MANUAL for Post Graduate & Doctoral Programmes (RULES & REGULATIONS) Academic Ordinances SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE VIJAYAWADA ANDHRA PRADESH – 520 008, INDIA Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 2 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada The provisions contained in this Manual govern the Rules & Regulations, on the admission of students, imparting instructions of courses, conducting of examinations and evaluation and certification of student’s performance.
These ordinances, on approval by the Senate & Board of Governors, shall supersede all the corresponding earlier set of ordinances / rules of the Institute, with all the amendments thereto, and shall be binding on all students.
However, the students admitted before the approval of this Manual from Senate, BoG & Notified shall be governed by the earlier approved Academic Rules & Regulations which were applicable at the time of their admission.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 3 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Preface Academic programmes of School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada are governed by the Rules and Regulations as approved by the Senate, which is the highest academic body of the Institute. The Senate continuously monitors these programmes and makes appropriate modifications / improvements from time to time.
This postgraduate manual provides information about the rules & regulations to be followed for all the postgraduate and PhD degree programmes being offered and likely to be offered by the institute i.e., Master of Planning, Master of Architecture and Doctor of Philosophy.
The students are required to follow given procedures and meet academic requirements in each semester. It is in the interest of the student that he / she should be fully familiar with the academic systems of this Institute. Attention should be paid to the schedule and structure of coursework Planning / Architectural Studio and thesis work, the assessment procedure and the rules governing conduct and assessment of these activities.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 4 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Vision & Mission Vision of the Institute To achieve academic excellence in architecture and planning through innovation, creation, inclusion, acquiring and disseminating knowledge using sustainable local and global practices and enhancing the quality of society through responsible built environment.
Mission
1. To rethink conventions of design practice with societal, economic and environmental dimensions and add value to the body of knowledge as well as practice in the field of architecture and planning through multi-disciplinary curricula, research base, active industry-academic, capacity building and emerge as credible resource centre.
2. To pioneer excelled contributions to academic and practical spheres of architecture and planning as one of the finest resource centres through multidisciplinary teaching, research motivation, academic-industry interface and skill building.
3. Adding value to the body of knowledge in the field of architecture and planning through multi-disciplinary and research based curricula, active industry-academia interface and capacity building.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 5 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Table of Contents Chapter 1 : Introduction Chapter 2 : Academic Programmes Chapter 3 : Admissions Chapter 4 : Registration Chapter 5 : Teaching and Academics Chapter 6 : Examination & Evaluation Chapter 7 : Attendance, Absence & Leave Chapter 8 : Scholarships, Awards and Medals Chapter 9 : Conduct and Discipline Chapter 10 : Responsibilities Chapter 11 : Waiver and Amendments Chapter 12 : New Programmes Annexure : Post Graduate Programmes: Thesis Report Format Guidelines Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 6 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Abbreviations BoG Board of Governors BoD Board of Discipline CGPA Cumulative Grade Point Average DASA Direct Admission of Students Abroad DPGC Departmental Post Graduate Committee DAC Departmental Admission Committee DUGC Departmental Under Graduate Committee GMC Grade Moderation Committee HoD Head of the Department PG Post Graduate SGPA Semester Grade Point Average SPGC Senate Post Graduate Committee SRC Student Research Committee SUGC Senate Under Graduate Committee UMC Unfair Means Committee Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 7 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Definitions:
Unless the context requires, otherwise, “Applicant” shall mean an individual who applies for admission to any Post Graduate (PG) and PhD programme of the Institute “Board” shall mean Board of Governors of the Institute “CGPA” shall mean the Cumulative Grade Point Index of a student “Council” shall mean the SPA Council of the India’s School of Planning & Architecture “Course” shall mean a curricular component identified by a designated code number and a title “Course Coordinator” shall mean a faculty member who shall have full responsibility for the course, coordinating the work of other faculty member(s) involved in that course, including examinations and the award of grades “Dean-A” shall mean the Dean Academic, SPA Vijayawada “SPGC" shall mean the Senate’s Post Graduate Committee of the Institute “SUGC" shall mean the Senate’s Under Graduate Committee of the Institute “DPGC” shall mean the Departmental Post Graduate Committee of the respective Department “DUGC” shall mean the Departmental Under Graduate Committee of the respective Department “SRC” shall mean Student’s Research Committee of faculty members constituted through DPGC of the department who will counsel and evaluate the progress of Ph.D. candidate “Degree” shall mean the Ph.D. degree, M.Plan./ M.Arch. degree and such other degrees of the Institute as may be approved by the Board “Educational Institution” shall mean those institutions which offer Bachelor's and/or higher degrees in Planning/ Architecture/ Science/ Engineering / Technology/ Management, humanities, etc.
“Full Time Student” shall mean a student registered for a PG and PhD Degree devoting full time for completing the academic requirements Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 8 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada “GATE” shall mean Graduate Aptitude Test conducted by the Government of India “Grade Moderation Committee” shall mean the committee appointed by the department to moderate grades awarded by the course coordinators in different courses in a semester at a given level of a curriculum “Institute” or “SPAV” shall mean the School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India “Minimum Registration Period” shall mean the minimum period for which a student must be registered for the post graduate degree “Part Time Student” shall mean a student registered for a PhD Degree devoting a part of his time towards the completion of the Doctoral programme and a part of his time towards the discharge of his/ her official obligations “PG” shall mean Post Graduate “Teaching Scheme” shall mean the scheme of teaching and examination for a PG programme approved by the Senate “SGPA” shall mean the Semester Grade Point Index of a student “SC/ST/OBC” shall mean the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward class (non-creamy layer) as notified by the Government of India from time to time “Sponsored Candidate” shall mean a PG and PhD student receiving full financial support from the Sponsoring Organization “Supervisor” shall mean a faculty member of the Institute, and/ or from outside the Institute approved by the DPGC/ SPGC/ Senate, to supervise the student for the designated academic activity “Department” would mean any academic department or a centre imparting education and/or pursuing research “Synopsis” shall mean the summary of the work done towards Ph.D. thesis which shall be sent to the external examiners for requesting their consent for evaluation Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 9 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 About the Institute School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada (SPAV) is as an autonomous institution established on July 7, 2008 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India to promote education and research in the fields of Planning and Architecture. Under the School of Planning and Architecture Act, 2014, the School has been declared as an Institution of National Importance by the Act of Parliament. The quality of education imparted and its focus on research puts SPAV in the league of leading institutes in the country. At SPAV, the academic focus and approach is a unique blend of design, creativity and objectivity with a social purpose. Students not only learn the skills required, but during the course of studies are exposed to thought-provoking and intellectually inspiring sessions, through studios, field trips and research projects, which brings out the creative best in them.
With these goals in view, the Masters/ Doctoral Programmes are designed to include courses of study, seminars and thesis/project through which a student may develop his/her concepts and intellectual skills.
The Rules & Regulations stated in the manual embody the philosophy of the Masters Programmes and ensure a high standard of performance at the Institute.
Within this general framework, subject to the approval of the Senate Postgraduate Committee (SPGC)/ Senate, the departments may impose such additional requirements as will serve their particular academic goals.
1.2 Dean (Academic) Dean Academic will advise the Chairperson Senate/ Director in the following issues:
(a) Admission and enrolment of students.
(b) Finalization of academic calendar, time-tables, registration of students for course work and examinations, class room arrangements and all other requirements for proper conduct of class work.
(c) Conduct of class tests and co-coordinating the finalization of session's evaluations and for ensuring the timely declaration of results.
(d) Supervision of the maintenance of up-to-date academic records of all categories of students.
(e) Publication and distribution of the syllabi.
(f) Organizing meeting of all the School level academic bodies.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 10 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
(g) Arranging the issue of all academic certificates, medals and prizes to the students.
(h) To arrange for conduct of examinations which are to be conducted by the school as stipulated in the school regulations.
(i) To execute the policy of the Senate in the conduct of Post Graduate, Ph.D.
and other research programmes including the examination of the thesis.
(j) To co-ordinate for the conduct of convocation.
(k) All proposals to modify the teaching programmes will be considered first by all the Deans of the School, and if approved will be sent to the Senate for formal approval.
(l) To admit sponsored Early Faculty Induction Programme and Quality Improvement Programme candidates.
To take suitable steps from time to time to strive for the high academic standards.
1.3 Office of the Dean (Academic):
The office of the Dean Academic called the Academic Section, is responsible for the implementation of the decisions taken on academic matters by the Senate and the SPGC. Its functions are as follows:
• Receives, processes and maintains all records relating to the Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Doctoral programmes including curricula, courses offered, academic calendar, registration, leave, examinations, grades and award of degrees, scholarships and prizes.
• Prepares agenda for the Senate regarding issues relating to Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Doctoral programmes.
• Disseminates information pertaining to all academic matters.
• Issues necessary memoranda/ orders • Acts as a channel of communication between the students, instructors, departments/ interdisciplinary programmes and SPGC/ DPGC.
• Coordinates all the meetings of SPGC The Academic Section assists the SPGC and its subcommittees in their functioning.
Dean Academic (Dean-A) is the main functionary who ensures the smooth functioning of the academic programmes as approved by the Senate, executes the policies and decisions of the Senate and SPGC/ SUGC, and ensures that all records and files are maintained.
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1.4 Senate Post Graduate Committee (SPGC):
The Senate Post Graduate Committee (SPGC) shall be a subcommittee of the senate, which shall consider all the academic matters recommended by the DPGC and coordinate their activities. The constitution of SPGC including two student representatives as approved by Senate shall be as follows:
1.4.1 Constitution of SPGC:
The Senate Post Graduate Committee (SPGC) shall have the following constitution:
1. Chairperson, SPGC shall be nominated by the Chairperson, Senate.
2. Convener, DPGC from all Academic Departments/Centres Member
3. Controller of Examination Member
4. Chairperson, SUGC Member
5. Two Nominees of Chairperson, Senate (from the Institute) Member
6. Three Students, one from Ph.D. and one each from M.Plan/ M.Arch Member (To be nominated by the Dean Academic from amongst the senior classes on the basis of merit) The tenure of the student members will be for one Academic year. The duration of the nominees of the Chairperson senate may be of two years.
1.4.2 Jurisdiction of SPGC The Senate Post Graduate Committee (SPGC) shall have jurisdiction in the following matters concerning the postgraduate & Doctoral programme of the Institute:
1. The recommendation of new PG programmes
2. The recommendation of new courses
3. Formal approval of the new course
4. Desirable modification of courses already approved
5. The credit value of courses
6. The admission of qualified students to candidacy for degrees
7. The rules governing the form of presentation and disposal of theses, the conduct of oral and written examinations
8. Periodic evaluation of academic performance of programmes
9. Periodic evaluation of research conducted
10. Recommendations for granting of degrees
11. In such other related matters as may be referred to it by the Senate
1.4.3 Functions of SPGC The functions of the Senate Post Graduate Committee (SPGC) consist primarily of general policy determination, coordination and review, but the Senate shall retain the power of final review/ decision. In the discharge of its responsibilities the Committee shall make full use of the appraisals and recommendations of the Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 12 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada various academic Departments/ Centres concerned while recommending a case to the Senate. This Committee shall be assisted by the DPGCs of various departments/centres.
1.5 Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) For each academic department/centre of the Institute there is a Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) that shall handle the PG/ PhD admission process at the Department/ Centre level.
The Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) shall have the following constitution:
1. Head of Department/Centre Chairperson
2. Convener, DPGC Member Secretary
3. Two Senior Most Faculty Members having PhD from the Concerned Department/ Centre Member
4. Convener DPGC from Other Department/ Centre Member
5. Nominee of the Chairperson, Senate Member The DSC will be proposed by the DPGC and approved by Chairperson, SPGC in consultation with Dean Academic. Once approved, the term of the DSC will be for one year.
1.6 Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) The each department/ Centre will have Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) as per the provision contain in the SPA Act Section 8 (iv).
1.6.1 Functions of DAC To make recommendations on academic matters connected with the working of the Departments or Centres such as:
a. The new PG/UG programmes as recommended by DPGC/DUGC b. The new courses as recommended by DPGC/DUGC c. Periodic evaluation of academic performance of programmes d. General functioning of the department.
e. Any other matter referred by SUGC/SPGC/Senate.
The DAC will meet atleast once a year or as per the need with the prior permission of the Dean – A and Chairperson Senate. It is not mandatory to seek approval of day to day matter from the DAC, only the above mentioned matter may be taken up in the DAC.
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1.6.2 Constitution of DAC The Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC)shall have the following constitution:
1. Head of the department Chairperson
2. Two Senate Member (Outside the Institute) Member
3. Two Senate Member (Internal) Member
4. One Faculty member from Department of Planning Member
5. One Faculty member from Department of Architecture Member
6. One external Expert from Academic background Member
7. One external Expert from field/industry/practicing background Member (The members from 2-7 to be nominated by Chairperson, Senate in consultation with Dean – A/ Head of the concerned department).
1.7 Departmental Faculty Board (DFB) The Departmental Faculty Board (DFB) shall consist of all the faculty members of a Department/Centre. The meeting of the DFB shall be convened as and when required to be decided by the HoD or as mentioned in the manual.
1.8 Departmental Post Graduate Committee (DPGC) Each academic department/centre/interdisciplinary programme (approved by the Senate) shall have a Departmental Post Graduate Committee (DPGC).
1.8.1 Constitution of DPGC The Departmental Post Graduate Committee (DPGC) shall have the following constitution:
1. The Head of the Department (HoD) as Chairperson, DPGC
2. Convener, to be nominated among the Department Faculty in the DFB (Preferably seniority be followed).
3. Convener, DUGC
4. Two faculty members to be nominated by the HoD in consultation with Convener, DPGC from the Department/Centre [In case there are not sufficient faculty members, Chairperson, Senate may nominate faculty from other departments of the Institute]
5. One faculty member from other department/centre to be nominated by the HoD in consultation with Convener, DPGC
6. Two students (one from Ph.D. and other from one from M.Plan /M.Arch) The student members shall be nominated for a period of one year by the HoD.
The DPGC Convener shall be nominated by all the Faculty members in the meeting to be convened by HoD of the Department for a term of two years. The duration of the Committee shall be two years.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 14 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada The student members shall not participate when the cases of academic evaluation of individual students are being considered. Although, the student member’s opinion may be sought prior to taking any decision.
1.8.2 Responsibilities of DPGC The Departmental Post Graduate Committee (DPGC) is responsible for the following.
1. Supervision and conduct of lecture, tutorial and practical classes
2. Supervision and conduct of mid semester exam, class tests, quizzes, practical tests, end semester examination, thesis work, seminar and project presentation and Architecture/Planning studios, field work etc., for ensuring its quality.
3. Monitoring of quality of instructions to students
4. Appointment of supervisors of M.Plan / M.Arch candidates
5. Recommendations of supervisors of Ph.D. Scholars
6. Admission related matters in PG programmes at departmental level
7. Monitoring the quality of research
8. Proposing and implementing new courses and programs as approved by Senate/ BoG
9. Monitoring daily attendance of all PG and PhD research students
10. Recommending for release/continuation of assistantship on monthly basis based on attendance and weekly workload of PG/PhD students/Scholars.
11. Attending to the problems of students and advising, counseling them in academic matters
12. To recommend the cases of M.Plan/ M.Arch /PhD students for continuation/ extension/ termination/ cancellation of programme
13. Acting as Student Grievance Committee for PG students/ PhD scholars
14. Any other work assigned to it by SPGC/ Dean-A/ Senate The Department Postgraduate Committee (DPGC) shall ensure that all the Rules and Regulation given in the Manual are adhered to and implemented without any change. While considering an issue if the Manual does not specifically mention, the same shall be forwarded to Senate through DAC/ SPGC for its consideration/ approval. The DPGC is expected to have its meeting regularly and to keep record of its decisions. DPGC shall meet at least four times in an academic year.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 15 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 2 Academic Programmes
2.1 Postgraduate Programmes The postgraduate degree programmes were designed to address and take up physical, socio-economic and environmental challenges, so as to achieve future sustenance and hence to cater to the specific needs of the industry and academics.
The key objective of these courses is to equip the students with adequate skills required to comprehend various built environment related issues and to analyse physical, socio-economic, cultural, political and ecological dimensions of the human settlements. The School offers postgraduate programmes for achieving excellence in the fields of Architecture and Planning. The Academics Departments and the courses offered are as under:
2.1.1 Department of Architecture
2.1.2 Department of Planning S.No. PG Programme Abbreviation Started 1 Master of Planning with specialization in Environmental Planning and Management.
M.Plan (EPM) 2013 2 Master of Planning with specialization in Urban and Regional Planning.
M.Plan (URP) 2014 3 Master of Planning with specialization in Transportation & Infrastructure Planning.
M.Plan (TIP) 2018
2.2 Category of Post Graduate Students
2.2.1 Full Time Students a) Students with Assistantship (Institute/External)
1. Regular candidate admitted through Centralized Counseling for M.Tech/ M.Arch/ M.Arch / M.Plan / M.Des admissions (CCMT) or any other admission committee as decided by the GoI with GATE Scholarship.
2. Students getting Institutional fellowship, teaching assistantship, etc.
3. Students getting assistantship/ scholarship from other Government/ Semi Government agencies. These students receive their fellowship as well as contingency grants, if any, from supporting organizations such as AICTE/ MHRD, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University Grants Commission (UGC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), DRDO, and other similar organizations.
S.No. PG Programme Abbreviation Started
1. Master of Architecture with specialization in Sustainable Architecture M.Arch (SA) 2014
2. Master of Architecture with specialization in Landscape Architecture.
M.Arch (LA) 2018 Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 16 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
2.2.2 Students without any assistantship a) Sponsored students: These students/candidates are employees of a Public Sector Undertaking, a Government Department, a Research & Development organization/lab, a recognized private Architectural/Planning Office of repute, an educational institution, a defense sponsored Officer admitted under an MoU.
b) Non sponsored Students: These students/candidates are eligible for admission after clearing the admission test conducted by SPAV or Joint Entrance Examination (or any other test as decided by the Senate SPAV and approved by BoG). of the vacant/left out or any other PG seats c) Foreign Students: These students are admitted through Embassy of the respective Government after getting approval from the Ministry of External affairs and no objection certificate from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Education, Government of India or admitted under an MoU/ otherwise.
d) DASA Students: These students are admitted through DASA PG Admissions for Foreign Nationals/Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)/Non Resident Indians (NRIs) under DASA scheme of MHRD GoI.
2.3 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programme School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada (SPAV), has been offering doctoral programme leading to a PhD degree in the disciplines of Architecture and Planning since A.Y. 2012, with a vision to develop independent and scholarly contribution to the progress of the body of knowledge. The thrust areas of research are within the broad areas related to Architecture / Planning encompassing all disciplines related to built environment and human settlements.
2.4 Category of Doctoral Scholars
2.4.1 Regular PhD Full Time candidate with/without MHRD scholarship.
2.4.2 Sponsored Ph.D. Scholars This category comprises of Ph.D. scholars who are working professionals and are sponsored by their respective organizations as a full time candidate.
2.4.3 Off Campus Ph.D. scholars Such Ph.D. scholars, after completion of residential requirement (completion of course work and minimum stay of one year in the Institute campus), may be allowed to join his/her parent organization as Part Time student where he/she will be doing the research work while serving the parent organization.
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2.4.4 Institute faculty/ staff/ project staff This category refers to scholars who are regular employees of the Institute or who are working on various projects undertaken by the Institute. They are expected to work for their Ph.D. programme after fulfilling their normal duties. Such candidates will be considered at par with Full time candidates.
The regular employees of SPA Vijayawada can pursue their PhD programme and shall be given 50% waiver in fees during the stipulated period of the programme.
Foreign: These scholars are admitted through Embassy of the respective Government after getting approval from the Ministry of External affairs and no objection certificate from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Education, Government of India or admitted under an MoU/otherwise.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 18 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 3 Admissions
3.1 Academic Session The academic session of the PG programmes is divided into two semesters each of approximately 18 weeks duration. The Senate shall approve the schedule of academic activities for an academic year including the dates of registration, mid semester and end semester examinations. The semester timeline is defined in the Academic Calendar and is broadly asunder:
Semester I (Odd Semester). Starts in the last the First/Second week of July and ends in the last week of November.
Semester II (Even Semester). Starts in the Second/Third week of December and ends in the beginning of May.
3.2 Academic Calendar The exact dates of all the important events, such as orientation, registration, late registration, commencement of classes, submission of documents, examinations, submissions of grades, vacation, mid semester break, etc., during the Academic Session are specified in the Academic Calendar of the Institute, approved by the Senate.
3.3 Admission Calendar
1. Admissions to M.Plan/ M.Arch programme are made once a year in Odd Semester.
2. The admissions to the Ph.D. programme may be made in either or both of the two regular semesters.
3. The Dean Academic after approval of Chairperson, Senate notify the admission (Admission Notice). The Head of Department in consultation with DPGC concerned may take decision regarding particular M.Plan/ M.Arch /PhD programme about the admission to be conducted in the department/centre.
3.4 Seats Distribution in Master of Architecture and Master of Planning • The institute offers 20 seats for each specialization under M.Arch programme in the Department of Architecture.
• The institute has 20 seats in each of the Masters programmes under the Department of Planning. Out of these 20 seats, 10 seats are filled through CCMT and the remaining 10 seats are through the direct admissions conducted by SPAV. However, merely qualifying in these examinations does not guarantee admission. The Institute/ academic programme has additional eligibility requirements which candidates have to satisfy to get an admission.
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3.5 Eligibility for M.Plan/ M.Arch Admission
1. The applicant must have a Bachelor Degree in Planning/Architecture in appropriate discipline or a Master Degree in appropriate discipline with CGPA of
6.5 on a 10-point scale (or equivalent) or 60% marks in case of Open/OBC candidates in qualifying degree. Whereas in case of SC/ST candidates a CGPA of 6.0 on a 10-Point scale (or equivalent) or 55% marks in qualifying degree will be applicable.
a. The admission to M.Plan/ M.Arch programmes will be on the basis of valid GATE Score in appropriate discipline/branch by the CCMT or any other admission committee as notified by the GoI.
b. The students/candidates of Masters programmes under the Department of Planning are eligible for admission after clearing the admission test conducted by SPAV or Joint Entrance Examination (or any other test as decided by the Senate and approved by BoG. and notified separately by the institute).for the 50% seats. With the following qualifying degree:
i. Bachelors Degree in Architecture/ Planning/ Engineering/ Technology.
ii. MSc in Economics/ Sociology/ Geography.
c. The vacant/ left out PG seats shall be filled through the admission test conducted by the SPAV or Joint Entrance Examination (or any other test as decided by the Senate and approved by BoG. and notified separately by the institute).
3.6 Eligibility for Ph.D. Admission
3.6.1 Ph.D. in Planning/Architecture (Including Centres) The applicant must have a Master Degree in Planning/Architecture in appropriate discipline with CGPA of 6.5 on a 10-point scale (or equivalent) or 60% marks in case of Open/OBC candidates in qualifying degree. Whereas in case of SC/ST candidates a CGPA of 6.0 on a 10-point scale (or equivalent) or 55% marks in qualifying degree will be applicable.
3.7 Admission of Sponsored Candidates
3.7.1 M.Plan./M.Arch. Programme A candidate who fulfills the eligibility criteria mentioned in Clause (3.3) and is sponsored by his/her employer may be considered for admission provided he/she fulfills the following conditions:
1. The sponsored candidate must attach the relevant sponsorship certificate on letter head of the institution/organization/industry along with the application.
Moreover, the sponsoring organization must be a reputed medium or large scale Government organization/private industry or a reputed technical institute.
2. The sponsored candidate must have been in service of the sponsoring organization for at least two years. The sponsoring organization must specifically Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 20 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada undertake to relieve him/her to pursue the M.Plan./M.Arch. programme for its full duration. Such candidates are required to submit No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer/organization stating that he/she will be relived as Full Time candidate for the full duration of programme.
3. Admission of all sponsored candidates shall be on the basis of valid GATE Score in appropriate discipline/branch. However, the condition of valid GATE score in appropriate discipline/branch may be relaxed for the sponsored candidates from Government organization. And, for such candidates, the Institute may decide separate criteria such as written test and/or interview at the time of admission.
3.7.2 PhD Programme A candidate as mentioned in clause 2.4 and who fulfills the eligibility criteria mentioned in Clause (3.4) are eligible for admission to PhD programme of the institute.
The candidate sponsored by his/her employer may be considered for admission provided he/ she fulfills the following conditions:
1. The sponsored candidate must attach the relevant sponsorship certificate on letterhead of the institution/organization/industry along with the application.
Moreover, the sponsoring organization must be a reputed medium or large scale Government organization/private organization or a reputed Higher Education institute.
2. The sponsored candidate must have been in service of the sponsoring organization for at least two years. The sponsoring organization must specifically undertake to relieve him/ her to pursue the Ph.D. programme for its full duration.
3.7.3 Admission to Ph.D. Off Campus Programme
1. A candidate working in an R&D establishment or in other institution/organization of repute, which is equipped with the necessary research and library facilities, may be considered for admission to various Ph.D. programmes as per eligibility criteria mentioned in Clause (3.4). Such a candidate must be sponsored by his/her employer and must fulfill the conditions mentioned in Clause (3.5.2).
2. The employer must expressly undertake to relieve him/her to stay on the campus to enable the candidate to complete the Course work, Comprehensive Exam, State of Art Seminar and End Semester Seminar at the end of every semester.
3. The candidate must provide detailed information about the research facilities available at his/her organization and a certificate from the employer that these would be available to him/her for carrying out the research.
4. Such candidates are required to submit No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer/organization stating that:
a. His/her official duties permit him/her to devote sufficient time for Research.
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5. Candidate willing to register in Part Time mode will have to complete the residential requirement of stay in the Institute for a period of not less than one year and must complete the Ph.D. course work during this residential period.
However, the condition of residential requirement to stay in the Institute can be relaxed for candidate working within a road distance of about 50 kms from the Institute campus, without any relaxation in the Ph.D. course work requirements.
3.8 Admission procedure
3.8.1 M.Plan/M.Arch (Regular) Admissions to M.Plan/M.Arch programme of regular (non-sponsored) candidates are done centrally for all SPAs) through Centralized Counseling for M.Plan/ M.Arch (CCMT). All the details are made available on the CCMT website during March/April every year and candidates are required to follow the prescribed procedure.
Additional seats, if any allocated to the Institute by Govt. of India or any funding agencies may also be considered along with regular candidates through CCMT.
After the seat allotment, the candidates are required to report in the institutions.
3.8.2 M.Plan/ M.Arch (Sponsored) Admission to M.Plan/ M.Arch (sponsored) programmes shall be based on the eligibility criteria mentioned in Clause (3.5). In case the Institute is willing to admit candidates during a session/year, the Dean Academic will issue the Admission Notice in this regard after the approval of Chairperson, Senate.
1. The applicants shall apply for admission on the prescribed forms which can be downloaded from Institute website. The duly completed application must reach the office of Dean Academic by the specified deadline.
2. The applications shall be scrutinized by the respective Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) of the Departments/Centre. The list of shortlisted candidates shall be displayed by the concerned Head of Department on Institute website.
3. The counseling and admission of shortlisted candidate as per the schedule mentioned in the Admission Notice will be held in the concerned department/centre for which candidates are required to appear in person.
4. To resolve and determine inter se merit of candidates having same valid GATE score, criterion based upon (i) GATE year (earlier year will be given more preference), (ii) working experience (preference to more experience), and (iii) age (preference to older) in the stated order (i, ii and then iii) may be used.
5. On the recommendation of the DSC, the list of candidates recommended for admission will be sent for approval of Chairperson, Senate through Chairperson, SPGC and Dean Academic. If needed, the Chairperson, Senate may constitute a special committee under the chairmanship of Dean Academic to recommend the candidates based upon lists received from the Departments/Centres.
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6. On approval of the Chairperson, Senate, the Head of Department will issue admission letters to the candidates, who will be required to accept the offer of admission by depositing the prescribed fee by the specified deadline.
7. In case, a candidate does not accept the offer by paying the prescribed fee by the specified deadline, the offer of admission may stand withdrawn and the admission may be offered to the candidates in the waiting list, if any, in the order of merit. The offer of admission may also stand withdrawn if the candidate who has accepted the offer and fails to register by the last date of registration.
3.8.3 PhD Admission to PhD programme shall be made in accordance with the eligibility criteria mentioned in Clause (3.4). In case the Institute is willing to admit candidates during a session/year, the Dean Academic will issue the Admission Notice in this regard after the approval of Chairperson, Senate.
1. The applicants shall apply for admission on the prescribed forms clearly mentioning the type of candidature as per clause 2.4. which can be downloaded from Institute website. The duly completed application must reach the office of Dean Academic by the specified deadline.
2. The applications shall be scrutinized by the Departmental Selection Committee (DSC) of concerned Department/Centre. The list of shortlisted candidates found eligible for written test shall be displayed on Institute website by respective Head of Department as per schedule mentioned in the Admission Notice.
3. The selection process for admission to Ph.D. programme shall be in two stages:
Stage-I: All the shortlisted candidates found eligible are required to qualify in a written test in the relevant discipline conducted by the Institute. The syllabi for the written test (to be formulated by the DFB of the respective departments/Centres) is made available on the Institute website. Those who qualify in the written test (by securing minimum percentage of marks in the written test as decided by the Institute) shall only be eligible for Stage-II. List of such candidates is displayed on the departmental notice board/Institute Website.
However, in place of written test, the Institute/DSC may decide separate terms and conditions for Stage-I in respect of candidates who have qualified UGC/CSIR, etc.
JRF exam (National level) and have valid fellowship certificate from such funding agencies of Govt. of India.
Stage-II: The candidates who qualify the Stage–I shall appear for interview and presentation before the duly constituted Departmental Selection Committee (DSC).
The presentation should be brief and clear (around 5-10 minutes) highlighting the basic idea of proposed research. The presentation must broadly include:
The topic/subject of the proposed research work.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 23 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada An outline containing introduction to the subject, International/National importance, broad objectives, scope and methodology of research work with relevant literature review.
4. On the recommendation of the DSC, the list of candidates recommended for admission will be sent for approval of Chairperson, Senate through Chairperson, SPGC and Dean Academic. If needed, the Chairperson, Senate may constitute a special committee under the chairmanship of Dean Academic to recommend the candidates based upon lists received from the Departments/Centres.
5. On approval by the Chairperson, Senate, the HoD will issue admission letters to the selected candidates, who will be required to accept the offer of admission by depositing prescribed fee by the specified deadline.
6. In case, a candidate does not pay the prescribed fee by the specified deadline, the offer of admission may stand withdrawn and the admission may be offered to the candidates in the waiting list, if any, in order of merit.
7. The selected candidates will have to register for the course work in consultation with the Supervisor/Convener DPGC as the case may be as per the schedule mentioned in Academic Calendar.
3.9 Admissions under DASA Programme Admissions of foreign nationals and Indian students studying abroad can be made to various Post Graduate programmes under Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) scheme of MHRD. The seats under this scheme are over and above the sanctioned seats. The admission process is handled by the coordinating institute who is entrusted the responsibility by MHRD to coordinate the process on behalf of Centrally Funded Institutions (CFIs).
3.10 Reservation Policy in Admission Reservation policy as prescribed by Government of India/MHRD from time to time shall be applicable.
3.11 Withdrawal from Admission The withdrawal procedure for various postgraduate programme is based on CCMT and SPA Vijayawada rules and regulations as applicable.
3.12 Cancellation of Admission All students admitted to any PG programme shall submit copies of their marksheets; provisional certificates transfer certificate/migration and others, as mentioned to the student at the time of admission, of the qualifying examination and other documents by the last date specified. The Dean (Academic) in consultation with the Chairperson Senate/ Director may cancel the admission of any student who fails to submit the prescribed documents by the specified date or to meet other stipulated requirement(s). The Senate may also cancel the admission at any later Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 24 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada stage if it is found that the student had supplied some false information or suppressed relevant information while seeking admission or he/she was involved in an act of unbecoming a student of the Institute. In any case no dues is compulsory for student to submit and clear.
3.13 Refund The refund procedure for various postgraduate programme is based on CCMT and SPA Vijayawada rules and regulations as applicable.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 25 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 4 Registration
4.1 Registration
1. All the students (PG & PhD) are mandatorily required to register in person every semester as per schedule mentioned in the Academic Calendar for the courses that he/she intends to pursue in that semester. The registration will be done departmentally under the supervision of the Head of Department/Coordinator of a respective specialization/program. The registration process involves following three steps.
a) Submitting a duly approved course programme to be followed in the semester in the prescribed registration card. This may also include an online procedure, if any.
b) Payment of fees for that semester and clearance of any outstanding dues of the previous semester.
c) Signing on the registration Card/register in person.
2. All M.Plan/ M.Arch students must continue to register in the following semester till they submit their thesis.
3. Ph.D. student, who has submitted his/her thesis and is waiting for the Oral Examination of the thesis, will register for zero units without any fee only once (in the next semester i.e. following the semester of his Ph.D. thesis submission).
4. In case of a maternity leave (granted before the date of registration) extends beyond the date of late registration and expires before the end of seven weeks from the specified date of registration in a given semester the student will be allowed to register only for thesis units. The number of units that a student will be allowed to register will be worked out on a pro rata basis by DPGC.
4.2 Late Registration If for any compelling reason like illness, a student is unable to register on the day of registration, he/she will be allowed to register till the last date of registration specified in the Academic Calendar (which is about one week from the date of registration). Any student registering late will be required to pay a late fee as decided by the Senate from time to time. However, in genuine cases supported by the authenticated documents the late fee can be waived off by the Dean Academic with approval from Chairperson Senate. Such application shall only be considered if forwarded and recommended by the concerned Head of Department based on genuineness of the case.
4.3 Non Registration If the student fails to register in the semester by the last date of late registration, then her/his candidature shall be suspended. The candidate will be allowed to register in Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 26 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada the said semester as regular candidate as and when that semester is run by the respective department. However he/she will have to complete the degree in the given period as notified in this manual.
4.4 Cancellation of Registration Absence for a period of three or more weeks at a stretch during a semester shall result in automatic cancellation of the registration of a student from all the courses in that semester. The names of such students may be informed to the Dean Academic by the Head of the Department on the recommendations of the DPGC.
4.5 Withdrawal from Course A student can withdraw from the course anytime by submitting the withdrawal form along with the No Dues form and their candidature will be cancelled. The Senate may grant permission to withdraw from a programme or from the additional part of a programme after considering the submission/circumstances faced by the student and the recommendations of the supervisor (if there is one), DPGC, and SPGC.
Once the student has withdrawn he/she cannot claim for the said surrendered seat again. He/ She will have to admit afresh to pursue the programme.
4.6 Semester Load Requirements
1. Semester load requirement for M.Plan/ M.Arch is as given in the teaching scheme of the course by respective department. Thus, a student is strictly required to register as per the semester load requirement.
2. A Ph.D candidate has a load requirement of course work/ End Semester presentation/State of Art/Open Seminar etc., as the case may be for each semester to show the progress made during that semester on his/her thesis work.
a. Changing of Courses: Changing of course (dropping older course and adding new one) after registration is permitted only for the PhD student's. The request should be endorsed by both the course coordinators (older as well as new) in the registration card and is also endorsed by the Registration Coordinator/Convener DPGC. The last date for changing of course will be the last date of late registration as specified in the Academic Calendar and no change will be allowed after this date.
4.7 Change of Ph.D. Programme Status
4.7.1 From Off Campus/Part Time to Full Time A student admitted to the Ph.D. programme as off campus candidate may on the recommendation of supervisor/ SRC be allowed to convert this status to a full time programme without scholarship if there is not sufficient progress in his/her thesis work as adjudged by the supervisor/ SRC. It should be recommended by DPGC and approved by Chairperson Senate. However, all such changes have to be Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 27 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada incorporated at the time of normal registration date. For the purpose of determining the maximum period of Ph.D. thesis submission, the candidate shall be counted as off campus student.
4.7.2 From Full Time to Off Campus/Part Time
1. A student admitted to a full time Ph.D. programme may be permitted to change to an off campus/Part time Ph.D. programme by Chairperson, Senate. A student requesting such a conversion must:
a. Have completed the residential requirement and successfully completed/passed the State of Art Seminar.
b. Produce a No Objection Certificate from the Head of the institution/organization, which he/she proposes to join or the organization which has sponsored him/her.
c. Provide detailed information about the research facilities available at the proposed organization and a certificate from the employer that these would be available to him/her for carrying out the research.
d. Such a request should be endorsed by the supervisor(s) and recommended by the DPGC.
2. Such conversion, if approved by the Chairperson, Senate, will be subject to the following conditions:
a. The student must submit his/her thesis within the stipulated period as applicable in full time programme.
b. Provision of conversion from full time to off campus/part time and vice-versa can be availed only once by the student during his/her Ph.D. programme.
c. The student will be governed by the rules and regulations of this PG Manual.
d. The student will not entitled for any scholarship being offered by the GoI/institute.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 28 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 5 Teaching and Academics
5.1 Teaching As a part of academic teaching load, each faculty is expected to prepare a lecture plan for the entire semester dividing the contents of the syllabus on weekly basis. A standard template shall be followed across all the departments of the institute to maintain uniformity and consistency in the contents. The lecture plan is expected to be circulated at the start of the semester to the students and strictly adhered.
5.2 Medium of instruction The medium of instruction for all the postgraduate programmes in School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada is English for both written and spoken purposes.
5.3 Duration of Courses The academic year is divided into two semesters, with each course having a minimum of 16 contact weeks. A M.Plan/ M.Arch degree is of four semesters.
5.4 Conduct of Courses Each course is conducted by concerned faculty and he/she is responsible for conducting the course, holding the examinations, evaluating the performance of the students, awarding and submitting the marks and attendance to the respective Department.
5.5 Work-Week and Class Timings The working hours of the institute are from 9.00am to 5:30pm from Monday to Friday. The duration of each class is usually of 50-55 minute slots. No classes are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays, unless previously specified in the Academic Calendar or otherwise. The faculty may schedule an extra class with prior permission of the Head of the concerned Department with full justification and intimation to the students and Dean – A.
5.6 Extension of Programme No student, who has completed the prescribed maximum duration in the programme, shall be allowed to register in the subsequent semester, unless he/she has been granted extension of the programme by the Senate on the recommendations of the DPGC and SPGC as a special case.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 29 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
5.7 Academic requirements for M.Plan/M.Arch
1. A student is required to complete successfully all prescribed courses in the scheme and attain a minimum CGPA of 6.0. Therefore, the minimum CGPA for award of M.Plan/M.Arch degree is 6.0 at SPA Vijayawada.
2. The institute follows the carry on system for promotion of students to next semester with the rider that a student is eligible for third semester of M.Plan/M.Arch provided he/she secures minimum CGPA of 4.0 at the end of
2ndsemester. Otherwise, the candidature of the candidate may be cancelled after the 2ndsemester on the recommendation of concerned DPGC. Hostel facility shall not be available to a M.Plan/M.Arch student after he/she completes minimum residential period of two years from the initial date of registration in the programme.
5.8 M.Plan./M.Arch. Course Work
1. M.Plan./M.Arch. programmes are of two years duration. The total credits are divided between four semesters of M.Plan./M.Arch. Course credits include theory courses, laboratory courses and other academic work like seminar, field visits etc. To enhance interdisciplinary content, one Open Elective course has been made mandatory for all students, wherein students will select a course from a list of floated courses by other departments/centres from time to time.
2. A candidate should earn minimum of 70 credits inclusive of theory, studio & Thesis workout of 120 credits to pass.
5.9 Audit Courses Along with credit courses, a student may be permitted to take two audit courses of his/her choice per semester. However, for audit courses prior consent of the course coordinator is required and approved by DPGC. These courses shall not be counted for calculation of SGPA/CGPA but will be shown in the Grade Card as “AC”
5.10 Residential, Duration and Academic Requirements The following table lists the minimum residential and maximum duration allowed in the programme, and credits requirements for graduation in the various M.Plan/ M.Arch programmes. Course work includes only postgraduate theory / jury course units. To satisfy the minimum residential period requirement, registration must be over consecutive semesters; exception will be made only if the student is on authorized leave. Maximum duration is counted from the student's first registration date.
Programme Total Credits Credits Through Course Work Credits Through Studio/Research Minimum Residential Period Maximum Duration of the Programme M.Plan./ M.Arch.
120 60 60 2 Years 3 Years Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 30 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada No student, who has completed the prescribed maximum duration in the programme, shall be allowed to register in the subsequent semester, unless he/she has been granted extension of the programme by the Senate on the recommendations of the DPGC and SPGC as a special case.
5.11Permission to proceed to other Academic Institutions as Non-Degree Students In order to help students to broaden their horizons and enrich their cultural and academic experience, there is a provision to proceed to other academic and research Institutions in India or abroad as non-degree students. Rules and procedures to be followed for availing this provision are as follows:
1. A Masters’ student who satisfies the minimum conditions, may proceed to another academic Institution in India or abroad with prior permission of the Chairperson Senate, on the recommendation of the SPGC & DPGC.
2. A Masters' Students who have cleared at least two Semesters, with Min. CGPA of
8.0 are eligible to proceed as non-degree students elsewhere.
3. To proceed as a non-degree student elsewhere, an eligible student shall make an application to the Chairperson SPGC through the DPGC/Thesis Supervisor (as the case maybe) in the prescribed format duly supported by a statement of purpose and relevant document such as place to undertake the proposed work and sufficient information about the Department/Institution and, acceptance from that Institute /Organization etc.
4. Permission to proceed to an Institution as a non-degree student does not imply that the student will automatically get any waiver from the academic requirements of SPA Vijayawada.
5. The concerned DPGC shall evaluate the work done/courses studied by the student and shall make recommendations to the SPGC after determining by whatever means it deems fit, the successful completion of his/her Courses/requirements for which the student was given a permission.
a. The DPGC, may recommend to add the subjects as Audit courses for a maximum of 09 credits. All such courses will be deemed to carry zero weight for SGPA/CGPA calculations.
6. The minimum residence requirement for the students who will avail of this provision, remain unchanged.
7. Such students shall not get any financial assistance during the period spent at the other organization/institution. However, his/her financial assistantship shall be restored after he/she joins back the Department and on recommendation of the DPGC.
8. In case, the student could not physically report during registration, due to his/her assignment at the other Organization/Institution, he/she may be exempted from the physical presence. However, he/she shall have to complete the other registration requirement as per the Academic Calendar.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 31 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
5.12 Academic requirements for PhD.
A Ph.D. candidate should earn minimum of 76 credits including 12 credits from course work (minimum four courses of 03 credits each) and 64 credits in thesis work (by registering for maximum of 16 credits per semester).
A Ph.D. candidate full time can register for maximum of 16 credits per semester.
However, part time candidate can register for 8 credits per semester. During the residential period of the Off Campus/Part time Ph. D. candidate, the maximum credit for which he/she can register can be maximum of 16 credits.
In addition to this, a Ph.D. candidate is required to successfully complete/pass other requirements before Ph.D. Thesis submission such as Comprehensive Examination, State of Art Seminar and Open Seminar.
5.12.1 Progress of PhD Research A Ph.D. candidate is required to complete successfully all prescribed courses and attain a minimum CGPA of 7.0. Preferably, the course work must be completed within one year of initial date of registration in the Ph.D.
In addition to this minimum requirement of course work, a Ph.D. candidate may also be required to complete other courses (theory, lab, seminar, etc.) as recommended by the concerned supervisor/SRC.
5.12.2 Residential, Duration and Academic Requirements The following table lists the minimum residential and maximum duration allowed in the Ph.D. programme, and credits requirements. Course work includes only postgraduate course units. To satisfy the minimum residential period requirement, registration must be over consecutive semesters; exception will be made only if the student is on authorized leave. Maximum duration is counted from the student's first registration date.
Programme Minimum Total Credits Credits Through Course Work (Minimum) Credits Through Dissertation/Research (Minimum) Minimum Residential Period Maximum Duration of the Programme PhD 76 12 64 01 Years Full Time: 5 Years Off Campus/ 6 Years Part Time Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 32 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
5.12.3 Extension of Programme No student, who has completed the prescribed maximum duration in the programme, shall be allowed to register in the subsequent semester, unless he/she has been granted extension of the programme by the Senate on the recommendations of the DPGC and SPGC as a special case.
5.12.4 End Semester Seminar A Ph.D. student is required to deliver seminar before SRC at the end of each semester for showing the progress made during that semester as per the schedule mentioned in Academic Calendar.
5.12.5 Comprehensive Examination
1. A Ph.D. student must pass a comprehensive examination designed to test the overall comprehension of the student in the various subjects. Preferably, the student must pass the Comprehensive Examination within two semesters after the completion of course work (i.e. within two years of initial registration in the Ph.D. programme). The above time limits are inclusive of the period of sanctioned leave, if any.
2. The comprehensive examination consists of two components as given below:
Component Maximum Marks Minimum Pass Marks Written Examination 50 30 Oral Examination/Presentation 50 30
3. The supervisor is required to propose the syllabi for the comprehensive written examination for the approval of SRC at least six weeks before the scheduled date of examination. Immediately, after the approval of syllabi, a copy is to be handed over to the student.
4. A student will be considered to have passed the comprehensive examination if all except one member of the Comprehensive Board are satisfied with student's performance in the examination. The report of the comprehensive examination must be sent to the Chairperson, SPGC within 08 weeks of the date of approval of the Board.
5. The composition of the Ph.D. Comprehensive Board is as under:
a. External Expert (outside SPAV) Member b. SRC Members Member c. Concerned Supervisor Convener
6. For each student, the supervisor (in consultation with DPGC, Convener and concerned HoD) shall propose a panel of minimum three external experts to the Chairperson, Senate for approval. Preferably, the external examiner should be of related specialization from premier technical institutions like IITs, SPAs, NITs and other institutes of repute, etc. The Chairperson, Senate may approve the expert Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 33 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada from the panel or appoint another expert, in consultation with Dean Academic & Chairperson, SPGC. In case no thesis supervisor is assigned, the Convener, DPGC will be the Convener of the Board.
7. If a student is unable to pass the comprehensive examination in his/her first attempt, a second comprehensive examination (to be conducted within next six months) will be conducted by the same Board that was constituted earlier unless the faculty member of the Board has left the Institute or has deceased. A student will not be allowed to appear in the comprehensive examination more than twice.
In case the candidate fails to clear comprehensive in two attempts, he/she shall be deemed to be terminated from the Ph.D. programme. The concerned HoD shall recommend the case within 04 weeks in this regard to Dean Academic for approval of Chairperson, Senate.
5.12.6 State of Art Seminar Every Ph.D. student is required to deliver a State of Art Seminar in the Department/Centre covering the state of art of the area of research. This seminar must be given within three months from the successful completion of comprehensive examination, notified by the Dean (Academic), failing which permission from Dean Academic shall be sought after giving proper justification.
Result of successfully passing the seminar along with a report is to be communicated to the Chairperson, SPGC by the supervisor through the Convener, DPGC and HoD within 02 weeks. The report must briefly cover (i) Ph.D.
Research/Thesis Title, (ii) Motivation, (iii) State of Art in the Proposed Research Area, (iv) Problem Statement and Objectives, (v) Methodology, and (vi) Important References.
5.12.7 Open Seminar Before proceeding to finalize the thesis, each Ph.D. student must deliver a seminar open to the faculty and students in which the research work will be presented to obtain comments and criticism, which may be incorporated in his/her thesis. A notice of the seminar must be displayed at least four days in advance. A thesis can be submitted only after the satisfactory fulfillment of this requirement but not later than six months. The candidate should inform the HoD through his supervisor for his readiness to deliver the open seminar. If the case has been recommended by the supervisor(s) and SRC, the HoD will place it in DPGC for approval.
A Ph.D. student may be allowed to deliver Open Seminar only if he/she completes all the mandatory requirements mentioned in Clauses above and in addition minimum three research papers must have been published/accepted in reputed/referred journals with impact factor (Conference papers will not be considered).
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 34 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
5.12.8 Academic requirements for Ph.D.
1. A student shall not be allowed to continue in the Ph.D. programme, if any one of the following is fulfilled:
a. His/her CGPA is less than 7.0 from the course work.
b. He/she accumulates eight or more X’s towards dissertation/thesis grades.
c. He/she accumulates six or more X’s towards thesis grades in two consecutive semesters.
d. He/she secures X’s in all the thesis units registered for in two consecutive semesters.
2. Whenever, a student accumulates three X’s, the supervisor will intimate the HoD, and in turn, the HoD will issue a warning to the student.
3. The supervisor will keep a watch on the progress of student and whenever, a student fails to meet the requirements, will recommend the termination of candidature (within 04 weeks) through HoD to the Dean Academic for further approval of competent authority. If a student’s programme is terminated, the concerned HoD will issue the letter of termination under intimation to his/her parents and Dean Academic.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 35 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 6 Examination & Evaluation
6.1 Evaluation and Assessment The evaluation of student's performance in a semester is a continuous process.
There will be an internal evaluation and/or a semester-end examination to account for the total maximum marks for each subject. In each semester, for every subject, the internal evaluation is done progressively by the subject coordinator(s) with a minimum of two assessments and one mid semester examination. Number, weightages and modes of assessments in internal evaluations are announced at the beginning of the semester as a part of lecture plan/ through a separate notice in consultation with Head and Dean Academic. The results of the periodic internal assessments are to be displayed by the subject coordinator through Head of the Department. Number of subjects, hours of teaching, distribution of credits among different subjects and weightage of marks for internal evaluation and semester end examination, shall be as per the approved course structure and syllabus of the respective UG programmes, from time to time.
The consolidated marks of all internal assessments, including mid-semester examination of each subject is prepared by the subject coordinator(s) (in the format given by exam section/ Department) and made available to students for feedback/comment and discrepancies, if any, as may be pointed out by any student may be rectified by the subject coordinator(s) and thereafter the results are finalized and submitted within the time limit.
Subject coordinator/s certifies the students’ eligibility for appearing endexaminations of the semester before submitting consolidated internal assessment marks to the department. The graded scripts of all the internal assignments, supporting files in digital/hard bound to be stored with the subject coordinator(s) for a minimum of one year after the semester end-examinations / such files may be submitted to the centralized storage through HoD. If a subject is handled by visiting faculty, the concerned departments will have all such records under the supervision of concerned Semester Coordinator/Studio Coordinator.
Final Consolidated marks of all the internal assessments for all subjects, including mid-semester examination for each batch of UG Programme is compiled by respective departments and verified by Year Coordinator/Semester Coordinator, and submitted to COE through Head and Dean Academic as per the academic calendar.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 36 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
6.2 End Semester Examinations Regular and supplementary exams are conducted at the end of each semester, i.e., two times in each Academic Year. The subject coordinator(s) is responsible for setting the question paper, maintaining its secrecy, evaluating and awarding the grades for the subject, unless otherwise nominated. The Chairperson, Senate for few subjects may suggest faculty/experts from outside the institute to set the question papers. The complete transparency shall be maintained in evaluation system.
For a course, where more than one faculty member is involved in teaching one of them shall act as coordinator (as nominated by Head of the Department). Two sets of Question papers along with key for theory exams are prepared for each subject as per the instructions circulated by Controller of Examinations for each examination and submitted to exam section in a sealed cover. One of the question papers is set for regular end examination, while the other set is reserved for the supplementary exams, if required.
Evaluation of the answer scripts is done by the respective subject coordinator(s), unless otherwise nominated. The evaluation is done in a centralized manner were the concerned faculty have to be present and evaluate the answer sheets. No faculty member is allowed to take the answer sheets out of the evaluation hall for marking. Any body found doing so will be viewed seriously and may face disciplinary action.
6.3 Results of Examinations Final consolidated marks of all the internal assessments for all subjects, batch wise will be submitted to COE through Head and Dean Academic by Year Coordinator/Semester Coordinator before the semester end examinations. After the end semester examinations, the results are declared by the Examination Section.
6.4 Award of Grades “A teacher is the best judge in awarding the grades”. However, he/she has to be impartial, logical and maintain complete transparency while awarding grades. The Institute follows absolute grading system.
A student is awarded a letter grade in each course he/she is registered for, indicating his/her overall performance in that course. There are seven letter grades:
A, B, C, D, E, E* and F. Grade E* is awarded to students who clear the subject in supplementary examinations.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 37 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
6.5 The guidelines for the award of grades:
1. No student can pass a subject without securing at least 40% marks in Internal Assessment and 40% marks in semester-end examination.
2. The overall pass percentage shall be 50% including internal assessment and semester-end examination together.
3. No student can appear in the end semester examination if he/she fails in the internal assessment of subject and declared as failed in the regular end examination in that subject. He/she has to appear in Summer Classes to clear the internal assessment and appear for supplementary examinations, such subject is called as “Carry Forward Subjects”.
4. If the student doesn’t fulfill “point 5 of 6.5”, the student has to attend summer classes to clear the internal assessment and appear for supplementary.
5. If the student fails in more than four subjects in a semester, he shall not be allowed to register in next semester till he/she clears his/her backlog. Such student has to repeat the subject as and when offered (by repeating the Semester/Year)
6. All evaluations of different components of a course announced in the course plan shall be done in marks for each student.
7. Absence from any of the semester-end exams will be considered as failure to attain minimum academic requirements, i.e., failure in the examination.
8. The marks of various components shall be added to get total marks secured on a 100-point scale.
9. For any course, the table in Clause 6.9 will be used to award grades corresponding to the secured marks.
10. A student getting F grade in a course due to non-fulfillment of minimum percentage of marks requirement may appear for supplementary examination as per Academic Calendar provided the student had fulfilled the attendance requirement in that course.
11. A student getting E grade in a course may be allowed to improve (both theory/studio subjects and maximum two only in each semester of an academic year) it during supplementary examination, provided he/she has passed all the courses of the Programme in first attempt and intends to improve his/her SGPA.
12. Ph.D. end semester will be graded as satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (X) during End Semester Seminar by the SRC. The SRC will assess the student’s progress towards the dissertation/thesis work during the semester and will award the grade S for each set of 4 credits if the work is satisfactory and X for every unsatisfactory 4 credits. Thus a student registered for16 credits can get one of the five combinations SSSS, SSSX, SSXX, SXXX, XXXX.
If a student is on leave for a part of the semester, the SRC may reduce his/her dissertation/thesis credits units appropriately.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 38 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
6.6 Grade Moderation Committee:
The grades so awarded shall be moderated by a Grade Moderation Committee (GMC) of the Department, if required with the prior approval of the Chairperson Senate. This committee will finalize the grades and the concerned teacher shall submit the final grades online as well as forward an authenticated copy of these grades to the HoD for onward transmission to Academic Section as per the schedule mentioned in Academic Calendar. GMC shall consist of:
(a) Head of the Department
(b) Convener, DPGC
(c) Two members from DPGC
(d) Course Coordinator/Teacher/Subject Incharge
6.7 Subject Marks Distribution:
Each semester will consist of the one or more of the following categories of subjects with the distribution of marks as shown against each of the categories. The subjects are Theory Core/Elective, Studio &Thesis for M.Plan/M.Arch and PhD Sl.
No.
Category Maximum Marks in % Internal Evaluation Mid Term End Semester Evaluation External Jury
1. Core Theory 20 30 50 --
2. Core – Studios 60 -- -- 40
3. Thesis 50 -- -- 50
6.8 Weighted Grade Points Based on the marks obtained in any subject, letter grades will be awarded. Based on the letter grade obtained for the subject, grade points will be awarded as follows:
Sl.No % of Marks Letter Grade Grade Points Minimum Maximum 1 90.00 100.00 A 10 2 80.00 89.99 B 9 3 70.00 79.99 C 8 4 60.00 69.99 D 7 5 50.00 59.99 E 6-if cleared in first attempt 6 50.00 59.99 E* 5-if cleared in supplementary 7 00.00 49.99 F 0-Fail The grade points obtained in a subject multiplied by the credits for that subject will be the weighted grade points.
Weighted Grade Points (W) = c X g Where ‘c’ is the number of credits assigned for the subject and ‘g’ is the Grade Point obtained as per the Table above.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 39 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
6.9 Semester Grade Point Average The sum of the weighted grade points divided by the total number of credits in a semester will result in the Semester Grade Point Average or SGPA.
SGPA = ∑cigi/∑ci i = 1 to n Where n is the number of subjects registered for in the semester, ‘c’ is the number of credits allotted to a particular subject, and ‘g’ is the grade-point obtained by the student, as per the Table above.
6.10 Cumulative Performance Index Starting from the second semester, at the end of each semester, a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) will be computed for every student by dividing the sum of weighted grade point of each subject for all the subjects starting from first semester up to and including the semester under computation, divided by the sum of credits for all the subjects starting from the first semester up to and including the semester under consideration.
CGPA = ∑cigi/∑ci i = 1 to m Where ‘m’ is the number of subjects registered for in all the semesters from the First semester up to and including the semester under computation, ‘c’ is the number of credits allotted to a particular subject, and ‘g’ is the grade-point obtained by the student as per Table6.6.
The CGPA would indicate the cumulative performance of the student from the first semester up to the end of the semester to which it refers.
The CGPA and SGPA will be rounded off to the second decimal place and recorded as such.
The CGPA, SGPA and the grades obtained in all the subjects in a semester, will be communicated to every student at the end of every semester, after the results for that semester are declared.
When a student gets the grade ‘F’ in any subject during a semester, the SGPA & CGPA from that semester onwards will not be calculated, until such ‘F’ grade(s) has been substituted by better grades through subsequent attempts.
6.11 Supplementary Exams Supplementary examination will be conducted every semester after the regular examinations and a student is allowed to appear in a maximum of four subjects in total (Subjects of any semester):
o If a student fails in any subject(s) in the supplementary examination, the student has to clear the subjects(s) in the subsequent examination as and when conducted. Such subject shall also be called ‘Carry Forward’ subject.
o All ‘Carry Forward’ subjects of First to third semesters should be cleared before registering for Fourth Semester.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 40 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada The supplementary exams may be conducted atleast one week before the start of the next session. The application in the prescribed format may be invited at least one week before the start of the supplementary exams.
6.12 Summer Classes:
The students who is detained on the basis of shortage of attendance and Internal assessment will have to appear in the Summer Classes to be offered in the summer break of the institute:
1. Such classes shall normally start within the week after the end of the regular examination.
2. The application on the prescribed format to be invited well in time atleast one week before the start of the classes.
3. The duration of such classes should be min of 5-6 weeks.
4. The student has to attend classes and complete all the class assignment such as mid-term etc. (to be evaluate internally in Studio/Theory subjects) to clear his detention.
5. Normally a faculty in whose subject the student has been detained should be assigned a course in the summer break, however the HoD can assign any other faculty the subject with full justification and approval of the Dean – A.
6. A one teacher will be assigned to each subject theory/Studio.
7. The HoD will prepare the Time Table of the subjects being offered in the Summer break along with name of the faculty and submit it in the office of the Dean – A.
8. Such students will appear along with other students in the supplementary examination.
9. The student can appear in maximum of four subjects (including Summer Classes & Supplementary exams) at a time.
6.13 Promotion to next semester A student failing in more than four subjects in the Regular examination will be detained and has to repeat the subjects as and when offered next (by losing the academic year) a) A Master Degree student should pass all subjects of First year (two semesters) before registering for Second year (Third Semester). In case a student fails to do so, he/she shall have to repeat the year and clear all the failed subjects to be eligible to register for third semester.
6.14 Appointment of Examiners:
6.14.1 Theory Subjects The subject incharge / coordinator of the theory subjects will be responsible to set the paper, evaluate and award of the grades of the regular/supplementary subject he/she is teaching. However the Dean – A with the permission of the Chairperson Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 41 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Senate can appoint any other faculty to evaluate the end semester/internal examination papers.
6.14.2 Studio Subjects:
The Committee for the evaluation of each studio subject and Thesis will be proposed by the concerned HoD and DPGC Convener for the approval of the Chairperson Senate through Dean – A as per the following composition:
Head of Department or his/her nominee Chairperson External expert Member atleast one for every 15 – 20 students (Outside the Institute, to be nominated by Dean Academic in consultation with Chairperson, Senate) Two Faculty Members from the Department Member In case of any discrepancy the decision of the Chairperson will be final and binding.
6.15 Award of Class After a student, has satisfied the requirements prescribed for the completion of the programme and is eligible for the award of the M. Plan. or the M.Arch., the student will be placed in one of the following classes:
First Class with Distinction
7.5 and above of CGPA and should have cleared each and every subject in a single attempt First Class Below 7.5 and not less than 6.0 of CGPA and those students who secured a CGPA above 7.5 but have cleared at least one or more subjects in more than one attempt Second Class Below 6.0 but not less than 5.0 Students who repeat any academic year(s) will not be awarded any class. The marks in the internal evaluation and semester-end examination and/or external jury, will be shown separately in the marks sheet. All subjects cleared through supplementary exams are to be indicated so in the marks sheet separately as “supplementary’.
6.16 Withholding of Grades The grades of a student may be withheld if she/he has not paid her/his dues, or if there is a case of indiscipline pending against her/him.
6.17 M.Plan/M.Arch Thesis examination
6.17.1 Appointment of Thesis Supervisor
1. Thesis supervisor(s) of a M.Plan/ M.Arch student will normally be appointed by DPGC from amongst the faculty members at SPAV using transparent modalities decided by the department/Institute.
2. A student has to select a topic for his thesis in consultation with supervisor, based on his/her interest and the available facilities in the department/Institute.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 42 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
3. DPGC will appoint supervisor(s) to each M.Plan./M.Arch. student immediately after the 2nd semester examination i.e. before the start of summer vacations for faculty.
4. Normally a faculty member shall not supervise more than three individual M.Plan /M.Arch candidates. A shared candidate will be counted as one unit. However, with the approval of Chairperson, Senate more than three candidates may be allowed as a special case.
5. A student shall not normally have more than two supervisors at any given time.
6. A student can have a co-supervisor from outside the Institute on the recommendation of the DPGC, Chairperson, SPGC and Dean Academic with approval of the Chairperson, Senate. The DPGC must ensure that the supervisor from SPAV has recommended the case clarifying that how addition of cosupervisor will facilitate better research work. Also, the written consent of the proposed co-supervisor be attached.
7. In case there has been a change/addition in the supervisor(s), the M.Plan./M.Arch. thesis will not be submitted earlier than three months from the date of such change.
8. In case a faculty member is suspended /debarred for indulging in lowering the prestige of the Institute in any manner he/she shall cease to be a thesis supervisor.
9. A faculty member appointed as M.Plan/ M.Arch supervisor is normally expected to be available to the student in the Institute till the thesis is submitted. However, under unavoidable circumstances, such as long leave, resignation, retirement, or death; an alternative supervisor may have to be appointed by the department/centre. In such a case it is the discretion of the student with whom he/she intends to continue his/her thesis. The requested should be duly signed by the faculty incharge and approved by HoD & convener DPGC.
6.17.2 Thesis Evaluation Committee
1. Internal Evaluation During 4thSemester Each candidate shall be evaluated internally atleast twice during the semester by a Committee as per the schedule mentioned in Academic Calendar. The Committee is to be constituted by the concerned HoD as per the following composition:
i. Head of Department Chairperson ii. Faculty Members with Relevant Specialization Member from the Department/Centre iii. Concerned Supervisor Member iv. Convener, DPGC Convener Member
2. External Evaluation During 4th Semester The M.Plan./M.Arch thesis will be evaluated by the committee constituted as under:
The committee shall be proposed for M.Plan /M.Arch student/ students by the Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 43 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada concerned supervisor in consultation with Convener, DPGC and concerned HoD to evaluate the M.Plan/ M.Arch thesis. The committee needs to be proposed at least two weeks before the submission of thesis. The composition of the committee is as under:
i. External Expert (outside SPA Vijayawada) Member ii. One Faculty Member from the Department/Centre Member iii. Concerned Supervisor Convener For each student, the supervisor in consultation with Convener, DPGC and concerned HoD shall propose a panel of minimum three external experts to the Chairperson, Senate for approval. Preferably, the external examiner should be of related specialization from premier technical institutions like IITs, SPAs, NITs and other institutes of repute. The Chairperson, Senate may approve the expert from the panel or appoint another expert, in consultation with Dean Academic.
6.17.3 Submission of Thesis After the M.Plan/ M.Arch Oral Board has been constituted, spiral/soft bond copies, of the thesis/dissertation report one for each examiner of the Oral Board (as per the prescribed format in Annexure) are to be submitted to Convener, DPGC at least two weeks before the probable date of oral examination. The Convener, DPGC shall arrange to send the copies of the thesis to the examiners. Softcopy (preferably PDF on CD/DVD) of the report should also be submitted along with the hardcopies.
After the oral examination, the modifications suggested if any, by the Oral Board, may be incorporated and then sufficient number of hard bond copies and softcopy (preferably PDF on CD/DVD) be submitted to the department for onwards transmission to the supervisor(s) and library by Convener, DPGC. All the reports should have Similarity Index Report attached. The SI should not be more than 18%.
The student shall also vest or license copyright of his/her thesis in the name of SPA Vijayawada.
6.17.4 M.Plan/ M.Arch External Evaluation
1. The external evaluation will be conducted preferably within two months from the date of submission of the thesis.
2. The thesis supervisor in coordination with Convener, DPGC will intimate the date of the oral examination to the Academic Section and student.
3. The Committee will evaluate the thesis, conduct the evaluation and send a report of the examination to the Academic Section through the Convener, DPGC and HoD within two days.
4. A thesis will be considered to have been accepted if majority of members of the committee recommend its acceptance. A thesis, which is not accepted, will be considered to have been rejected.
5. If a thesis is rejected along with a recommendation for resubmission after incorporating any modification/correction suggested by the Oral Board, oral Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 44 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada examination of the resubmitted thesis will be conducted by the original Board.
However, if any member of the previous Board has retired/left/debarred then revised Board will be constituted with the approval of the Chairperson Senate. If the resubmitted thesis is rejected, the matter will be reported to the Senate for appropriate action.
6. If a student does not appear in the oral examination within this time period, his/her programme would be deemed to have been terminated. Request for reinstatement in the programme by such a student should be addressed to the Dean Academics. The request may be considered by the Chairperson, Senate on case to case basis. In case student does not appear second time the thesis submitted shall be deemed to be rejected.
6.18 PhD Thesis Examination
6.18.1 Appointment of Thesis Supervisor
1. A Ph.D. student has to select a thesis supervisor within one month of successful completion of the course work, if not done earlier.
2. Thesis supervisor(s) of a Ph.D. student will normally be recommended by DPGC for the approval of Chairperson, Senate from amongst the faculty members at SPAV using transparent modalities decided by the department/Institute.
3. A student has to select a topic for his/her thesis in consultation with supervisor and SRC, based on his/her interest and the available facilities in the department/Institute.
4. Normally a faculty member shall not supervise more than three individual Ph.D.
candidates at a given point of time. A shared candidate will be counted as one unit. However, with the approval of Chairperson, Senate more than three candidates may be allowed as a special case.
5. A student shall not normally have more than two supervisors at any given time.
6. A student can have a co-supervisor from within/outside the Institute on the recommendation of the DPGC, Chairperson, SPGC and Dean Academic with approval of the Chairperson, Senate. The DPGC must ensure that the supervisor from SPAV has recommended the case clarifying that how addition of cosupervisor will facilitate better research work. Also, the written consent of the proposed co-supervisor be attached.
7. In case there has been a change/addition in the supervisor(s), the Ph.D. thesis will not be submitted earlier than six months from the date of such change.
8. In case a faculty member is suspended/ debarred for indulging in lowering the prestige of the Institute in any manner he/she shall cease to be a thesis supervisor.
9. A faculty member appointed as Ph.D. supervisor is normally expected to be available to the student in the Institute till the thesis is submitted. However, under unavoidable circumstances, such as long leave, resignation, retirement, or death; an alternative supervisor may have to be appointed by the Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 45 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada department/centre, if the student does not have another supervisor from SPAV.
In such cases, the appointment of the supervisor will be regulated as under:
a. If supervisor proceeds on leave for more than one month but less than two months, then Convener, DPGC will act as Caretaker Supervisor for all administrative purposes such as verification of fellowship, forwarding/recommendation of any request of the student, etc.
b. If supervisor proceeds on leave for more than two months but less than twelve months and is willing to supervise the candidate, then a cosupervisor must be appointed from SPAV. The co-supervisor will be proposed by the supervisor in consultation with Convener, DPGC and HoD for the approval of Chairperson, Senate.
c. If supervisor proceeds on leave for more than two months but less than twelve months but the supervisor shows his/her inability to supervise the student, then DPGC will recommend new supervisor for the approval of Chairperson, Senate.
d. If supervisor proceeds on leave for more than twelve months, on official assignment of GoI and is willing to guide the student, in such a case supervisor will continue to guide the candidate. However there should be a Co-Supervisor from the SPAV. The co-supervisor will be proposed by the supervisor in consultation with Convener, DPGC and HoD for the approval of Chairperson, Senate.
6.18.2 Student Research Committee The DPGC shall propose a Student Research Committee (SRC) for each Ph.D.
student keeping in view the area of specialization in which the student is working:
The SRC shall have the following constitution:
1. Supervisor Convener
2. Co-Supervisor Member
3. One Faculty Members having Ph.D. from the concerned Department/ Centre related to student’s specialization Member
4. One Member having Ph.D. from the area of specialization of research from outside the institute Member The process for constitution of SRC is to be initiated by the supervisor immediately on his/her appointment. The proposed SRC is to be sent to Academic Section for approval of the Chairperson, Senate in consultation with Dean Academic. The SRC will regularly advise the student for his research and will evaluate the student performance during End Semester Seminar, Comprehensive Examination, State of Art Seminar and Open Seminar.
6.18.3 PhD Thesis Board
1. The thesis board shall be approved by the Chairperson, Senate. The thesis board shall have normally the following composition:
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 46 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada a. One Examiner from outside the Institute but from India who will conduct oral examination.
b. One examiner from outside the Institute and outside the country
2. The procedure for constituting the thesis board is given below:
a. The thesis board may be proposed at the most four weeks before submission of the thesis.
b. The thesis supervisor(s), in consultation with the HoD shall propose a list of
(i) at least four Indian examiners from reputed institutions/organizations and IITs/NITs/SPAs/IISERs/Universities etc. and (ii) at least four foreign examiners from reputed institutions/universities. This list along with four number soft bond copies of synopsis duly signed by the candidate and the supervisor(s) along with a softcopy (single PDF on CD/DVD) shall be submitted in the office of the Dean (Academic) in a confidential sealed envelope.
c. The Chairperson, Senate in consultation with Dean - A will select the members of the thesis board from the list. If considered necessary, the Chairperson, Senate may require additional names of experts to be included or add names at his/her discretion.
d. In case Dean – A is the supervisor of the student concerned, Chairperson, Senate may consult Chairperson, SPGC or vice versa for the selection of the thesis board. If Chairperson, Senate is the thesis supervisor, then Dean Academic will approve the thesis board in consultation with Chairperson, SPGC.
e. The names of the members of the thesis board shall be kept confidential till successful completion of the oral examination. However, on completion of Ph.D. thesis evaluation and successful submission of response to the examiners’ queries, the name of the approved Indian examiner will be intimated to the supervisor/HoD as part of approved Oral Board.
6.18.4 Submission of Synopsis Ph.D. synopsis can be submitted only after report of satisfactory completion of the Open Seminar has been received in the Academic Section. Proposed Ph.D. Thesis Board and four number soft bond copies of synopsis duly signed by the candidate and the supervisor(s) along with a softcopy (single PDF on CD/DVD) shall be sent to Dean Academic in a confidential sealed envelope.
The synopsis may be submitted at the most four weeks before the submission of the thesis.
6.18.5 Submission of Thesis
1. PhD thesis can be submitted along with the synopsis and proposed thesis board. The PhD thesis should have Similarity Index report attached with it. The SI should not be more than 16%.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 47 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
2. Three soft bond copies of the thesis are to be submitted in Academic Section within four weeks of synopsis submission or within six months of conduct of Open Seminar, whichever earlier. Softcopy (single PDF on CD/DVD) of the thesis should also be submitted along with the hardcopies.
3. After the evaluation reports have been received, the modifications suggested by the examiners, if any should be incorporated and sufficient number of hardcopies along with softcopy (single PDF on CD/DVD) be submitted in the Academic Section along with the proposed Oral Board as per procedure outlined in Clause (9.10.7).
4. After the successful oral examination (assuming that the report of successful completion of Oral Examination has already been received in the Academic Section), the modifications suggested if any, by the Oral Board, be incorporated and then three number of hard bond copies and softcopy (single PDF on CD/DVD) be submitted in the Academic Section for record in Academic Section, Departmental Library and Central Library. Along with these copies, the student is also required to submit duly completed “No Dues” from various departments/centres/sections/offices/hostels, etc. by mentioning his/her name and Ph.D. title in Hindi along with English.
5. The student shall also vest or license copyright of his/her thesis in the name of SPA Vijayawada.
6.18.6 Evaluation of Thesis
1. After the synopsis has been submitted and the thesis board approved, the Dean Academic will send a confidential email to each approved member of the thesis board enclosing a copy of the synopsis and requesting him/her to serve as an examiner for the thesis. If the examiner refuses or no response is received for four weeks (with a reminder being sent after two weeks), then steps will be taken to appoint another examiner.
2. On receipt of the acceptance of the examiner, a copy of the thesis along with a thesis evaluation form (as per the prescribed format) for the examiner's report will be sent to each examiner both in hardcopy and softcopy (by email), if desired.
3. In case Dean Academic is the supervisor of the student concerned, above processing (detailed in Clause (1 & 2) above) will be done by the Chairperson, SPGC.
4. An examiner will be given two months’ time to evaluate the thesis and submit the evaluation report.
5. On receiving reports from both the examiners (Indian and foreign), the Dean Academic in consultation with Chairperson, SPGC will place it in one of the following four categories:
a. Category I: If all the reports are satisfactory, clearly recommending the award of degree.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 48 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada b. Category II: If an examiner points out typographical errors, or minor technical mistakes, raises some queries or suggests modifications but does not imply that the acceptance of the thesis is subject to removal of these defects to the examiner's satisfaction, the supervisor will communicate to the Dean Academic within three months, the student's response to the above and after incorporating the same in revise thesis to the satisfaction of the Oral Board.
c. Category III: If an examiner raises major technical points or suggests modifications which must be answered/ carried out to the examiner's satisfaction before the thesis is accepted, then the revised thesis shall be submitted within a period of one year from the date of communication in this regard from Dean Academic. The supervisor will communicate to the Dean Academic the changes made in the thesis in response to the examiner's comments along with an explanatory note which will be sent to the examiner with a request to respond within one month; if the examiner's response is not received within this period, a reminder will be sent and if no reply is received within next 15 days, further action to change the examiner will be initiated.
d. Category IV: “If an examiner rejects the thesis as it does not meet the minimum standard, then in case of both the reports in Category IV, PhD Degree cannot be awarded to the candidate based upon submitted work /thesis and his /her candidature will be cancelled. However, in case of conflicting reports (i.e. only one report is in category IV and other is in category I/II/III), both the reports along with comments (without disclosing the identity of the examiner) will be sent to the SRC of the Candidate to decide whether the comments received are appropriate to be included in the thesis or not.
e. In case SRC decides that the comments are genuine and appropriate then the candidate is to work on the comments raised by the examiner and re-submit the thesis as a fresh case along with synopsis after completing the requirement of PG Manual clause as above to the Academic Section for evaluation.
f. In case the SRC decides that the comments of the examiner are not appropriate, then SRC can recommend with full justification that the thesis be sent to the examiner for evaluation. The Examiner shall be decided by the Chairperson Senate.’’ In both the cases, Chairperson SPGC, SPA Vijayawada will be special invitee to the SRC meeting.
6. Copies of the categorized report (without the identity of the examiner) will be sent to the thesis supervisor(s) and the HoD by Dean Academic.
7. In case Chairperson, SPGC is the supervisor of the student concerned, the above processing (detailed in 5) will be done by Dean Academics.
8. In case Dean Academic is the supervisor of the student concerned, the processing detailed in 5 will be done by Chairperson, SPGC.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 49 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
9. If the Chairperson, Senate is the thesis supervisor the duties as performed by the Chairperson, Senate as mentioned above shall be carried out by Dean Academic.
10. If the examiner's report is not received within two months period (as mentioned in 4 above), first reminder will be sent and if no reply is received within next one month, second reminder will be sent. If there is no reply within 15 days of second reminder, further action to change the examiner will be initiated.
6.18.7 Ph.D. Oral Board
1. The thesis supervisor(s) in consultation with the HoD shall propose the constitution of the Oral Board, to the Dean Academic who will forward it to the Chairperson, SPGC for the approval of Chairperson, Senate. Chairperson, Senate may delete/add member(s) in the list of Institute members. In exceptional cases of death, long leave, etc. of Indian examiner, Chairperson, Senate may appoint another examiner from within/outside Institute for conducting oral examination.
2. The Oral Board can only be proposed after the modifications suggested by the examiners have been submitted in the Academic Section against the categorized report (Category I & II only).
3. The Oral Board shall consist of three members in addition to the thesis supervisor(s) for conducting the viva voce examination. Of the three, two shall be from among the faculty members of the Institute (preferably including those in SRC) and one shall be Indian examiner outside the Institute. Of the two members from Institute one should be from other department/centre. The supervisor from SPAV will be the convener of the Oral Board.
6.18.8 Ph.D. Oral Examination
1. The Ph.D. oral examination will be an open examination. The convener of the Oral Board will fix the date of the oral examination in consultation with the members of the Board and intimate the date to the Academic Section.
2. If a member of the Oral Board communicates his/her inability to be present in advance or fails to be present on the specified date and time, the Chairperson, SPGC may recommend to appoint a substitute in consultation with the thesis supervisor(s), HoD and Dean Academic for approval of the Chairperson, Senate.
3. Each member of the Oral Board will be given a copy of the thesis along with the entire technical correspondence with the thesis examiners at least two days before the date of the oral examination.
4. The Oral Board shall a. examine the thesis reports, b. examine whether necessary modifications suggested by the thesis examiners have been incorporated, c. elicit the candidate's replies to the questions raised by the thesis examiners, Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 50 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada d. authenticate the work as the student's own, e. judge if the presentation of the work by the student and the answers to the questions asked have been satisfactory replied, and f. give a report of the examination, which will be communicated by the supervisor(s) to the Dean Academic.
5. If all, except one member of the Oral Board, declare the student as passed, the student shall be deemed to have passed.
6. If a candidate has not passed, the Oral Board will specify whether a. the candidate may be given another chance to appear in the oral examination and will specify the appropriate date for re-examination. The original Oral Board will conduct the re-examination unless a different Oral Board is approved by the Chairperson, Senate. In the reexamination, the Board will declare whether the candidate has passed or failed but will not recommend holding a third oral examination. In such a case the candidate is declared to have failed.
7. On receipt of the report that the student has passed the oral examination, along with thesis and “No Dues”, the Dean Academic will recommend to the Chairperson, Senate for award of the Ph.D. degree, and the degree may be conferred upon the candidate after approval by the Chairperson, Senate.
8. If the candidate has failed, the matter will be brought to the attention of the Senate.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 51 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 7 ATTENDAttendance, Absence & Leave BSEN CE AND LEAVE
8.1 Attendance Requirement
1. All the students are expected to be present in every lecture, tutorial/studio, practical or drawing classes scheduled for them. An Postgraduate student must have a minimum attendance of 75% of the total number of classes including lectures, tutorials and Studio Classes& field visits etc held in a course in order to be eligible to appear in the End-Term Examination for that course.
2. A student should meet the above attendance requirement irrespective of the number of days; he/she is on medical and /or other leave for any reason whatsoever. Attendance of the students shall be monitored and displayed during a semester by the concerned subject incharge.
3. The names of the students who have remained absent with or without leave, for more than 25% of the actual classes held in a course will be intimated by the Course Coordinator on the last teaching day, to the Convener, DPGC, who with the help of department staff will consolidate the list for all such students and display it on the notice board of the Department.
4. The list of such students shall also be forwarded to the Dean, Academics. These students shall not be allowed to appear in the End-Term Examination of that course and shall be awarded F grade irrespective of their performance in Class Work (CW)/ Mid-Term Examination (MTE), etc.
5. The students detained on the basis of attendance shall have to appear in Summer Classes offered in the Summer break to clear their detention.
6. Participation in NOSPLAN and/or NASA and/or any national level conference or sports meet, with permission of the School will be treated as attendance.
7. Attendance will be marked on a ‘per period basis’, eg. Studio of 3 periods will have 3 attendances and will be marked thrice. Students will be entitled to 6 studio period attendance per day during fieldwork / trips (i.e., three in forenoon and three in afternoon). Attendance will be publicly displayed on a monthly basis. Attendance of students, who join late due to late admission in first semester, shall be calculated from the date of joining.
8. The Chairperson Senate is empowered to take the final decision in attendance shortage cases on the recommendations of Course/Semester Coordinators/Subject Incharge, Head of Departments and Dean Academics for the different nature of cases as special case.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 52 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
8.2 Absence in End Semester / Mid Semester Examination
1. If a student is absent during End Semester Examination of a course due to medical reasons or other special circumstances, he/she may apply for the exemption to the Convener, DPGC of the concerned Department offering the course, through the Course Coordinator/Subject Incharge, provided that he/she has attended at least 75% of the classes held. The Convener, DPGC in consultation with HoD, Course Coordinator/Subject Incharge may recommend this request to Dean – A for the approval of the Chairperson Senate.
2. The candidate will be allowed to appear in next supplementary examination but will be considered as Regular examination. However, letter grade in such cases shall not exceeding 'D’.
3. A student who fails to appear in the Mid Semester Examination due to sudden illness or mishap/accident and is supported by Medical Certificate, may be allowed to take another examination within two weeks of the exam with the permission of the Course Coordinator/Subject Incharge and approval of HoD and Convener, DPGC.
4. Such exam should be conducted only for 75% of the marks of the original Mid Semester exam.
5. The application for second examination on medical grounds should be supported by a Medical Certificate of the Institute Medical Superintendent or in his/her absence by the Medical Officer of the Institute. If, however, a student is outside the Campus at the time of illness or a mishap/accident, his/her application should be supported by a Medical Certificate issued by a Medical Officer of the rank of the Deputy Chief Medical Officer or above, of the concerned District Hospital. Generally the recommendation of Government organization be considered.
8.3 Course withdrawal A student who wants to withdraw from a course shall apply through the Convener, DPGC, to the Dean, Academic on a prescribed form within one week from the end of the first Mid Semester Examination under the advice of his/her Programme Advisor. If his request for withdrawal is granted, it will be recorded in the registration record of the student and the concerned Course Coordinator will be informed about it. The student will be awarded a withdrawal grade at the end of the Semester.
8.4 Semester withdrawal A student who is unable to attend classes for more than four weeks continuously in a Semester because of any reason including medical, he/she may apply to the Dean, Academic through Convener DPGC, for withdrawal from the Semester, which shall mean withdrawal from all the registered courses in the Semester. However, such application shall be made as early as possible and latest before the start of the Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 53 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada End-Semester Examination. Partial withdrawal from the semester shall not be allowed. A student will be permitted for semester withdrawal only twice in the entire duration of his programme.
1. He/ She will not be allowed to register in the next semester.
2. He/ She will be allowed to register in the semester (from which withdrawal is applied) only when it is being offered.
8.5 Leave Rules Students may be granted leave on submission of application to the Head of Department concerned through the supervisor, if appointed earlier. Leave will be sanctioned by Chairperson, Senate on the recommendation of DPGC and Dean Academic. Applications must be submitted well in advance of the date of commencement of the leave requested. Leave for a period longer than specified under different clauses below shall entail loss of financial assistantship for the extended period.
8.5.1 Vacation and Casual Leave
1. A PG student may be allowed vacation leave during any period of the Institute's vacation or during the mid-semester break as mentioned in Academic Calendar.
However, such leave could be up to 15 days (maximum) in summer vacation, 07 days (maximum) in winter vacation and mid-semester break.
2. In addition, a student may be allowed casual leave for up to 4 days per semester. The casual leave cannot be combined with any other kind of leave, and will not be carried over.
3. There will be no loss of financial assistantship for students going on prior sanctioned vacation or casual leave.
8.5.2 Medical Leave
1. Leave on medical ground, duly supported by a medical certificate from Institute Health Centre/Medical Officer of the Government Hospital, may be granted to a student for up to 08 days per semester. However, in case of illness of serious nature, the medical leave can be extended up to 15 days per semester with the approval of Dean Academic and Chairperson Senate without any loss of financial assistantship.
2. Such leave shall not entail any loss of financial assistantship. In case, the student requires more leave as advised by the medical officer he/she shall be asked to withdraw his registration and go on semester leave without any financial assistantship.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 54 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
8.5.3 On Duty Leave
1. A Ph.D. student after successful completion of his State of Art Seminar may be granted on duty leave for paper presentation in a conference upto 08 days. For Data collection, field survey and experimental studies, maximum leave upto 03 months may be granted to PhD candidates in phased manner viz; Initially 01 month leave may be granted and after that it may be extended as per requirement subject to full justification based on the recommendation by the concerned Supervisor/ SRC & HOD.
2. M.Plan/M.Arch students while doing his/her thesis/dissertation work during 4th Semester may also be granted such leave for maximum of One month.
3. While applying for on duty leave, the student is required to provide details of such leave availed previously during the programme.
8.5.4 Semester Leave Semester leave for up to a maximum of two semesters for M.Plan/ M.Arch and three semesters for Ph.D. students may be sanctioned without financial assistantship for valid reasons. Except for medical reasons, such leave would not normally be sanctioned before a student has completed his/her residential requirement and in no case before the student has completed his course work requirement. However, on medical considerations (including maternity) such leave may be sanctioned after his/her stay of one semester. Leave for more than one semester at a time will not be granted except maternity leave. A candidate needs not to register and pay registration fee during the semester of leave.
8.5.5 Maternity Leave A female student may be granted maternity leave for a maximum of 03 months if supported by a proper medical certificate. Leave up to 06 weeks can also be granted for miscarriage including medical termination of pregnancy, if supported by a proper medical certificate. Such leave will not entail any loss of financial assistantship and can be combined with any other leave due. However academic requirements as laid down in the other clauses of this PG Manual shall be applicable.
8.5.6 Medical Certificate If a student falls ill while on the SPAV campus, the medical certificate must be obtained from the Institute's Medical Officer. If he/she falls ill outside the campus while on sanctioned leave, the medical certificate must be obtained from the Medical Officer of the Govt. hospital.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 55 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
8.5.7 Absence Without Sanctioned Leave Leave for a period longer than specified under different clauses mentioned above shall entail loss of financial assistantship for the extended period. Absence without sanctioned leave for more than three weeks may result in the termination of the student's programme on the recommendation of the DPGC and approval of Chairperson, Senate.
8.5.8 Leave to represent in any activity:
In order to help students to broaden their horizons and gain academic exposure, the students of the postgraduate programmes may be granted leave for attending NOSPLAN and/or NASA and/or any national level conference or sports meet. While applying for permission, the student shall be required to provide details of such leave availed previously during the programme. The total number of such leaves for each student shall not be more than eight days in an academic year.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 56 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 8 Scholarships, Awards and Medals
8.1 Scholarships The Institute awards the merit cum mean scholarships to the postgraduate students offered by the centre/state governments. The other scholarships may be instituted by grant from organisation/Trust with a view to provide financial assistance to needy students under the terms and conditions specified by the Institute. Announcements of these scholarships stating eligibility and the number and value of scholarships, etc. shall be made while inviting applications from time to time.
These scholarships, etc., are liable to be withdrawn, partially or wholly, in case of misconduct, deliberate concealment of material, facts and/or giving false information. A student leaving the Institute on his/her own without completing the programme of study may be asked to refund the amount of scholarship, etc.
received during the academic session in which he/she leaves the Institute.
8.2 Awards and Medals To promote & recognize academic excellence, constructive leadership and overall growth & development of students, the Institute awards number of prizes and Medals, established by the Institute on its own, with the approval of the Board of Governors.
8.3 Fellowship/ Scholarship for PhD programme The school shall award Fellowship/Contingent Grants to eligible candidates in accordance with the norms laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Academic Council of the School from time to time. However, the scholars should not have been availing any such Fellowship/Contingent Grants from any other institute or under any scheme. A candidate who has been awarded Fellowship/Contingency Grant by the School shall devote his/her entire time to doctoral research and shall not engage himself/ herself in fulltime or part-time professional practice or employment with public or private institutions or organization. Admission to the Ph.D. programme and award of fellowship are not linked. Admission to the programme does not guarantee fellowship. Those who are not awarded fellowships can continue with the programme as self-financing candidate. The School Fellowship/Contingent Grants, if awarded, shall be available for three years and extended for one year with the request stating the reason for extension and duly recommended by Supervisor and DPGC and approved of the Chairperson Senate.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 57 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 9 Conduct and Discipline
9.1 Code of Conduct Every student is expected not to indulge in any activity, which is likely to bring down the prestige of the Institute. He/she should also show due respect and courtesy to the teachers, administrators, officers and employees of the Institute, and good neighbourly behaviour to fellow students. Due attention and courtesy is to be paid to the guest of the Institute and the residents of the Campus. Lack of courtesy and decorum, unbecoming conduct (both within and outside the Institute), wilful damage and/or removal of Institute property or belongings of fellow students, disturbing others in their studies, adoption of unfair means during examinations, breach of rules and regulations of the Institute, noisy and unseemly behaviour and similar other undesirable activities shall constitute violation of the Code of Conduct for students. Ragging in any form is strictly prohibited and considered a serious criminal offence and violation of the code of conduct. Involvement of a student in ragging may lead to his/her expulsion from the Institute.
The institute strictly prohibits ragging and sexual harassment; any instance of either should be reported immediately and will be dealt with as a serious offense. In case of any complaint related to Ragging/ sexual harassment, students should contact the Complaints Committee Regarding Sexual Harassment, constituted to redress any complaints related to ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013’
9.2 Disciplinary Actions and Related Matter Violation of the Code of Conduct shall invite disciplinary action which may include punishment such as reprimand, disciplinary probation, fine, awarding Black dots, debarring from examinations, withdrawal of scholarship and/or placement services, withholding of grades and/or degrees, cancellation of registration and even expulsion from the Institute.
9.2.1 Indiscipline The faculty member/course coordinator shall have the power to take appropriate action against a student who misbehaves in his/her class with intimation to HOD and Dean Academic.
9.2.2 Unfair Means The faculty member/course coordinator of a course shall have the power to debar a student from the examination in which he/she is detected to be using unfair means.
All such cases should be brought to the notice of the Dean Academic along with all Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 58 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada the supporting evidences. All such cases shall be looked into by an Unfair Means Committee (UMC) consisting of the following officials:
Dean Academic Chairperson Chairperson, SPGC Member Chairperson, SUGC Member Controller of Examination Member Concerned HoD Member Two Senate nominees Member(nominated by Chairperson, Senate)
9.2.3 Stay at the Hostel:
The Director, Chief Warden, Dean Student Welfare, Warden of the Hostel has the power to reprimand, impose fine or take any other suitable action as deem fit against a resident who violates either the Code of Conduct or rules and regulations pertaining to the concerned Hostel.
Violation of the Code of Conduct by an individual or by a group of students can be referred to a Disciplinary Committee (DC) by the Director. Constitution of the committee shall be as under:
Dean Student Welfare Chairperson Proctor Member Secretary HoD, Architecture Member HoD, Planning Member Chief Warden Member Wardens Member A student, faculty or other functionary of the Institution can refer a case to this Committee for consideration. Further, in exceptional circumstances, the Director may appoint a special committee to investigate and/or recommend appropriate action for any act of gross indiscipline involving an individual or a number of students, which, in his/her view, may tarnish the image of the Institute. The recommendation for any action, including expulsion of a student from the Institute, shall be referred to the Chairperson, Senate for its final decision.
The Senate may recommend a student, who is found guilty of some major offence, to the Board of Governors for NOT to award of a degree even if he/she has satisfactorily completed all the academic requirements from time to time.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 59 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 10 Responsibilities
10.1 Student Responsibilities The students are expected to:
Attend lectures, tutorials and labs regularly, submit assignments and complete assigned academic work within the deadlines.
Strive to earnestly improve the performance based on the feedback given by the faculty from time to time.
Ensure a healthy learning environment in the classroom by eliminating unnecessary interruptions and maintaining a proper decorum.
Consult the course instructor directly in case of any course-related concerns to resolve the issues.
Show respect to the faculty and fellow students by coming prepared and on time for any academic meeting arranged outside regular class hours.
Have awareness about the applicable rules and regulations governing their academic programme (including graduation requirements, leave rules, code of conduct etc.)
Be updated with calls for applications for various changes/additions in programme as well as scholarships/awards, and meet the announced deadlines.
10.2 Faculty Responsibilities Responsibilities of faculty members related to academic management:
2 The teacher is responsible for the coverage of all the contents of a course taught during the semester. The end semester examination question paper shall cover all the sections of the syllabus. At the end of the semester a teacher is responsible to submit a complete course file to the HoD with following documents:
a) Course Plan b) Attendance record c) Tutorial sheets/Assignment sheets d) Question papers of mid semester examination and class test.
e) Quizzes f) Question paper of end semester examination g) Complete details of marks with final grades The faculty is expected to conduct classes as per the time table. If on leave, the faculty may arrange other willing faculty members to engage the class or may arrange alternate classes with prior information to the concerned Head of the Department and the students. In such case, the alternate arrangement of classes may be mentioned in the leave form.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 60 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada The subject faculty is expected to provide a lecture plan to the concerned students at the start of the course. The lecture plan should be in the prescribed format consisting of the details of the course content, reference books, and reference articles, assignments, examinations, laboratory work, presentations and workshops.
The subject faculty may show graded copies of the tests and assignments, to the students.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 61 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 11 Waiver and Amendments
11.1 General Notwithstanding anything contained in this Manual, all categories of students/candidates shall be governed by the Rules & Regulations framed by the Senate from time to time. Any doubt or dispute arising about the interpretations of the Rules & Regulations shall be referred to the Chairperson, Senate whose decision shall be the final and binding.
11.2 Waiver of requirements in Special Cases The procedures and requirements stated in this Manual, other than those in Clauses covering Eligibility, Admissions and Academic Requirements may be waived in special circumstances by the Chairperson, Senate on the recommendation of the respective Heads of the Departments through Dean Academic. All such exceptions shall be reported to the Senate for ratification.
11.3 Amendments Notwithstanding anything contained in this Manual, the Senate of the School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada reserves the right to modify/amend the curricula, procedures, requirements, and rules pertaining to its postgraduate programmes.
11.4 Jurisdiction This Manual sets out the procedure and requirements of the M.Plan/M.Arch.
programmes of study that fall under the jurisdiction of the Senate, SPA Vijayawada.
Further, any legal dispute arising from this set of Regulations shall be limited to the legal jurisdiction determined by the location of the Institute and not that of any other parties.
11.5 Re-evaluation System To maintain transparency in the evaluations, answer sheets will be shown to the students immediately after the evaluation work is completed (preferably within one or two days). Students can only point out mistakes in calculation of total marks or any answer or part thereof which has not been checked so that the concerned evaluator can make correction in marks/grades accordingly.
In case, students have some doubts regarding marks, the concerned HOD shall try to resolve the issue. Still if the student want the answer sheets to be re-evaluated, he/she have to apply for re-evaluation on the recommendation of concerned HoD within 10 days from the declaration of result for that particular semester by paying prescribed re-evaluation fee per answer sheet. Academic section shall initiate the Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 62 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada process for re-evaluation of answer sheet from examiner within the Institute/ outside the Institute.
Evaluator of the answer sheet be given prescribed remuneration per answer script.
In case, variation in the re-evaluated answer sheet is 10% or more of the maximum marks for a particular subject, only then it will be considered for modification of result with the approval of the Chairperson, Senate.
Manual for Postgraduate & Doctoral Programmes (Rules & Regulations) 2018 63 School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada Chapter 12 New Programmes
12.1 Approval of New Programme All the PG programmes offered in the Institute require the approval of Senate and BOG. A new PG programme leading to degree shall be formulated by Dean (Academic) as specified in the SPA statutes. This may be based on the recommendation of a committee constituted by the Competent Authority for this purpose. The new programme is usually considered for recommendation based on the scope/acceptability of the programme, proposed intake, teaching scheme and syllabi, etc. The proposal prepared through formal deliberations shall be discussed for any further modification and fresh recommendations. The proposal then shall be placed for approval as per the SPA Statutes.
12.2 Modification to the Existing Curriculum Any modification to the existing course curriculum requires the approval of the Senate before being implemented. Any such modification may be deliberated and recommended by the respective DFB / a committee constituted by the Competent Authority for this purpose. All proposals to modify the teaching programmes will be considered first by all the SPGC of the School, and if approved will be sent to the Senate for formal approval.