By Oindrilla, Paridhi, Saumia
Add on courses are to be subtracted from many college prospectuses as DU forces colleges to be more transparent and also limit the number of such courses offered by them.
Organized with the help of private organizations or the University Grants Commission (UGC), these courses claim to provide the students with an edge in the intensely competitive job market. However, if a study of the courses offered is conducted then it may be found that colleges claim to offer a lot more than they are actually able provide. Extra courses need proper infrastructure and faculty to back them up while providing students with the care that they have paid for. Another area of concern was the high course fee charged by some colleges for the same course and thus a committee was set up to look into the ways these courses are used to attract students at the beginning of each year. The agenda was to force colleges to be more transparent and limit the number of courses offered by them to a more manageable 7 or 8.
The committee’s recommendations were that the content of the courses should be clearly mentioned along with the fee and timings as well as the faculty who would be responsible for the conduction of the course in question. It also pointed out that if a steeper fee was demanded for a course then it was important to clarify what other substantial material was offered to make it worth the students while and prevent them from being cheated.
In the midst of the inquiry it was also said that there was a basic flaw in offering courses like media studies and tourism due to the lack of adequate infrastructure to support the mandatory practical work.
Many of these courses sound interesting and incredibly fun but the truth of the matter remains that only a few are functioning properly and holding examinations.
Ramjas College for instance has a staggering 26 add on courses listed on their website out of which the classes for only the following were held last year: Development of Entrepreneurship Excellence, Bioinformatics– Future of Biological Research, Communication & Self Development, Biotechnology, Mass Media Ethics Studies,
Film Appreciation, Forensic Science, Peace and Conflict Resolution
It is therefore imperative to be sure of whether a college offers the desired course option before one joins the college. Students are advised to talk to students of the college. Alternatively students can write in to DU Beat at [email protected] .
Other Interesting Add-on Courses in different colleges
Hindu College: Acting Skills, Creative Writing
Miranda House: Course in Theatre Direction with the help of National School of Drama (NSD)
Hansraj College: Radio Jockeying and Travel and Tourism
Gargi College: Education for Peace Building
Sri Venkateswara College: Molecular and Biochemical Technology