A majority of the faculty in most departments at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) are from the same university. A few departments have faculty from universities outside the state and even a lesser number of faculty are from other countries.
This is while the UGC has been encouraging diversity in faculty recruitment by universities and colleges that seek NAAC accreditation.
There are 27 departments and 10 schools in CUSAT and in 17 of them 50% or more faculty are from the same university. In almost six departments, 100% faculty is from the same university. There are a few faculty from universities outside the state, with maximum (33%) in the department of chemical oceanography and school of environmental studies, respectively, as per Cusat’s self-study report prepared in 2014 to be submitted to the NAAC accreditation team.
However, the NAAC team didn’t come for inspection to the varsity in the last academic year. While majority of departments have maximum faculty from the same university, there are also six departments that doesn’t have a single faculty who passed from the varsity. They are department of applied economics, mathematics, chemical oceanography, Hindi, physics and Kunjali Marakkar School of Marine Engineering.
The report states that only four departments or schools have faculty from other countries, with maximum (60%) in ship technology that attracts the best of the students and has the best campus placement with high-paying jobs. The other departments that have faculty from other countries are department of English and foreign languages (40%), department of physics (10%) and Kunjali Marakkar School of Marine Engineering (10%). “Though the report was prepared last year, there are not much changes in the faculty position even this year. Majority of faculty appointed in Cusat are from the university itself as we have several specialized courses and we don’t easily get expert faculty from external universities. Further, even in conventional courses we have seen that our students are better than external candidates who come for the interview,” said A N Balachand, coordinator, steering committee, Cusat, in-charge of preparing the report.
Sources said that the present Cusat vice-chancellor is keen to ensure diversity. And Cusat is conducting interviews to fill up almost 40% vacant posts with permanent faculty.
“We will go by the candidates’ merit, irrespective of the university they are from, will be selected,” said Cusat registrar David Peter.