Varsity’s vision document for fiscal lacks specific goals,say academicians

Similarly,while providing students with knowledge of the “distinctive and critical concepts for understanding the earth and environment” is listed as the mission of the Department of Geography,the Department of Sociology says it aims to provide pertinent solutions for “pressing social problems and thereby contribute to peaceful coexistence and harmony”.

Some faculty members alleged that they were not consulted during the process of drawing up this document. “The mission given for several departments does not enlist any specific target for the 2012-13 academic year and most of the ideas are vague. The document has been drawn in isolation,without taking into consideration the views of faculty members of the respective departments. In the very first page,Department of Applied Psychology’s vision says that the university is to ‘function as professionally and socially conscious psychologists and behavioral scientist who achieve excellence in knowledge generation.’ What exactly do you mean by this?” questioned a faculty member.

A senior professor said each department was asked to send five points for the document. “However,we are yet to receive the vision-mission document. When the university completed 150 years,a proper mission document was prepared. We should have concentrated on achieving the targets set then,instead of spending time on preparing a new document,” said the professor.

There are some exceptions like the Department of Economics which says that the process for introducing new MA degree programmes in econometrics,business economics is expected to be set in motion,or the Department of Linguistics which plans to start several diploma courses and an MPhil in linguistics.