Delhi University’s Academic Council meeting on July 24 will consider a proposal to convert the School of Open Learning into a Centre for Distance and Online Education, in line with UGC’s 2022 distance education regulations.
Delhi University’s School of Open Learning may soon operate under a new name and a restructured administrative setup. The Academic Council meeting scheduled for July 24 will take up a proposal to convert SOL into a Centre for Distance and Online Education, abbreviated as CDOE.
The change, if approved, goes beyond renaming. Under the proposal, the designation of SOL’s principal will also be changed to that of a director, who must be a full-time officer of at least associate professor rank.
The restructuring is meant to bring DU’s distance education setup in line with UGC’s Open and Distance Learning and Online Programmes Regulations of 2022, which made it mandatory for all universities, except open universities, to establish a CDOE to run distance and online programmes. SOL was first established in 1962 and is one of the largest distance education institutions in India.
SOL’s governing body had recommended the proposal at a July 15 meeting, and it will now go to the Academic Council for a decision. DU has said the restructuring is necessary given the growing demand for digital education and the need to bring administrative arrangements in line with current UGC standards. Once CDOE is formed, the conduct of online and distance courses, quality monitoring, and administrative arrangements will be handled in a more structured way, according to the university.
The July 24 meeting will also take up several other proposals, including the introduction of the Arun Jaitley Scholarship for three undergraduate sports students, a fourth-year research and entrepreneurship track under UGCF-2022, and the launch of a four-year integrated BA-BEd programme at Lady Shri Ram College from the 2026-27 academic session.
For the over five lakh students currently enrolled at SOL, the university has not indicated any change in courses, fees, or degree recognition as a result of the renaming.
Image Source: DU SOL
Abhishek Goverdhan
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