Teaching-Learning and Evaluation

The teaching-learning process is strengthened through periodical seminars, field visits, intensive laboratory courses and compulsory project work for all the PG programmes. The use of audio-visual equipments has been facilitated and they are more frequently used. The University is keen on allocating a major portion of the budget for the academic programmes. The student admission in most of the PG programmes is on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination, entrance test and interview. By and large, the rigorous admission screening helps the Departments to get the best of the applicants.

Generally, the question paper setting is assigned to experts in the topics contained in that course from other universities and research institutes. One of the examiners to evaluate the answer papers is chosen generally as the teacher who set that particular question paper. There is a separate passing minimum in marks for a pass both in the Continuous Internal Assessment and in the Comprehensive Examination.

The classes are handled mostly by full-time faculty. But in the School of Engineering and Technology, BIM and some of the Departments with less-than-optimal faculty on position, the services of guest faculty are availed. The teachers are well qualified that 182 out 195 are Ph.D.s. Almost all the teachers have computers with internet connection at their disposal. All the Departmental libraries enjoy sizeable recurring grant for the purchase of books and journals. As of now, there are more than 60,000 volumes in the Departmental libraries.

The pass percentage of students has been quite impressive excepting in one or two subjects in some years. The evaluation system in the university is another strong point. We have semester system and Choice Based Credit System for all the PG programmes with a Continuous Internal Assessment of 25% to 40%. The University Departments, being autonomous, fix their own examiners depending upon the experience and specialization of the experts in the field. The faculty members keep abreast with the recent developments in their subject areas and topic of research by (i) attending conferences and special lectures, (ii) visiting other institutions for discussion and collaboration, (iii) inviting experts from reputed institutions to give lectures and (iv) reading advanced level books and research publications. There is double central valuation, with a provision for retotalling. If any student is aggrieved over the valuation, he/she can get the xerox copy of the valued answer script and appeal for revaluation. This facility is available for the students of affiliated colleges also. Thus, there is an element of transparency which improves the credibility of examinations system. The question paper pattern has undergone structural changes during the last ten years few times. Changes in the question paper pattern were implemented to introduce innovation, creativity and problem solving skills. The question paper pattern has been so structured to test the cognitive skills of the students by including objective type, short answer, definition, concept based questions and problems. The examination system has been fully computerised with the in-house-developed software, specially suiting to the requirements of the affiliated colleges programmes, covering over 1.14 lakh students in more than 200 programmes involving over 6600 Question Papers per semester. The processing of results, DTP printing of Certificates/Degrees etc are all done without delay. Our record of performance in the examination front has received alround appreciation that in the past, this university got the credit of conducting Tamil Nadu State-Level Education Test (SLET) and also Teacher Recruitment Board (TRB) examinations for appointment of lecturers in the government colleges of Tamil Nadu.

The faculty members submit the annual self-appraisal about their teaching, research and extension activities which will be used at the time of promotion. The University has also introduced student-evaluation of teachers through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell and it is followed up. Some initiatives have been made towards tutorial system and remedial teaching for the weaker students which could be further strengthened.