SOPs Online Classes

SOPs:
1. Vice Chancellor after ensuring that all attributes advised by HEC and PEC for online
readiness of the university have been met, the university will initiate the process of
online Teaching Learning and Assessment (TLA).

2. As per HEC guidelines the existing academic council will also approve all matters
related with online TLA. Therefore the academic council will be treated as “Online
Academic Council” (OAC).

3. A TLA committee has been constituted as per HEC guidelines (Annexure I)

4. Keeping in view the Scenario where the crisis extends, the university will consider the
following for Online TLA.
a. An academic calendar for the online semester will be endorsed by the Online TLA
Committee subject to final approval by the Vice Chancellor
b. An accelerated mode of teaching as per PEC guidelines shall be followed. Details
are as under
i. All faculty members shall design their course/s for online teaching and
learning as per the format and guidelines provided at Annex-II well before the
scheduled classes as instructed by concerned Dean of faculty and Chairman
ii. Initially eight weeks online classes shall be held with double credit hours per
week for each credit hour
iii. After eight weeks of online teaching, if COVID19 pandemic restrictions are
relaxed, then 4 weeks face to face teaching within University campus shall
be done to complete the labs credit hours in an accelerated manner
iv. It shall be followed by a final term normal mode examination
c. Keeping in view the urgency and importance of time of final year student and to
save their future, online classes of final year will commence from May 7, 2020 as
per schedule/timetable issued by the relevant department after the approval of
concerned Dean.
d. While rest of undergraduate program online teaching will be started from June 1,
2020 as per schedule/timetable issued by the relevant department after the
approval of concerned Dean.
e. Postgraduate program classes shall commence from May 15, 2020 as per
schedule/timetable issued by the relevant department after the approval of Director
Postgraduate Studies
f. Online class size shall not be greater than 100 for engineering and 240 for non-engineering courses. This flexibility is extended in order to accommodate
appropriate number of students/sections in parallel sessions which will require
sufficient bandwidth.

5. Keeping in view the difficulties of the students in general and of Balochistan in
particular, as per requirement both synchronous / asynchronous mode and
hybrid/blended of teaching will be allowed. However, all lectures and their recordings
will be made available in University’s LMS as per HEC and PEC guidelines after
approval by TLA committee and after final approval of Vice Chancellor.

6. For each credit hour (Theory) of the online ready course, one credit hour will be equal
to one contact hour. This one contact hour shall include teaching, discussion, tutorials.
However, to deal with the problems faced during online lectures, each faculty member
may allocate additional hours as per requirement to facilitate students.

7. Faculty members and university IT team shall coordinate efforts to ensure that students
have full and timely access, through virtual and electronic means, to all course
information, reading materials, audiovisual material, power point presentations (if any),
assignments, lab demonstrations (where relevant), classroom interaction with faculty
as well as students, and normal opportunities for off-class interaction with faculty
members well before time.

8. Chairman of each academic department will create a coordination committee under
him/her which will consist of at least two/three senior faculty members. This committee
will send its recommendations to TLA committee as mentioned in Section 3 for further
processing. This committee will be responsible for the following:
a. Selection of courses as online ready in consultation with relevant faculty
members
b. Revise the courses for online teaching based on PEC guidelines to select less
lab intensive courses for the current semester and move lab intensive courses
ahead (Psychomotor and Affective Domains) subject to approval by Board of
Studies
c. Scrutinize the lectures / handouts / assignments / quizzes / audio visual aids /
library assistance / weblinks and other relevant teaching material as online
ready prepared by faculty members as per quality assurance guidelines given
by HEC/PEC/NCEAC (Attached as Annex-II)
d. Ensure that for all Engineering program, as per Outcome Based Education, 12
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) as stipulated in the PEC Accreditation
Manual-2014 will be attained
e. To guide faculty members on semesters involving Complex Engineering
Problems as per PEC guidelines of COVID-19
f. Recommend the methods suitable for the courses where Lab. Work/Practical
is possible via e-labs or simulation-based laboratory experiments as per PEC
guidelines may be considered only
g. Recommend courses where labs/ experiments can’t be implemented online so
that such course may be offered on campus after resumption of normal
academic session ensuring attainment of program and course learning
outcomes
h. Certify that a faculty member is online ready for teaching in line with guidance
given by HEC/PEC/NCEAC:
i. Faculty member has completed the training on relevant tools, software
ii. Faculty member has prepared and delivered online sample lecture to the
standards and requirements as per QEC
i. Report any problems faced during online readiness to the TLA committee

9. All Final Year Design Projects (FYDP) will be continued as per the relevant clauses in
the PEC Accreditation Manual-2014 and as Project Review and Evaluation Committee
PREC of relevant department by following methods;
a. Capstone projects can be conducted/considered using computer-based
simulation, presenting literature critiques or system designs etc. utilizing
appropriate modern tool usage and technologies
b. Ongoing capstone projects at the final semester and focusing on experimental
projects will be carried out with possibility of extension of time to complete
c. Capstone projects at the initiation stage which focused on experimental projects
are encouraged to realign as simulation work or computer- based technologies and
system designs etc. relevant to the offered engineering discipline

10. For approval of research proposals submitted for postgraduate program or for
evaluation of postgraduate theses (where required), postgraduate research committee
of each academic department shall be able to hold meetings online.

11. The deliverables (Lectures of instructor in any mode e.g. synchronous/ asynchronous,
PPTs, Audio/video lectures, reading material etc.) prepared for online teaching
learning shall be vetted by a committee so constituted by the Vice Chancellor to ensure
the quality of teaching before it is made available online for the students.

12. Assessment mechanism of Online teaching as per PEC/HEC guidelines will be
recommended by the respective Board of Studies of the concerned department. These
recommendations will be sent to OAC for final approval. Following guidelines will be
followed:
a. Online Assessment will be of maximum 50% weightage and will only include
assignments, Quizzes, tests and midterm examination as per University existing
marks break-up of 50% assessment
b. For each course, as per requirement, assessment mechanism may consist of
Take-home exams (system controlled MCQs, Open book One Hourly Tests,
quizzes, Project Based Learning, simulation-based e-labs including other
demonstrated type of labs) or any other mode of assessment as recommended by
online TLA committee and approved by Academic Council.
c. Remaining 50% assessment including final term examination and hardcore labs
will be conducted after normalization of pandemic crisis
d. Assessment mechanism will be revised and updated in line with any further
guidelines issued by HEC and PEC

13. Final Grading mechanism will be decided once HEC final guidelines are issued. This
will also be approved through online TLA committee subject to final approval by OAC.

14. University shall establish a Helpdesk to facilitate the students and faculty regarding
problems faced by them for online classes.

15. Issues of those students who are unable to attend online classes, at all, shall be
resolved on the basis of recommendations of online TLA committee constituted for the
purpose.

16. As per PEC guidelines, If a student wants to withdraw based on inaccessibility or any
other inability, he may be allowed to do so, without having any adverse impact on the
promotion of the student, provided a minimum promotion requirement as per BUETK
regulations is maintained. In such a case, the course(s) will be treated as “freezed”
and no fee shall be charged by the University for re-enrolment at a later stage for the
students who are interrupted in an ongoing semester.

17. All the faculty members shall maintain the record of their online classes and attendance
record of the students in the Learning Management System (LMS).

18. The Deans and HoDs/Chairmen shall ensure the regularity and quality of online
classes in co-ordination with QEC of the University.

19. For all disputes and interpretation of rules related with online TLA, the decision of Vice
Chancellor shall be considered as final.

20. The Policy/SOP shall be subject to revision based on guidelines issued by
HEC/PEC/NCEAC.