CoU takes nearly six years to finish a graduation course

CUMILLA, Oct 15: Perennial session jam at Comilla University (CoU) is affecting the students' academic lives.

Some students said though some departments have reduced the session jam on their own initiative, the levels are unbearable in the rest of the departments.

The students claimed that negligence of teachers is the main reason behind the situation.

CoU sources said that batches of different departments were experiencing a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years of session jam. So, it usually takes nearly six years to finish a four-year graduation course.

The publication of the results of the semester final examinations is also delayed. Almost all departments have failed to finish the semester in the six months' course.

According to the regulations, a total of 18 weeks is given for the completion of a semester including 13-week class, two-week semester examination preparation and three weeks for holding semester final examinations.

The time frame for publication of the results has been fixed at eight weeks after holding the exams.

Accordingly, any semester is expected to be completed within six months with the time of result published. The second semester of each year requires an extra two weeks. But not a single batch of any department was able to publish the results by the end of the semester in the current period.

Sources said some teachers are allegedly seen to finish certain courses in some departments by taking only four to five classes.

According to university sources, although the university was supposed to complete the graduation courses for students in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years, the results of the graduation final year of most departments have not yet been published.

The final results of the Chemistry and the ICT departments of 2013-2014 academic year (8th batch) have not yet been published whereas the results of the last semester (6th semester) of the Chemistry Department, which had the highest record of session jam, were published on November 05, 2018.

Under this academic year, the Department of Bangla was the first to complete the graduation course, the final results of the department were published on October 03, 2018 though the department also has a session jam for about six months.

On the other hand, the final results of the graduation courses of the Department of Mathematics and the Economics of 2014-'15 academic year have been published recently.

The condition of the university is that students from some sections of the same academic year have completed their studies and entered their career.

Many students are not able to finish their studies in the wake of the session jam.

Sources said most of the departments are running amid abnormal session jam while the session jams in some departments are learnt to be in a tolerable levels.

The reasons of session jam in various departments have been blamed for not helding classes regularly, an too much delay in publication of results, reluctance of teachers to take classes according to the routine, engagement of many teachers in taking classes at the private universities, giving more time of teachers for profit-oriented evening courses and teacher and classroom shortages.

Besides, even though there is a provision of obtaining the permission of the university authorities to take classes in private universities, many teachers do not care for obtaining such permissions.

Students from almost all the departments alleged, absence of sincerity among teachers were responsible for session jams and delay in publication of results of various departments.

Some teachers of the university said due to the negligence of only two to three teachers, they were unable to overcome the session jam. They are not regular in the department. Even their courses are short.

Prof Dr Mohammad Syedur Rahman of Chemistry Department said he has made an academic calendar after taking charge as the departmental head on June 25.

The department is moving by following the academic calendar and if the trend continues the chemistry department will soon be able to become a session jam free department.

ICT Department Chief Md Tofail Ahmed said, "We have only one classroom of our seven batches. Besides, there is a lab crisis. If these are resolved then there will be no sessions jam in the department."

VC Prof Emran Kabir Chowdhury said, "We have already reduced session jam to a certain extent. Within the next six months, we will be able to bring the session jam down to zero."

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