By Thomas Scaria
Mangaluru, Jan 28, 2023: Jesuit managed St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru has received the status of ‘Deemed to be University,’, approved by the University Grants Commission and the federal Ministry of Education.
“This status gives us several opportunities to further improve the education mission with excellence and commitment,” rector Jesuit Father Melwyn Pinto told Matters India.
“This is a unique opportunity to serve the cause of higher education, including designing syllabus, conducting examinations and issuing certificates independently,” said the rector, adding they have further plans to expand the college campus and start new courses.
Established in 1880 the college has been a premier higher educational institution in coastal Karnataka with several distinctive achievements. The college was elevated to the autonomous status in 2007 allowing it to make national and global presence.
The UGC and the Ministry of Education granted the university status to the college after studying its proposal on various parameters like physical and digital infrastructure, curricular design, research and innovation, graduate outcomes, student attainment levels, placements, vision and mission of the institution and its impact on society.
Earlier, the college was repeatedly given accreditations by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and other distinctive rankings, Father D’Souza said.
A press release issued by the college said the new status enables the institution to create a sustainable ecosystem driven by globally competitive curricula, high-end research, innovations and entrepreneurship initiatives.
It provides unprecedented opportunities to explore possibilities for robust collaborations with regional, national and global partners to facilitate interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies with joint and twinning programs providing cross-cultural learning exposure to students.
“The university status granted to the college is the result of the dedicated and tireless efforts of the management, staff, students and all stakeholders who shared the long and sustained dream of the well-deserved status of a university,” said Jesuit Father Praveen Martis, the principal.
“In a historic move, St Aloysius Autonomous College becomes St Aloysius Deemed University. With a century-long legacy, this achievement showcases our constant commitment and excellence in education,” the principal told a press conference organized January 25 in the campus.