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Kathmandu Friday December 14, 2001 Marga 29, 2058.
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Review of
affiliation of private campuses
By Dr Soorya Lal Amatya
Prior to the establishment of
Tribhuvan University in 1959, there were 26 colleges including 5 Government Colleges, 17
Private Colleges, 3 Sanskrit Mahabidyalaya and 1 College of Education. With the
implementation of the National Education System Plan (NESP) in 1971 all the private
colleges, government colleges and other colleges were brought under the direct management
of Tribhuvan University. All these colleges were declared constituent colleges of the
university. NESP had virtually imposed a restriction on the opening of new colleges. The
mid-term evaluation of NESP and the Royal Commission had concluded that Tribhuvan
University with its constituent campuses cannot meet the demand of the fast increasing
number of students for higher education. Tribhuvan University initiated granting of
permission for the establishment of private campuses in 1980 and 133 private campuses were
already set up by the year 1992. These were fairly scattered throughout the country and
quite a number of them were even established at the district headquarters and provided
opportunities for higher education to the rural people.
According to recent
statistics, there are at present 78 constituent campuses and 250 affiliated private
campuses in the country under the umbrella of the five universities. Tribhuvan University
(TU) accounts for 61 constituent campuses and 178 affiliated private campuses; Mahendra
Sanskrit University (MSU) has 12 constituent campuses and 4 affiliated campuses; Kathmandu
University (KU) has 2 main constituent campuses and 11 affiliated campuses; Purbanchal
University (PBU) has 2 constituent campuses and 37 affiliated private campuses; and
Pokhara University (POU) has 2 constituent campuses and 20 affiliated private campuses.
Currently, about 63 per cent of the total number of students in higher education are
enrolled in the constituent campuses and about 37 percent in affiliated private campuses.
All the five universities
have invariably adopted a policy and processes of granting affiliation to private
campuses. These universities have the process of sending a team of experts to investigate
the feasibility of a campus of higher education and local needs. First, a letter of intent
for granting affiliation is usually given on the basis of recommendations made by the team
of experts. Second, temporary affiliation is given after the campus has come into
operation. Third, permanent affiliation is granted to the campus concerned after its
successful operation for a number of years. Except Mahendra Sanskrit University. All the
other universities have provisions on collecting affiliation charges from the affiliated
private campuses. The other four universities collect affiliation charges as well as
affiliation service charges which is approximately ten per cent of the total annual
tuition fee paid by students. MSU has a provision of charging a nominal amount of
registration fee and no affiliation charges from Sanskrit campuses. Moreover, MSU provides
a substantial amount of grants to these Sanskrit campuses. But the regulations for
non-Sanskrit campuses relating to the teaching of B Ed in education and natural Ayurvedic
studies are different and MSU collects substantial affiliation charges from such
non-Sanskrit affiliated campuses.
TU has also imposed
affiliation charges on new campuses, but it has not been able to collect the affiliation
charges from the old affiliated campuses. In fact, the tuition fees at most of the old TU
affiliated campuses are relatively much lower and these campuses are facing difficulties
in complying with TU regulations in this context. Most of the TU affiliated campuses are
scattered throughout the country and quite a number are located in rural areas.
Some of the campuses have
affiliation with two different universities for different academic programmes. For example
St Xavier’s in Kathmandu has affiliation with TU for science academic programmes and
with KU for the Bachelor’s degree in Social Works and Environmental Science. Quite a
number of campuses in the eastern development region have affiliation with TU for the
certificate level and with PBU for bachelor level.
It seems there is keen
competition among the universities in the country in granting affiliation to new campuses
particularly in B Ed (education), medical science, engineering, information technology,
computer science and management. But the universities have no well designed/planned
concept or strategy for granting such affiliation nor for priority in academic
disciplines. In a number of cases the universities have granted affiliation in general,
professional and technical disciplines even if they do not have their own competent and
highly qualified staff or experts. However, TU stands as an exception in this context.
According to a recent study
made in relation to the present situation of affiliated campuses, it is quite clear that
supervision and monitoring were not carried out regularly at the affiliated campuses.
The chief campus administrators have invariably responded that compared to the constituent
campuses, the affiliated campuses are relatively neglected from the point of view of
supervision and monitoring. Regular academic supervision and monitoring of affiliated
campuses are needed to maintain the quality of education. There is a common practice of
using examination results as one of the main determinants of quality education in the
country. However, one of the vice-chancellors is of the view that employment percentage
within a year among successful graduates needs to be taken as one of the main determinants
of quality in education.
In recent years, the number of
affiliated campuses in professional and technical disciplines like engineering, medical
science, information technology, environmental science, computer application, and
management has been increasing remarkably. With the establishment of more affiliated
campuses in these fields there has been keen competition and this has led a to better
academic environment. Obviously, these campuses have contributed in meeting the demands of
professional and technical manpower in the country. However, there is no mechanism for
coordinating among the universities in respect of granting affiliation to campuses of
higher education. There is an urgent need for an institution that can coordinate and
provide broad guidance to all the universities in such matters. The National Planning
Commission is responsible for long term as well as short term planning for different
sectors in the country including the social sector. Education is one of the main
components of the social sector and the NPC should give due consideration the issues of
affiliation of campuses and provide HMG broad based advice in framing policies and
launching programmes for the development of higher education in the general, professional
and technical disciplines. At present, there seems to be no government agency that can
coordinate effectively among the five universities in the country. The University Grants
Commission can, to a considerable extent, provide the required broad guidance and
coordination in such issues.
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