Institutional Distinctiveness

Portray the performance of the Institution in two areas distinctive to its priority and thrust

Tamil Nadu Open University, the only State Open University in Tamil Nadu, in line with its vision, has been expanding opportunities for life-long higher education and is democratizing education by making it inclusive. TNOU adopts an innovative, flexible skill training for the unemployed and employed, which encourages rural learners.

Goal

• Access to higher education for large segments of population, particularly, the disadvantaged groups living in remote and rural areas, working people, homemakers and other adults who wish to upgrade, acquire knowledge.
• To continually offer opportunities for upgrading knowledge, training and skills in the context of innovations, research and discovery in all fields of human endeavours.
• Flexible, robust curricula, educational access, deep knowledge and promote entrepreneurial skills.
• Education and training in arts and crafts.

Construction

The University with its headquarters in Chennai and 12 Regional Centres in the major cities of Tamil Nadu carries out its academic activities. The University is offers 138 academic programmes, encompassing a wide range of disciplines with the 11 Schools of Studies and 5 Divisions. The academic programmes are delivered through the vast network of 191 Learner Support Centres. 140 Community Colleges also deliver TNOU skill development programmes.

This is the first of its kind co-operative initiative in the entire country. TNOU has knowledge partners in the form of academic institutions and industries. The University has established an e-learning centre in the context of fast-changing scene and the e-Learning Centre has been accorded an important role in developing e-Learning content and research activity.

The University has established its distinctive approach towards this comprehensive vision by modelling it in a way which is so unique and this idea started as Education Process Re-Engineering (EPR). The approaches are:

• Excellence in Rural services through Community Colleges
• Knowledge through Global Research

Excellence in Rural services through Community Colleges

Community College is an alternative system of education, which is aimed at the empowerment of the disadvantaged groups and the underprivileged groups through appropriate skills development leading to gainful employment in collaboration with local industry and community and also achieve skills for employment/ self employability of the above sections of people.

In short, Community College is place for Education, Training and Employment in the relevant Industry.

Tamil Nadu Open University started approving/ recognizing Community Colleges in India for offering Tamil Nadu Open University Vocational Education Programmes in the year 2004 by offering six trades through 70 Vocational Programme Centres (VPC) and 1187 students on-roll. Initially the University started with six trades of Vocational Education and currently offers 13 trades of Vocational Education Programmes. The Certificate level Vocational Education Programmes where upgraded to Diploma level with inclusion of Life Coping Skills and Communication Skills as compulsory courses of study. Print Materials in Self Instructional Format (SIM), Practical Components and CDs are also prepared for these Programmes.