The authorities of Comilla University (CoU) have already begun to give in-person examinations, postponed due to Covid-19 outbreak, maintaining hygiene rules.
Following a decision of the Academic Council of the University, only postgraduate and undergraduate final year examinations will be taken initially. However, the examination schedule published by the office of the Controller of Examinations shows that at least nine departments out of 19 couldn’t publish the final year graduation routine as they are not running any final year.
It is learned that these departments could not provide the examination schedule of the 4thyear as they could not complete the activities of the 3rd year graduation. They were not even allowed to sit for the examination to complete the activities.
Earlier, on August 29, the university administration allowed only post-graduate students to sit for the examinations as per the decision of the Academic Council. Later, on August 31, the Vice-Chancellor instructed to give the undergraduate final year examinations as the students formed a human chain to give under graduate exams as well.
As per the instructions of the Vice-Chancellor, the central examination committee decided to take the examination of only undergraduate final year and post graduate students.
Following the committee's decision, only 10 departments were able to provide theirundergraduate final year examination routines. Of theme, two departments could not go over the Honours course due to severe session jam who was supposed to be in post-graduates.
Although the remaining eight departments have been able to publish the examination routine of the graduation final year of 2016-‘17 academic session, at least 10 out of rest 11 departments students of the same session can’t sit for the examinations as they are not in the final year.
The departments are of Law, English, Mass Communication and Journalism, Anthropology, Archeology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science and Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Pharmacy and Management Studies.
The last department’s studentsare in the hon’s final year and they are preparing for the 2nd semester examination. The Departments of Law, Mass Communication and Journalism and Pharmacy could not provide an examination schedule for any of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Earlier, the university administration took exams two times during the Covid-19 closure. In the 1st phase, undergraduate final semester and postgraduate examinations were taken. According to the latest decision of the Academic Council and the central Examination Committee, those who have been able to sit for the exams once before in the time will now sit for again. Those who could not sit for exams even once have been deprived.
Even in the same academic year, some are sitting for the 2nd semester examination of the final year of graduation (2 semesters in each year) and some are not even able to sit for the 3rd year examination. Students are blaming the recent decision of the administration (taking only post-graduate and undergraduate final year examinations) and their respective departments.
Rabiul Islam, a 3rd year 2nd semester student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, said, there is no graduation final year running in our department. We could have been allowed to sit for the exam if administration to. But due to the strange decision of the administration, no examination is being held in our department.
Mahmudul Hasan, another student of the Physics Department, said that the administration could have given the responsibility of conducting examinations of two batches to the department, without specifying the final year of graduation and post-graduation. In this case, the department could take the examination of any batch on priority basis.
Seeking anonymity, an archeology Department student of the 2016-’17 academic year who even could not sit for the 3rd year 1st semester exams yet, said,even though we were admitted to the university at the same time, naturally we are one-and-a-half years behind them (who are now sitting for the final year examinations). They were able to move forward but our department kept us behind.
Due to the decision of Academic Council to take the examination of specified academic year, those who are not running the 4th year in different departments are not able to take the 3rd year examination. Asked how reasonable such a decision is in this case, the convener of the examination committee and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Aminul Islam Akanda said, ‘Everyone who has taken this decision is wise. Now as a dean I cannot say whether this decision has been justified.’
No positive reply could be found from at least three faculties’ deans whether the decision to conduct two batches of examinations at the same time could have been left to the department without specifying the academic year.
However, the university Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Emran Kabir Chowdhury could not be reached for comments over the phone despite repeated attempts.
