Tamil Nadu Open University

Tamil Nadu Open University

File:Tamil Nadu Open University logo.jpg
Motto	Education for all and ever
Type	Public
Established	2002
Chancellor	[[C. Vidyasagar Rao]], Governor of Tamil Nadu
Vice-Chancellor	Dr. M. Bhaskaran
Location	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	University Grants Commission (India)
Website	http://www.tnou.ac.in

Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) was established in the year 2002 by the Government of Tamil Nadu for the introduction and promotion of Open Learning and Distance Education systems in the educational pattern of the State and for the co-ordination and determination of standards in such systems. Since its inception, the University has been providing cost-effective, socially-relevant open and distance learning (ODL) to the hitherto unreached as well as the disadvantaged groups such as those living in remote and rural areas including the working people, housewives, physically handicapped and SC/ST students. The growth of the University during the past 14 years has been phenomenal. At present, with a cumulative student strength of 5,29,263 in 134 Programmes of study across various disciplines and skills at different levels from Certificate to Post Graduate that are imparted through 13 academic schools, 5 Support Divisions, 1 Media Centre and a robust network of 400 Learner Support and Service Centres across the state. It admits the students throughout the year under two admission cycles, viz., Calendar Year (Jan. – June) and Academic Year (July – Dec.).

The Tamil Nadu Open University is the first University in the state to have introduced the credit based self-learning materials in print as early as 2003. While the round-the-year admission policy with examination schedules conveniently arranged on week–ends and the effective continuous assessment provision have sufficiently addressed the issue of quantity in the form of increasing higher education access, the University has been harnessing the advancements in ICT to continuously improve quality. The University has digitalized its learner support systems including admission, examination, material distribution, academic counselling, etc. With the sanctioned teaching staff strength of 65 and non-teaching staff strength of 77, the University has been ably addressing the learning needs of all the students. The University is one of the 5, among the 15 Open Universities in the country, to have been accorded the recognition under section 12(B) of the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. It is also one of the very few Universities in the country to have received approval of the UGC for offering all its academic programmes through the distance mode.

Vision

Tamil Nadu Open University shall make available innovative, socially relevant educational provisions that are learner-centred, seamless and are of high quality by employing appropriate technologies to achieve equity in education, sustainable social transformation and composite national development.

Mission

Towards becoming a Centre of Excellence in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) by offering quality programmes to meet the current and emerging needs of the adult population, by widening the access to higher education and by functioning as a catalyst to bridge social, including digital divides and to build a developed India, Tamil Nadu Open University shall: • evolve flexible and robust curricula to widen educational access, deepen knowledge frontiers and create entrepreneurial skill sets; • reach the rural communities through lifelong learning programmes for livelihood improvement; • establish networked environments for quality assurance; • foster private public partnerships; • bridge the digital divide and implement “anywhere, anytime” learning environments; • become a digital repository for ODL in the State facilitating Research and Development for new knowledge creation; • coordinate and implement standards in ODL.

External links

• Official website