Bunking classes at PU? Be careful!

PU authorities state the move aims to inculcate a sense of discipline among the students and also help parents keep a track of their child’s attendance. The varsity plans to extend this method of marking attendance to other affiliated colleges in the city as well.

Prof Naval Kishore,Dean Student’s Welfare told Newsline,“The idea has been mooted by Vice Chancellor Prof R C Sobti and all the departments have been communicated about the change. The move will not only help students keep a personal record but will also keep them away from bunking classes as their attendance would be now made available to their parents as well.”

The official website containing attendance records would be updated everyday. Professors and lecturers will be required to upload the attendance taken by them soon after they finish with their lecture. The record of all the students would be maintained by the office of respective departments and students will have access to their particular account. Each student would be assigned a code and their user name and password will give them access to their attendance record.

A similar system is already in place at PU’s University Institute of Engineering Technology (UIET) and University Institute of Applied Management Science (UIAMS).

In all,twenty six departments have already been identified for the introduction of the new online method of marking attendance. But the system would be in place in all the departments by the time classes begin in the new academic session,authorities stated.

Meanwhile,the latest decision by the varsity has invited criticism from faculty members who believe this is just a system by to keep a check on the faculty.

Speaking to Newsline a senior faculty member said,“Since it’s we who would upload the attendance,the officials will automatically know the number of lectures delivered by different Lecturers or Professors. There should be no such check as we are responsible enough to know the system of working.”

Still a step away?

With the university lacking infrastructure with regards to the number of computers in various departments,implementing the proposal for online attendance would require a lot of efforts to be implemented. But interestingly,UIET and UIAMS already follow the system of marking attendance online.