A panel of Vice Chancellors deputed by the government to suggest ways to make internal assessment in colleges student-friendly has suggested the creation of a two-tier ombudsman system for grievance redressal and rigorous academic auditing in each college.
The panel, headed by Mahatma Gandhi University Vice Chancellor Babu Sebastian, submitted the report here on Wednesday to Education Minister C. Ravindranath.
The panel has suggested a four-pronged approach to reform the internal assessment system — academic auditing, transparency, grievance redressal mechanism, and summer courses.
Under academic auditing, an internal auditing system and a university-level auditing system are envisaged.
One professor/associate professor from each department would make up the internal auditing cell.
This cell will also make available to the external auditor such information as the latter desires.
The cell will also be tasked with the publication of monthly and annual reports to the external auditor and the university.
The external auditor shall visit their allotted educational institution(s) two or three times in a semester or as and when required by the university.
The external auditor shall prepare a report and forward it to the Principal of the institution and to the university.
The Principal shall give his response on the observations made by the auditor and shall submit to the university within one week the report mandates.
Transparency
In the interest of transparency, all information relating to the academic activities should be made available on a web-based platform. Through such a system parents can also view the internal assessment given to their wards and also the attendance records.
The teacher in charge of the class shall upload the details of absentees on the website the same day. The teacher should evaluate all the answer scripts within five academic working days after the conduct of examination. The marks of the test papers shall be uploaded after giving ample time for students to rectify any corrections in the valued answer scripts. This should not exceed 10 academic working days after the conduct of examination by the teacher in charge.
The marks of the seminar, assignment, viva voce or any other component of internal evaluation prescribed by the university/college shall be uploaded within five academic working days of completion of the component by the teacher in charge, the report says.
A mobile app with the consolidated details of semester-based academic progress of the student, including the attendance, marks for internal examinations, seminar, projects, etc., should be made available to the parents
The ombudsman — both college-level and at the university level — will collect evidence from the persons concerned about internal assessment issues. The summer course is designed to enable students to improve their internal assessment marks and to ensure adequate attendance.
