Of the total
of about 300,000 students admitted to the various academic programmes of the University,
as many as 150,000 access these programmes through the distance and open learning
mode. These are largely young people whose aspirations for higher education have
not been met through the conventional structures of the University. Some of them
may also well be those who choose to pursue their studies part-time while exploring
entry into the world of work. These numbers are growing steadily. Making the Campus
of Open Learning operational was therefore a priority, particularly with a view
to achieving greater equity in access to academic programmes of the University
of Delhi. There was a need to re-look comprehensively at the various structures
and provisions that had already been created in order to make the system of open
and distance learning adequately responsive to the needs of the large and varied
population of young people who access higher education through this mode.
The Commonwealth of Learning, the internationally renowned resource institution
in open and distance learning under the Commonwealth of Nations, extended assistance
in terms of professional resource and ideas for the re-conceptualization of the
Campus of Open Learning and its various structures and functions. All the legislative
work related to the creation of the School of Open Learning (SOL) in place of
the School of Correspondence and Continuing Education was initiated and brought
to a conclusion. The legislative framework of the Open Learning Development Centre
(OLDC) has been completed. When established, the OLDC is expected to undertake
research, development and training in open and distance learning. It is visualized
that the OLDC will service not only the SOL, but also other constituents of the
University in their effort to weave in elements of open and distance learning
into their academic programmes. Besides these, a Faculty of Open Learning, with
a Department of Distance and Continuing Education within it, has also been fully
legislated and are being activated.
School of
Open Learning.
