Student-teacher ratio hit over staff crisis at Mysuru varsity

V-C G. Hemantha Kumar says the university is being run with 272 faculty members out of 667 sanctioned posts as the last appointment was done in 2007; NAAC rating was affected for this reason

The dearth of faculty in University of Mysore (UoM) has affected the student-teacher ratio and also its overall rating which has dropped to ‘A’ from ‘A-plus’. Out of 667 teaching posts, the university currently has 272 posts and the guest lecturers are being appointed every year to deal with the shortage of teaching posts.

Disclosing this at the Academic Council meeting here on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar said the student-teacher ratio has touched 1:25 and this was one of the key reasons for the drop in NAAC rating.

Five years ago, the student-teacher ratio was 1:17 as the university had around 400 teaching posts. With the superannuation of many professors, the vacancy list has grown bigger, and the NAAC does not consider the support of guest teaching faculty in its assessment, he explained.

The presentation of research papers has also dropped to 4,000 from 5,000 a year with the shortage of professors, associate and assistant professors.

JD(S) MLC Manje Gowda took exception to not getting a reply to his letter and brought to the notice of the VC the issues he had raised in his letter. After replying to his questions, Prof. Kumar explained reasons for the drop in NAAC rating.

Replying to Academic Council member Shashi from Mandya, the Vice-Chancellor said he would once again write to the government to consider inclusion of Academic Council members, like the Syndicate members, in the college inspection committees.

Mr. Shashi sought the inclusion as he does not want to give approval for the renewal of recognition and affiliation of degree colleges merely on the basis of the report submitted in the meeting without examining their infrastructure.