Colleges await Mumbai university guidelines to reopen

With state’s go-ahead to reopen, colleges are now awaiting SoPs from local authorities to start preparation, say they need time to make arrangements

Now that the Maharashtra government has given the green light for colleges across the state to start from October 20, city colleges await clarity from the Mumbai University (MU) on what needs to be done. Colleges say they require guidelines from MU at the earliest to prepare for safe reopening, as it will take some time to make the required arrangements.

The state higher and technical education minister announced reopening of colleges on Wednesday and said that final decision and area-specific standard operating procedures (SoPs) would be declared by individual universities along with local civic bodies. In Mumbai, this will be decided by Mumbai University and BMC. Learning from previous experience, when schools were allowed to reopen in urban areas, colleges fear that they not get much time to make arrangements.

“Only six days are left now for the reopening. This requires MU to prepare SoPs for affiliated colleges so that there is uniformity. More so, colleges will have clarity on what is expected from them. Till the guidelines are announced, colleges cannot begin preparations,” said the principal of a suburban college. 

The principal said city colleges are excited to reopen but considering the current conditions, they will require time to prepare for another new normal where both online and offline learning will have to continue. The minister, in his announcement, made it clear that colleges will have to provide online learning for those who unable to attend in-person classes. Another college principal said, “The Government Resolution (GR) mentions that all students, teachers and staff must be fully-vaccinated. If not, then vaccination drives have to be conducted on campus. 

This means we will have to prepare a list of vaccinated, non-vaccinated and partially-vaccinated people before we can take the decision on an individual level and see if we have enough vaccinated manpower. Many students are out of town and will need to be informed accordingly. Moreover, since all are may be unable to attend in-person classes, we have to make arrangements for the hybrid model. All this is going to take time.”

“We are already sanitising the premises every day with the reopening of junior colleges. If degree colleges reopen on October 20, college administration will get time to learn during the first few days and can make more arrangements, if required, during the Diwali break. But guidelines, including the cap on the number of students, have to be out for the preparations to begin,” said Dr Sangeeta Shrivastava, principal of TP Bhatia College.

Prof Vaibhav Narawade from Mumbai University College Teachers Association (MUCTA) said, “We are waiting for colleges to begin in-person classes. But it is also important to see if colleges are ready in all ways to provide a safe environment on campuses. MU guidelines will provide colleges with clarity on what is required to be done.” 

Narawade, who is also Mumbai University Senate member, had raised the topic of the need to reopen colleges during the Senate meeting. Student activist Manoj Tekade from Prahar Vidyarthi Sanghatna said, “Reopening of colleges is a long-awaited decision. It is not going to be all normal suddenly. But a timely decision by MU will allow many to start the process.”

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