teaching

the admission and the

assessment of students.

An Autonomous College will

The Need

Due to the increase in number of

affiliated colleges the Universities are
over burdened and are not able to
monitor effectively
To enable colleges to award degrees on
behalf of the university by providing
more academic and operative freedom
to function better with credibility

ORIGIN OF AUTONOMY

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

The Kothari Commission (1964 1966)

considered autonomy a must for intellectual
development and had recommended
Freedom in curriculum design.
Adoption of new teaching learning methods
Revision of rules for admission.
Implementation of separate evaluation
methods.
Introduction of specific programmes.

OBJECTIVES
The National Policy on Education (1986-92)
formulated the following objectives for
autonomous colleges.
An autonomous college will have the freedom to:
determine and prescribe its own courses of
study and syllabi, and
restructure and redesign the courses to suit
local needs; and
prescribe rules for admission in consonance with
the reservation policy of the state government

OBJECTIVES

Evolve methods of assessment of students performance, the conduct of examinations and

notification of results
Use modern tools of educational technology to
achieve higher standards and greater creativity;
and
promote healthy practices such as community
service, extension activities, projects for the
benefit of the society at large, neighborhood
programmes, etc.

Relationship with the parent

university

Autonomous colleges are free to make

use of the expertise of university
departments and other institutions to
frame their curricula, devise methods
of teaching, examination and
evaluation.
They can recruit their teachers
according to the existing procedures

The role of the parent

university will be

To promote academic freedom in autonomous

colleges by encouraging introduction of
innovative academic programmes
To facilitate new courses of study, subject to
the required minimum number of hours of
instruction, content and standards;
To permit them to issue their own provisional,
migration and other certificates

The role of the parent

university

To do everything possible to foster the spirit of

autonomy;
To depute various nominees of the university to
serve in various committees of the autonomous
colleges and get the feedback on their
functioning; and
To create separate wings wherever necessary to
facilitate the smooth working of the autonomous
colleges.

The Role of the

Government

Conveying its concurrence for the extension of

autonomy of any college to the Commission within
the stipulated time of 90 days after receipt of
the review committee report, failing which it will
be construed that the state government has no
objection to the college continuing to be
autonomous; and
Deputing nominees on time to the governing body
of the colleges and other bodies wherever their
nominees are to be included

Conferring autonomous
status

Autonomy granted to the Institution is Institutional

and covers all the courses at U.G., P.G., Diploma, M.Phil.
Level, which are being run by the Institution at the
time of conferment of autonomous status.
Also all courses introduced by the Institution after
the conferment of autonomous status shall
automatically come under the purview of autonomy.
Partial autonomy cannot be given to any Institution.
The university will notify the colleges concerned.
Autonomy will be conferred initially for a period of
six years.

Common programmes to be
adopted are:

Semester pattern of study

Internal assessment
Credit/grading system
Student feedback
Self-appraisal by teachers

Statutory Committees
Board of Governors (BOG).
Academic Council.
Finance Committee.
Board of Studies (BOS).

Governance of Autonomous
Colleges
Governance of
Autonomous
Colleges

Governing
Body

Academic
Council

Board of
Studies

Finance
Committee

Exam Cell

Non Statutory Committees

Departmental Academic Committee.

Examination Committee.
Grievance Redressal Committee.
Ragging Core Committee.
R&D Committee.
Students Welfare Committee.
Literary Committee.
Library Committee.

Non Statutory Committees

Sports Committee.
Cultural Committee.
Quality Circle.
Planning & Evaluation Committee.
Extra Curricular Committee.
Academic Audit Committee.
Hostel & Canteen Committee.

How to update curriculum?

Need based.
Socially relevant.
Promote creativity in students.
Job / Career Oriented.
Research based.
Value / ethic based.

Role of Exam Committee

The Exam Committee is responsible for the

smooth conduct of Internal Tests, ,
Assignments, End- Semester and make up
Examinations.
All matters involving the conduct of
examinations, spot valuations, tabulations
preparation of Grade Cards etc fall within
the duties of the Examination Committee

Award of Degrees

The parent university will award degrees to

the students evaluated and recommended
by autonomous colleges.
The degree certificates will be in a common
format devised by the university.
The name of the college will be mentioned
in the degree certificate, if so desired.

Starting of new short term

courses

An autonomous college is free to start

diploma (undergraduate and
postgraduate) or certificate courses
as approved by the Academic Council
of the college, without the prior
approval of the university.
Diplomas and certificates shall be
issued under the seal of the college.

Starting of new degree /

Post Graduate courses

An autonomous College is free to start a new

degree or Post Graduate course with the
approval of the Academic Council of the College.
Such courses shall fulfill the minimum standards
prescribed by the University / UGC in terms of
number of hours, curricular consent and
standards
The University shall be duly informed of such
courses

Pattern of Financial
assistance
The Commission will provide assistance under this
scheme to autonomous colleges to meet their additional
and special needs(i) Guest / Visiting faculty.
(ii) Orientation and re-training of teachers.
(iii) Re- designing courses and development of teaching /
learning material.
(iv) Workshop and seminars.
(v) Examination reforms.
(vi) Office equipment, teaching aids and laboratory
equipment.

Financial assistance
(vii) Furniture for office, classrooms, library and
laboratories.
(viii) Library equipment, books / journals.
(ix) Expenditure on meetings of the Governing body
and Committees.
(x) Honorarium to controller of Examination (full time)
(xi) Accreditation (NAAC) fee.
(xii) Renovation and repair not leading to construction
of a new building.
(xiii) Extension activities.

Regulation of Autonomous
Colleges
Central Govt (MHRD)

UGC

State Govt.

University

Autonomous College

GOALS OF AUTONOMY
Short-term goals
-Educational innovations.

First Stage

-Designing curricula
-Own courses of study.
-Application / Practical oriented courses.
-Innovative teaching learning methods.
-Innovative evaluation methods.
-Industry link.

-Updating syllabi.

Second Stage

-Enhancement of faculty skills.

-Research and services of value to the
industry and society.

Long-term goals

Third Stage

-Interdisciplinary courses.
-Enhancement of curricular,
-Co-curricular and extra-curricular
skills.
-Compulsory life / job oriented courses.
-Internal / national interaction.

Downsides of Autonomy

A new kind of syllabus and curriculum can be

successfully implemented only after the
faculty members are comfortable with it.
And this may not be as easy as it may sound.
Conduct of exams, Valuation and declaration
of results poses challenges
No system/body to monitor the promises of
the institute in their demand of autonomy,
and how far over time have they justified the
autonomy they enjoy.

Why do colleges seek autonomy?

Autonomy for a college indicates a couple of positive
things about the college:
The desire of the college to set free from the
traditional and at times a standard approach of
educating a student in a particular field to improve
the standard of education.
The college is equipped with the right kind of
infrastructure and the faculties to support them
with the new and improved syllabus.

Why do colleges seek autonomy?

Introduce better practices in the system which

they can now frame for themselves, so better and
fairer evaluation, things follow schedule, and
operations get smoother.
And obviously in the popular culture autonomous
have a higher status compared to their counterparts, as it indicates a superiority and prestige.

Reasons for Quality

Maintenance

Competition
Customer Satisfaction
Maintaining Standards
Accountability
Improve employee morale and
motivation
Credibility, Prestige and Status
Image and Visibility

Objectives of a Quality
Institution
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, while envisioning India of
2020, recently observed

Spirit of Inquiry, creativity,

entrepreneurial and moral
leadership are the
capabilities central to nation
building in a democracy.

Educators should develop

in our children these
capacities and make them
autonomous learners who
are self-directed and selfcontrolled.

This should be the

objective of a quality
institution

What keeps an institution

strong?

The continued relevance,

quality and attractiveness
of the courses
The ability to renew itself
without losing its base of
excellence
Committed and capable
people who build and
sustain it regarding it as
their own
Do the staff belong to
the college or does the
college belong to them?