Full Length Research Paper

The functioning of autonomous colleges

V. Pala Prasada Rao¹ and Digumarti Bhaskara Rao²*

¹Jagarlamudi Kuppuswamy Choudary College, Guntur 522006, Andhra Pradesh, India.

²RVR College of Education, D-43 (277) S.V.N. Colony, Guntur 522 006, Andhra Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: digumartibhaskararao@rediffmail.com .Tel: +91 949 3333 555,   +91 99493 99263.

Accepted 4 January 2012

  Abstract

The college gets separated from the university, though not completely, when it is an autonomous college, which is practice in India. Academic package will become flexible and the decision-making is internalized, changes and updating could be easily carried out, depending on the need as reflected from the feedback taken from alumni, user sectors, among others. Autonomy promotes academic culture unfettered from the shackles of affiliated system. It is, however, baffling to understand the reasons for the aversion for autonomous system as evinced from some quarters of academic circles. Even though many universities directed colleges to go for autonomous system, most of the affiliated colleges have not ventured to embrace autonomy perhaps fearing that it would pose problems of governance. The knowledge has assumed the form of intellectual property and countries imparting high quality education can on their own emerge triumphant and reap the fruits of the new GATT agreement. Indeed, the agreement paved way for the globalization of economy and this likely to lead globalization of higher education. Foreign institutions can thrive when the autonomous institutions lack the vigour and vision. Hence, these institutions should equip themselves to stem in the tide of invasion of foreign universities. It becomes imperative for the autonomous institutions to reflect on the aspects discussed and see for themselves how they can attempt at them by evolving suitable strategies and strive to realize the prescribed targets and avowed objectives of excellence. After the analysis of the findings and discussion, we would, finally, say that the college autonomy as a system is viable and has many advantages. Nevertheless, individuals are an inseparable part of it and, therefore, are the heart of a system. It is upon their shoulders that the success of the system rests. To put it squarely, individuals can either make or mar the system. Like many other good systems, College Autonomy will fail to realize the enshrined objectives if individuals go bankrupt of ideas and are lacking in sincerity of purpose, intellectual dynamism and above all, discipline. If the stakeholders go wrong, then it is not the failure of the system but the collective inadequacy of the individuals. A system prospers or becomes puerile because of the individuals who are the crux of it.

Key words: Autonomy, GATT, globalization, Academic package