Engineering Colleges in Telangana Accused of Misusing Professor of Practice Role
In a concerning development for higher education, numerous engineering colleges in Hyderabad and across Telangana are allegedly misusing the Professor of Practice initiative. This program was originally designed to bring industry experts into academic settings to enhance practical, skill-based learning. However, investigations reveal that many institutions are using it as a loophole to outsource teaching to staff from ed-tech firms and consultancies instead of hiring regular, qualified faculty.
Substitution of Qualified Faculty with External Personnel
According to faculty members and educational observers, colleges are exploiting this option due to a shortage of trained instructors for emerging technology courses. Subjects such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, and data sciences are particularly affected. Instead of recruiting experts with deep industry experience, managements are either completely outsourcing these courses to consultancies or relying on their personnel to conduct classes.
J Prasanna Kumar, a faculty member at a top college in Hyderabad, highlighted the issue: "Except for top colleges, almost all others are misusing the Professor of Practice option. Instead of using it to enhance practical, skill-based learning by hiring experts, it is being used to bring people who are not well-versed in the subject to take classes."
Package Deals and Accelerated Teaching Compromise Education
Another educator, Srinivas Varma D, provided detailed insights into how this misuse operates. He explained that colleges, which often purchase mini and master projects from consultancies, also engage staff from the same firms for brief teaching stints. "They are buying these services as a package. Right before mid-examinations, these so-called Professors of Practice come and take two or three classes and complete the subject," he stated.
Varma D emphasized the detrimental impact on students: "Here, students are at the receiving end, as a subject which is supposed to be taught in a semester is completed in five to six days." He estimates that more than 80% of engineering colleges in the state are violating the intended purpose of this option. Additionally, faculty members noted that these classes are sometimes misleadingly presented as workshops during accreditation processes by bodies like NAAC and NBA.
Management Justifications and Regulatory Response
College managements, however, defend their actions by citing practical challenges. A representative from the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education Institutions (FATHI) explained: "We even tried to get experts from the industry. But the problem is most of them agree to be Professor of Practice only for designation and do not even respond to our mails and calls or come and take classes. In such a situation, we are forced to approach consultancies as their staff are working on projects and have knowledge about these subjects."
Officials from the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) have confirmed receiving complaints about this widespread misuse. V Balakista Reddy, chairman of TGCHE, disclosed: "We even issued legal notices to 4 consultancies or ed-tech companies as they are handling operations of some private universities. In fact, this misuse is mostly done in private, deemed universities and autonomous colleges."
Reddy further indicated that the government is taking the matter seriously: "The government is seriously contemplating coming out with regulations to monitor these institutes as they are turning into degree-distributing institutes." This statement underscores growing concerns about the quality of education and the integrity of academic programs in the region.
The misuse of the Professor of Practice role raises significant questions about educational standards and student outcomes. As colleges prioritize cost-cutting and convenience over quality instruction, students may be deprived of the comprehensive learning experiences necessary for success in competitive fields. The potential regulatory crackdown by TGCHE could mark a pivotal step toward restoring the original intent of the initiative and ensuring that engineering education in Telangana meets rigorous academic and practical standards.
