Anna University Gives 75 Days to Complete next Semester, Colleges Want More Time

The new academic schedule issued by Anna University will give 75 days to engineering colleges to complete the syllabus for the next semester. Engineering colleges have sought more time as they may have to conduct the whole semester online.

Anna University affiliated colleges need to begin the next academic year on 12 August; the last working day will be 26 October.

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The circular from the Centre for Academic Courses of Anna University to the colleges stated that online classes for all the higher semesters will be held for the theory courses until the situation returns to normal and classroom teaching is resumed. After that, laboratory classes will be conducted. If any alternative methods are used, the stakeholders will be intimated.

The circular also asked the colleges to maintain attendance for the online classes. The semester examinations will begin on 9 November, while the next semester will begin from 14 December onwards.

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However, the colleges had asked for 90 working days or 450 hours to complete the syllabus, including the laboratory classes. A college principal said that it will not be possible to conduct online classes longer than three hours a day for two reasons: most students do not have data plans and most of them cannot concentrate for more than three hours.

Regarding the directive of the university to give classes on Saturdays, another principal said that if Sundays were left out, there were only 60 working days. “It is not practically possible to cover the syllabus with online classes,” the principal said.

A principal suggested that Anna University should hold an online meeting with the principals of all affiliated colleges to discuss online classes and the academic schedule.

However, the director of MAM College of Engineering and Technology in Trichy said that it will be possible to finish the syllabus within the stipulated period of time, provided that students and faculty members cooperate.

Officials from the university said that the state government wanted to complete all academic activities before the end of March. The schedule was prepared accordingly.