Pact inked to improve quality of higher education

BANGALORE: The State government, in order to improve quality of higher education, last week inked an MoU with National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for Total Quality Management, Assessment and Accreditation of Colleges in Karnataka.
As part of the MoU, an `Action Plan for Quality Higher Education'' has also been drawn up to ensure that the process of self-study, assessment and accreditation of affiliated colleges is completed by December 2003.
The University Grants Commission has set December 2003 as deadline for all affiliated colleges, and December 2002 for all universities for obtaining NAAC''s accreditation.
The first stage of the action plan began from October this year with the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of all affiliated colleges, which are yet to be accredited.
The second stage will focus on analysis of data by NAAC with assistance from state-level working and regional committees (constituted by NAAC).
NAAC will then continue with the assessment and accreditation process in the case of colleges which fulfill the criteria. This will be followed by the presentation of a comprehensive report on the affiliated colleges, their problems and areas of concern, to the State government.
The final stage will include a review of the procedures by the State-Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) and identification of colleges having the potential of getting accreditation in the next six months.
"All officers of department of collegiate education and principals of all affiliated colleges, government, private aided and unaided are requested to ensure the action plan is implemented in a meaningful manner,''" Higher Education Secretary T.M. Vijaybhaskar said in the circular dated October 24.
With about 14 months to go before the deadline for accreditation of all affiliated colleges, it remains to be seen whether the mission can be accomplished.