A host of challenges await the newly appointed Vice-chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University, Dr P Gunasekaran.
The official communication from the Tamil Nadu Governor (who is also the Chancellor of the university) on his nomination had reached the university office on Wednesday evening.
Fifty-nine-year-old Gunaseakaran is the fourth vice-chancellor of the university, after heading the department of genetics under the School of Life Sciences in Madurai Kamaraj University.
The Governor has nominated him as the V-C for Thiruvalluvar University for a period of three years.
Barring the first V-C, Dr Susila Thirumaran, who served her full term of three years from 2002, the next two V-Cs did not complete their terms. While the second V-C Dr L Kannan quit his office 10 months before his three-year term, the third V-C, Dr Jothi Murugan, was appointed in 2010 resigned citing personal reasons in December 2011.
The 10-year-old university has colleges affiliated to it from Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts, with an enrolment of around 1.25 lakh students, besides housing Tamil, English, Mathematics, Economics, Chemistry, Zoology and Biotechnology departments at its campus at Serkadu. The present V-C joins the university at a time when complaints regarding the appointment of teaching staff by the university for its seven departments are being probed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. Professor Kumar, Chairman, Thiruvalluvar University Coordination Council says, one of the challenges for the new V-C is reformation of the university’s administration.
The university has been waiting for long time to get 12B status from the University Grants Commission that would facilitate it to get research grants from the Government of India and other institutions, to improve the quality of higher education. In the past 10 years, V-Cs have made many attempts in this direction, but in vain. “This should be the number one priority for the new V-C,” he said.
The university needs a focused attempt to improve its financial condition. The new V-C should address the difficulties faced by the administration, affiliation, examination sections and the affiliated colleges. It is yet to have a permanent establishment and planning committee; the new V-C should look into this, Kumar added.
The posts of registrar, deputy and assistant registrars, and controller of examinations must also be filled up, Kumar said. Regularisation of temporary employees, strengthening of correspondence courses offered through Tiruvalluvar Institute of Distance Education (TIDE), and revamping of the examination section are the other challenges.
The new V-C should also enforce policies and guidelines on self-financing colleges, Kumar said.