DU students to get a more patient hearing

NEW DELHI: D has introduced a tutor-ward system for undergraduate as well as postgraduate students from this session. The practice is prevalent in ivy league universities across the world and in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) here.
Under the scheme, each student will be assigned a personal tutor who will act as his ‘‘friend, philosopher and guide’’ during his studies.This is one of the several initiatives in the parcel of academic reforms that the university has implemented this year. ‘‘This system is followed in almost all foreign universities. If a tutor observes behavioural problems in a student, he can send a report to the personal tutor, who can then take it up with the student,’’ said DU vice-chancellor Deepak Nayyar.
Nayyar feels this system creates accountability as students will feel free to share their problems with teachers. ‘‘The student can also speak his mind if he feels he is being discriminated against by a teacher,’’ he added. University insiders said the scheme also caught the fancy of President A P J Abdul Kalam during the vice-chancellor’s meeting. Most colleges are busy working out logistics for implementing the system.
Though most principals appreciate the idea, many have voiced apprehension about the packed schedules — especially after the introduction of contact hours and internal assessment which require written assignments and tutorials. Moreover, with the student-teacher ratio being large, each teacher is likely to get 15 to 20 wards depending on the strength of the class. ‘‘It’s all about teachers being accessible to students. Contact hours have made it possible academically. This will help students sort out other problems,’’ said Gargi college principal Hema Raghavan.
She has asked her staff to look into the matter. Interestingly, this is not entirely a new concept in DU. Alive in the 60s, the system gradually petered out. Some colleges, however, continued the practice informally. ‘‘The system was there when I joined Kamala Nehru College in 1966. Each teacher was assigned a batch of 20 students and they used to meet once a week,’’ Raghavan said.