Choice-based credit system for grads soon

PANAJI: The choice-based credit system (CBCS) is finally ready to be implemented from 2017-18 in Goa University affiliated colleges for the BA, BCom, BSc, BCA and BBA programmes. The CBCS was kept on hold last year, after colleges said that they did not feel prepared enough for its implementation and had also sought some changes in the new system.
After making the suggested changes in the CBCS, Goa University has also decided to introduce new programmes of BA honours, BSc honours, BCom honours from 2017-18.
“For the honours programme, students will take up additional papers. As against 132 credits required for the regular BA, BSc and BCom programmes, a student will have to complete 148 credits to earn the honours degree,” said Goa University registrar Y V Reddy.
He said that it will be, however, left to the colleges if they want to offer the honours programmes.
The ordinance OC-66 has already been given the nod by the chancellor for the implementation of the CBCS in colleges across Goa.
The academic council is set to approve the syllabus for the CBCS on March 6, after which the syllabus will be forwarded to all the affiliated colleges so that they can prepare for its implementation well ahead of the new academic year commencing from June 2017.
The new CBCS was already circulated among colleges for their suggestions and the changes have been incorporated accordingly.
Once the CBCS is introduced, the system of education in colleges across Goa will change as students' performance will be allotted grades. Under CBCS, the course work by students will be measured in units. One credit will consist of a certain number of clock hours of theory classes or similarly practical classes.
A course will not just consist of lectures, laboratory and project work, but will be combined with field work, outreach activities, vocational training, viva, seminars, assignments, presentations and self-study, besides taking into account the performance of students in tests. The objective is to enable students to take up courses of their choice, learn at their own pace, undergo additional courses and acquire more than the required credits and adopt an interdisciplinary approach to learning.