The Association of University Teachers has appealed to the Higher Education Department to revoke the order permitting Salem Sowdeswari College to be run as an exclusive institution for women from the next academic year.
The college is situated near Kondalampatti round-about in Salem city.
The decision to convert a co-ed college would adversely impact the aspirations of students from rural areas around Salem as there is only one government arts and science college, an autonomous institution in that city, the AUT has said.
The Association’s appeal follows a circular on March 29 from A. Kannamal, correspondent, managing trustee and secretary of the college committee stating that from the academic year 2022-23 the college would function as a women’s college following a Government Order from the Higher Education Department.
AUT president P. Tirunavukkarasu said there had been no consultation with anyone in the institution by the college management regarding the conversion.
In the letter to Higher Education Secretary D. Karthikeyan, Mr. Tirunavukkarasu said the college, since its establishment in 1975, had been functioning as a co-educational institution. It had two sections – one for self-financing and another for aided programmes. There was an ulterior motive to the decision to convert it into a women’s college, he alleged.
