24-05-2025
University College may discontinue some humanities electives
Mangaluru: The century-old University College, Hampankatta, is considering to discontinue some of its humanities course electives after witnessing a dip in admissions. This has raised concerns among the student fraternity as well as senior teaching faculty.
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According to sources from the college, fewer than 15 students enrolled in travel and tourism, Hindi, English, and journalism subjects so far. Due to the mounting financial burden, the college, which is directly under the control of Mangalore University (MU), is now planning to stop those courses.
One of the faculty members in the humanities department said that the college, without any approval from the syndicate body of MU, decided not to give applications for the BA tourism and travel management course.
The course remains closed for the next academic year. Similarly, it is the same with Hindi and journalism subjects. The college also stopped issuing applications for English literature; however, the same was resumed after some retired professors started questioning the rationale behind it.
A source added that the college principal and officials at Mangalore University argue that to run a course, it needs a minimum of 30 students in each course combination.
However, as per the department of collegiate education, the requirement is 15 students, and the same applies to all colleges, including University College.
Another guest faculty member questioned that last year all these courses, which the college is planning to close down, received good admissions with more than 15 students. "When we questioned the reason behind the closure of tourism and travel management course to vice-chancellor PL Dharma, he answered that the same has been offered in the BBA course.
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However, both courses are not the same," said the guest faculty, adding that MU already closed down some of the postgraduate courses, and the same should not be done to UG courses.
"With closure, guest faculty will lose their jobs as well," said a guest faculty member.
Ganapathi Gowda S, principal of the college, denied the closure of any electives in the BA course at the moment. "The admissions are ongoing and applications have been received. To date, we have not taken any official decision to discontinue any electives," said Gowda.
