St Stephen’s: Move to apply for autonomy is ‘arbitrary’

New Delhi: Terming it as “arbitrary”, the Association of Old Stephanians has said that the decision to apply for autonomy by the authorities was taken in a hurried manner" and without consulting the primary stakeholders of college — the faculty, the non-teaching staff and students.

In an open letter to the college administration issued on Thursday, the alumni of St Stephen's, one of the premier colleges under Delhi University, said the views of the students and teachers were “completely ignored” when they tried to raise them.

“The decision to apply was taken in a hurried manner in an emergency meeting of the governing body without any position or paper on the matter provided to the members and completely ignoring the dissent of all the teacher representatives in the governing body," the letter said.

The association also raised questions on how the college intends to fund itself with the new status. "How are the authorities planning to run the institution? The authorities still do not have a blue print or plan about running the institution. When the faculty asked this question in the staff council, the replies were very vague.

This obviously, implies that the authorities are planning to make this college a teaching shop where fees will be increased several times, seats will be sold," it said.

“At present, 95 per cent of funding comes from UGC and Imagine what would if the institution becomes completely independent,"  per cent is raised from language courses.

This 5 per cent does not go to college but it goes to supreme council funds, which is not audited and accounted. Income and expenditure details of supreme council fund were never placed before the governing body for approval,” it added.

Concerns were also raised on how the college will have to introduce courses that are technical.