THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP) introduced in universities and colleges is set to enter its second year, arrangements have been made to allow students to switch between colleges and universities and also to avail of the option of changing their major subject of study.
The FYUGP structure permits student transfers and course changes at the start of the third semester (second year). Accordingly, Higher Education Minister R Bindu chaired a meeting of major state universities here on Tuesday, in which a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the purpose was adopted.
For a change of major subject, colleges will publish a list of vacant seats on the first working day of the new academic year.
If needed, a 10% hike in seats will be implemented. Students can change their major subject to the one already chosen as a minor or being pursued in a multidisciplinary mode.
Colleges will prepare a rank list based on the marks of students who want to change their major. The process will be completed in the first five working days.
For inter-college transfers, colleges will inform universities of the vacant seats after giving students the option to change their major subject. Based on the applications received from students, universities will prepare a rank list and hand it over to colleges.
However, students will have to produce an affidavit that they have not faced any disciplinary action for ragging in order to avail of the inter-college transfer.
Students who have passed all courses in the first two semesters will be eligible for inter-university transfers. As per the SOP, students from other states will also be eligible to seek transfer to universities in Kerala. Such applications will be vetted by the university boards of studies. If the student has obtained the prescribed credits, admissions will be carried out at the college level.
“As the transfer of students between colleges and universities is effective from the upcoming academic year, the need to stick to a uniform academic calendar has become all the more relevant,” Bindu told reporters after the meeting. Accordingly, universities have decided to adopt a uniform academic calendar. As per the calendar, the first-year FYUGP classes are scheduled to begin on July 1.
The minister added that new courses will be added by universities to the basket of minor courses.
The courses will focus on skill development and employability and will complement the major course of study. Besides, comprehensive training will be provided to teachers as part of a comprehensive revision of the existing teaching-learning-examination and evaluation system.