Mumbai varsity to offer credits system

MUMBAI: Studying economics along with law or maths in tandem with music will now be possible at the University of Mumbai.

In a watershed move, the faculty of the university’s three largest streams—arts, science and commerce—have approved a choice-based credit and semester system at the undergraduate and post-graduate level from this June. The three proposals will now move up to the academic council, and will be tabled later before the management council for official sanctions.

The credit system, followed for aeons in universities around the world, takes into account a student’s performance throughout the entire duration of the course, unlike now, where only his/her final exam scores get recorded. Also, credits are given for the number of hours a student attends class, thus keeping a check on attendance. Hence, credit is defined in terms of hours, and students are evaluated based on classroom tests and final semester exams.

Each of the three-year-long courses will now be sliced into six semesters, two semesters making up a year. Eventually, the cumulative of each semester’s average will make up the final score (see credit calculator). Examinations will have two components: a written examination at the end of each semester and a host of classroom-level tests, where teachers will conduct internal continuous assessment in the form of surprises tests, quizzes, written assignments or fieldwork. This will allow flexibility to faculty members and ensure that a student is up to date with course work.

“The credit system will ensure that students attend class to earn their credits.

The final graduation mark sheet will reflect what the student has picked up in the entire three-year course. Classroom tests and presentations will empower teachers and will cut down students’ stress levels too,” said Parvathi Venkatesh, dean of faculty, arts.

Internally, the university will continue assessing students in marks, but these scores will be converted to grades (quality) points. For example, a student scoring between 70 and 80 will have a quality point of 8.

The maximum quality point is 10 (scores between 90 and 100) and minimum is 0 (scores less than 40).
Siddheshwar Gadade, dean of the faculty of commerce, said the university would not be able to immediately allow students to take up courses across different streams.

“Hence we have merely woven the credit system into the existing structure,” he explained. “But once the system is well oiled and functioning smoothly, we will allow students to move across streams—eventually, our system will provide the flexibility to study commerce with chemistry or even history.”

S B Patil, dean of science, said, “The new system will enable a science student to take up psychology if he wants and complete his credits. If a student wants to move to another university or institute, his/her credits will be transferred.” He added that continuous assessment, open book tests and other progressive developments in colleges and university departments would follow soon.

The originating point of the credit system was in 2008 when the University Grants Commission directed all vice-chancellors to adopt the semester system, introduce academic reforms and go in for the choice-based credit system (CBCS). While drawing up the fund allocation under the 11th Plan Statement, the UGC had stated that grants would be directly proportional to the implementation of the academic and administrative reforms suggested by it.

When varsities in Maharashtra did not act upon the directive, the state government rapped them and linked their annual grants to the implementation of CBCS. Now other state universities are to follow suit and usher in the academic reforms from either the coming academic session or the next one.

According to the UGC, close to 70 universities have so far agreed to adopt the new system—several central and state varsities have already implemented CBCS. Currently, the UGC give grants to 180 universities across India.

“The semester system will hopefully end the tried-and-tested method of selective cramming just in time for the final exams,” said a former vice-chancellor. Mumbai University will be expected to conduct exams more frequently so that students can take them as and when they want to.

Once the university councils okay the proposals, the varsity will conduct workshops for college heads and teachers so that the implementation process is smooth.

Source: hemali.chhapia@timesgroup.com

Beware of Bachelor of Fake – All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE)

AICTE has identified over 200 institutions that offer degrees and courses not approved by the statutory councils

By Dipti Sonawala ( Mumbai Mirror)

Posted On Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 03:49:08 AM

Before you get excited about advertisements of institutions promising you a radiant future, you may need to do some homework. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has identified 201 institutions that offer technical and management courses not approved by them or the University Grants Commission (UGC). Of these, 74 have a presence in Maharashtra. The body is concerned that students pay exorbitant amounts to enrol in under-graduate and post-graduate courses with these institutions only to realise that the degree doesn’t help them get a job or pursue further studies. Prabhat Kumar Sahoo, director and regional officer of AICTE, western region, said, “A number of leading institutions like the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, ICFAI Business School, Mumbai and other branches, J K Business School Gurgaon, MB Birla Institute of Management, Bharitya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore and Sikkim Manipal University and Frankfinn Airhostess Academy, Mumbai and Pune, figure in the list of institutions that run courses not approved by AICTE.. These institutions do not have any right to confer or grant degrees in these courses. This can have serious consequences for students in terms of eligibility for employment and higher studies.” UGC and AICTE are working towards spreading awareness about this issue in order to caution students and parents. Dr. Sahoo said, “We have been advised by the HRD ministry to launch an effective campaign against such institutions. The Government is also looking into a legislative proposal to restrict these unfair practices.” Sriram Gopalakrishnan, Head of Marketing and Communications, Indian School of Business, said, “The ISB’s one-year post-graduate programme does not fall under the ambit of the AICTE’s current regulatory mechanism for business schools and hence we have not applied for approval. The ISB has been established as a world-class institution. We have already started the process for a global accreditation. At the same time, the ISB continues to abide by the law of the land.” Sunanda Eshwaran, Dean at ICFAI Business School, Mumbai campus, told Mumbai Mirror, “We have never misguided our students over the issue of approval and recognition. It is clearly mentioned in our website that we have not sought AICTE approval. We also inform our students and their parents about this during admissions. For this approval, we need to fulfil certain criteria. As and when we fulfil these, we will seek AICTE’s approval.” Vice-President, Corporate Communication, Frankfinn Institute of Airhostess training, said, “We are shocked to find our institute’s names in the AICTE list. We do not need any approval from them as our institute does not come under the purview of AICTE and UGC. We provide vocational and not technical training.” What you should do before applying ? Students and their parents should refer to the websites of UGC (http://www.ugc.ac.in http://www.ugc.ac.in)  and the AICTE (http://www.aicte-india.org) to check the list of recognised Indian Universities/Institutions before joining them

US degree may become passport to green card

Washington: To attract the world’s “best and the brightest”, a group of top Democratic senators on Friday proposed immediate green cards for foreigners with advanced degrees from American institutes who also have job offers. This is good news for India which sends a large number of students to the US.
At the same time, they have proposed tightening of rules for H-1B and L1 visas, popular among Indian technology professionals.
The proposals being put forward by a coalition of powerful Democratic Senators are aimed at fixing the country’s broken immigration system.
The proposals “will reform America’s high-skilled immigration system to permanently attract the world’s best and brightest while preventing the loss of American jobs to temporary foreign labour contractors,” said a report drawn by senators Charles E Schumer, Harry Reid and Bob Menendez. At the moment, high-skilled workers are prevented from migrating to the US due to restrictive caps on their entry, says the 26-page conceptual proposal for immigration reform.
“In order to accomplish this goal, a Green Card (permanent residency) will be immediately available to foreign students with an advanced degree from a US institution of higher education in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and who possess an offer of employment from a US employer in a field related to their degree,” it says. India sends the maximum number of students for higher studies to the US in the field of science, mathematics, engineering and technology and is therefore expected to benefit the most.
Under the current system, Indians have to wait for several years to get the coveted Green Card. “To address the fact that workers from some countries face unreasonably long backlogs, this proposal eliminates the per-country employment immigration caps,” the proposal said. PTI
Class Act
A group of Democrats in the US have proposed immediate visas for students with advanced degrees from American universities who also have job offers
If approved, India would benefit the most since it sends the highest number of students to the US
The senators argue that the proposal would ‘attract the world’s best and the brightest’

Source – Times of India dated 2nd May 2010

Reasons Students Participate in ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

A recent survey of 2,598 high school seniors who had received a 3 or better on select AP Exams asked questions about the students’ reasons for taking AP courses, and the intended uses of the AP Exam grades in college. Here are some of their responses:

• 83 percent of the students reported that they  took AP courses to improve their chances of getting into the college they wanted
• Over two-thirds reported that they took AP courses in order to get into advanced classes earlier
• Over half took AP courses in order to make time to take more electives in college
• Less than a third indicated that they hoped to  use credit from AP Exams to graduate from  college sooner

“AP success serves as an effective placement tool.”

Source : www.collegeboard.com

Singhania School Thane ( Nr.Mumbai) Mega fair on 25-26-27 DEC 09

Visit us on Stall no 34 on Friday 25th, Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th December 2009 from 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm

FOR STUDENTS IN 10^TH, 11^TH AND 12^TH STANDARD

[ICSE & ISC, IB, AS/A LEVELS]

COUNSELING / GUIDANCE for Abroad Studies – USA, UK, CANADA, SWITZERLAND, etc

How to handle:

• College Board tests – SAT, SAT SUBJECTS, PSAT, AP [Advanced placement]?
• TOEFL, IELTS
• UCAS [UK] admission process

From multiple options available as on date, how to choose the right course?

How to target scholarships & tuition waivers?

For Graduates – MULTIPLE OVERSEAS STUDY–WORK OPTIONS

USA, UK, CANADA, SWITZERLAND, SINGAPORE, NEW ZEALAND, HONG KONG, etc

CAREER IN HOTEL MANAGEMENT [Hospitality sector]

• 6 months study + 6 months paid Hotel training
• Fees only after VISA, on Campus food & accommodation
• Campus placement, earning INR 90,000/- per month.

School of Business – MBA, MBA Top-up, PG, HND, foundation certificate

School of finance
School of computing-MSc, PG, HND, foundation certificate
School of Tourism

And many more programs…

EXPLORE your options & and get your queries resolved from experienced education counselors.

There is absolutely “no charge” for the FIRST counseling session. Generally our FREE session lasts for 45 to 60 mins.

Will an excellent GMAT score get me into the TOP Business School?

The admissions committee will not “fit” you on the basis of “data points”. They want to know more about you, hence most of the leading business schools craft an in depth application for candidates to complete.  The primary components of the application are work experience, GMAT test scores, what an applicant’s supervisors think of him/her, what classes were taken at undergrad level, personal character, etc. The work experience is evaluated, not in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality–the impact the applicant has had on their organization and his or her natural leadership qualities.

Those who join at an earlier stage of their career should be able to demonstrate in their application, what they will be able to contribute to the School’s experience, as well as have superb academic credentials and the maturity and self-confidence to handle the intensity of the program.

Some schools insist on meeting the applicants in person and also want to hear about their future plans.

It is advisable to the applicant to visit/ connect with the current students or alumni of the school they wish to join.

Admissions – “Wait listed” category – how to handle?

“Wait list” is a different category of decisions on the part of college admissions’ officers. It may prove helpful to many of our readers if they understand this process.

First, there is a clear upward trend line each year in the number of students being placed on individual colleges wait list. This a standby category that can feel like being put in limbo.

What is behind this practice and what does it mean to an applicant?

Students now apply on average to eight or nine colleges. This makes it close to impossible for the admission staff to know how many candidates they should admit in order to arrive at their target first year enrolled class. They know that only a percentage (which is unpredictable each year) will actually choose to accept their offer of outright admission. Therefore, the admissions committee will offer the standby category to a large number of applicants with the idea that if they underestimated the number of admitted students who will choose to enroll; they can then turn to their wait listed candidates. This policy is fundamentally a safety net for the college to be certain that they attain their desired student enrollment.

This policy can work to your advantage, if you are placed on the wait list of a college that you have a strong interest in. You or rather your counselor should keep in touch with the admission officers indicating your desire to remain an active candidate.

Essay Topics – worth practice

Select one of the following essay topics and practice a writing sample. We highly recommend that you take your time and thoughtfully prepare your essay.

• Discuss an issue of state, national or global concern to you.

• If you could live your life, fighting for one cause what would it be and why?

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact did the experience have on you?

• What gives meaning to your life?

• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?

• Where do you see yourself in ten years?

• Why are you the right fit for ABC college ?

• What book that you’ve read recently would you recommend to a friend and why?

• What is something you are passionate about?

• If you were given 1 million dollars today what would you do with it?

• If there was one thing you could change about yourself what would it be and why?

• Define “success”.

• What’s the value of failure?

• What sets you apart from your peers?

• If you could sit down with any one person for an hour, who would it be and why?

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Rules for F-1 Students

New OPT Rule

As of April 8, 2008, a new interim final rule regarding OPT has been established by the Department of Homeland Security. The highlights of this new rule are:

Extension of OPT for students in specific fields

Student’s, who have completed a degree program in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) are eligible for a 17 month extension of the OPT approval.

STEM Fields include:

– Actuarial Science
– Computer Science Applications
– Engineering
– Engineering Technologies
– Biological and Biomedical Sciences
– Mathematics and Statistics
– Military Technologies
– Physical Sciences
– Science Technologies
– Medical Scientist (MS, PhD)

Additional eligibility requirements include:

–  You must be currently authorized for a 12-month period of OPT and working for a US employer in a job directly to your field of study
– You must have successfully completed a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in a field on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program
– At the time of application for the 17-month extension, you must have a job-offer or be employed by an employer registered with the “E-Verify” federal employment verification system.
– You must not have previously received a 17-month OPT extension after earning a STEM degree.

Reporting requirements for students

All students on OPT are required to report and update the following information to the ISS office:

– Change of name
– Change of residential or mailing address
– Name and address of employee
– Change in the name or address of employer
– When employment changes or terminates

In addition, students with an approved 17-month OPT extension must report to the student’s DSO within 10 days of any change of:

– legal name
– residential or mailing address
– employer name
– employer address, and/or
– loss of employment

You must also provide a report every six months to the ISS office to verify the above information.

Limits period of unemployment while on OPT

During post-completion OPT, F-1 status is dependent upon employment. Students may not accrue an aggregate of more than 90 days of unemployment during any post-completion OPT. Students granted a 17-month OPT extension may not accrue an aggregate of more than 120 days of unemployment during the total 29-month OPT period.

Changes in OPT application deadlines

The rule now allows student to apply up to 90 days before program completion and 60 days after program completion.

Helpful web resources available on the new OPT rule:

Department of Homeland Security Announcement click here

US Citizenship and Immigration Services Q and A click here

NAFSA: Association of International Educators Resource on the Interim Final Rule click here

Text of Interim Final Rule
Text format, 27 pages click here
pdf file, 13 pages click here

Linden U.S. University fair at TAJ Lands End, Mumbai India – 15 Sep 2009 ( India Fall 2009)

For those, who could not attend this Linden University fair, here are a few highlights:

The fair was well organized locally by U.S. – India Educational Foundation (USIEF)

Quite a number of universities were present and here is a list ( alphabetical order) of few universities, which impressed the audience with their high ranking programs ( both undergrad and graduate), merit based scholarships to international students (Indians in this case), quick offers including application fee waivers on the spot :

Adelphi University

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Florida Institute of Technology

Foothill and DeAnza Colleges

Iowa State University of S & T

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Stony Brook University

University of Buffalo

University of Michigan

University of San Francisco