New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) in its latest guidelines said civil servants, engineers, media persons, armed forces officers, lawyers and artists with 15 years of experience will now be able to teach in colleges and universities without a PhD.
In its guidelines on ‘Professor of Practice’ accessed by ThePrint, the UGC also said that such candidates were exempted from the condition of publishing a research paper – a mandate for regular faculty recruitment in higher education.
The UGC approved the plan in its meeting held last week, its chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar told ThePrint. The guidelines will be issued publicly soon, he informed.
The UGC president told ThePrint in March that the idea was to recruit industry expert Discussed with Vice Chancellors of various universities.
“Those who have proved expertise in their specific profession, or with at least 15 years of service/experience in the role, preferably at senior level, are eligible for Professor of Practice,” the guidelines issued on Monday said. Will be.”
This category of professors can be from fields such as engineering, science, technology, entrepreneurship, commerce, social science, media, literature, fine arts, civil service, armed forces, law and public administration.
The guidelines state that only 10 per cent of the total faculty of an educational institution can be a ‘professor of practice’ at any point.
The plan has divided academics, with a section saying that universities and institutions should proceed cautiously to implement the plan.
Former Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh said that although it was a good idea “in theory”, institutions would need to get “creative” for implementation.
“Theoretically, this is a welcome idea as our universities need to move away from the confines of blackboards and books in a significant way. In other words, our knowledge systems need to be aligned to the needs and challenges of the real world. However, in no university is this happening in a meaningful way. The NEP (National Education Policy) is shouting from the roof for this to happen,” he said.
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what does the policy say
Under the new UGC guidelines, the vice-chancellor or director of an educational institution can nominate experts to such posts.
“Experts desirous of serving may also be nominated or may send their nomination to the Vice-Chancellor/Director along with detailed resume and a brief writing about their potential contribution to the institute,” the guidelines said.
The nomination will be considered by a selection committee consisting of two senior professors of the Institute and one eminent external member. Academic Council and Executive Council of the Institute or its statutory academic bodies on the recommendation of the Committee Will decide who to include.
Such ‘Professors of Practice’ will not only give lectures, but will also work on “active collaboration” to design their own curriculum as well as various aspects in the industry, such as project work or obtaining internships.
tenure of such faculty members”Initially for one year” and later it can be extended up to four years but not beyond that.
“At the end of the initial engagement or subsequent expansion, the institute will conduct an assessment and take a decision about the extension,” the guidelines said. “It will prepare its evaluation process for expansion based on the contribution and need of experts engaged as professors of practice.”
The guidelines state, “The maximum period of service of a Professor of Practice in a given institution shall not exceed three years and may be extended to one year in exceptional cases and the total service shall not in any circumstances exceed four years.” Should be.”
‘Not new’ to ‘oppose teachers’: what academics think
A Jawaharlal Nehru University professor said hiring people for short-term roles – such as adjunct faculty positions – is not new to universities in the country. “I don’t see what’s new with this plan until we get some exemplary talent like that coming from NASA and teaching at our institutions,” the professor said.
However, some feared the repercussions of such a policy. Subodh Kumar, professor of political science at Delhi University, said the policy would “undermine the quality of higher education”.
“This idea will only contradict the existing teaching community. Teaching is not just about imparting textbook knowledge, it is much more than that. (It) is something that only a teacher understands; not an engineer or a civil servant,” They said.
Kumar said this will also have an impact on the reservation policy, “as the 10 per cent who will be hired will be (through) direct recruits.”
But, it seems that the government has taken care not to disturb the quota of reservation. “The engagement of Professor of Practice shall be except in the sanctioned posts of a University/College. This will not affect the number of sanctioned posts and the recruitment of regular faculty members,” read the UGC guidelines.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)