Towards greater congruence between Degree-Providing and Non-degree Providing Higher Education Institutions.

Enunciation

This is a thought experiment. We define Higher Education as that domain of Education & Training activity, which is at the post secondary stage. The purpose of an institution of higher education may be pecuniary or non-pecuniary. Further, the institution can be for-profit or non-profit. However, these variants are not outside the expectations of the general theory of higher education. But what is of interest is the differentiation that is made between institutions on the basis of their ability or inability to award a degree. There is no logic by which this differentiation is made. It is purely a social choice and a governmental decision. We assign the words DP to institutions, which are degree providing and NDP to those, which do not award a degree. Instead, they award a certificate.

This thought experiment is to ascertain the nature of the tie-up between DP and NDP, particularly in the case of India. India has the second largest higher education system in the world. Recently many private educational entrepreneurs have set up NDPs. Now, these NDPs have created tie-ups with DPs overwhelmingly from outside India. It is valid to presume that these NDPs discovered an advantage of combining the market-supported education with access to a degree through these tie-ups.

Tie-ups
We identify two kinds of tie-ups. Tie-up of the first kind is like the twinning arrangement where an NDP is an extension of the DP and acts basically as a franchisee of the DP. The number of such tie-ups is quite large.

In tie-up of the second kind, the NDP by its own decision first positions itself in an equivalent academic role of that of a DP and then with its curriculum, program of studies and rules of operation, strikes a new kind of tie-up with DP. Essentially in this tie-up both are stand-alone sovereign bodies in an agreement which facilitates any exiting student from NDP to move into a corresponding higher place in the DP with advance standing and obtain a degree by further studies within the premises of the DP. From the point of view of academic and operational self-reliance a deeper study of the second kind needs to be undertaken. This is a very interesting variant where larger participation than a mere one-to-one equation is possible.

Evidently the purpose of these tie-ups is to provide for access to a degree on behalf of students of NDP. But there is a fundamental difference between the approaches of the NDP in each kind. In the first kind it is adequate for the NDP to take only a business decision to enter into a tie-up. But the second kind demands a prior orientation and preparation in the spirit of the 'Idea of a University'. In this case, NDP must make an academic commitment also. This tie-up is rare. We have to use a benchmark available in DP-DP tie-up and mould the same to suit NDP-DP tie-up of the second kind. The author implemented this in the NIIT Academy.

This thought experiment now enumerates the possibilities embedded in the tie-up of the second kind.

One-to-one tie-up in Diagram 1 can easily be bent to make many-to-many tie-up as given in Diagram 2. If one were to focus on the need for access to a degree, the many-to-many alternative is very attractive and extends its reach to any part of the globe.

While both kinds are equally concerned about the benefit to the student, the second kind makes the matter optional to a student. Option is available only after the student becomes an alumnus. Obviously, such a design cannot be tested on the information as to how many took the advantage of the option. There have to be more fundamental educational parameters by which the tie-up of the second kind is tested.

next page>>>

TATA INFOTECH - TOTAL SOLUTIONS TOTAL COMMITMENT