Bhubaneswar, Sept. 12: Utkal University is all set to introduce a series of academic reforms from the current session. One of the suggested changes is to introduce a grading system in place of the current marking system.
The grade system will be applicable to all postgraduate and undergraduate courses from next year.
“However, students appearing for the exams in 2013 will get both grades as well as marks since it will take time for them to get familiarised with the new system,” said postgraduate council chairman P.K. Mishra.
To bring in a flexible learning system, the academic pattern is being redesigned to enable students to opt for a diverse range of subjects. “There will be flexibility in the choice of subjects. A student who has physics as his main subject can also opt for Sanskrit or even accounts,” Mishra said.
Faculty members from all the departments have been asked to work out the details of the changes required in the curriculum design and submit it to the office by the next week.
After compilation, the matter will be passed on to the board of studies that consists of representatives from various academic institutions across the state.
Following this, the academic council will give its approval to the new changes. “The entire exercise will take about a year’s time,” Mishra said, adding that workshops would be held so that teachers and students get familiar with the new system.
The quality assurance cell of the varsity, headed by the vice-chancellor, is also working to introduce the semester system and conduct continuous internal assessment as per the UGC recommended “choice-based credit system”.
The news about the introduction of the grading system has already made students and senior faculty members apprehensive.
While some students said that grading would eliminate the negative effects of pass or fail and make it easier for teachers to award grades as per pre-determined range of marks, others felt that grades would not be comparable, thus making it difficult to check the progress of the students.
