Parents of first-year students at Loreto College sought clarity on the extent of curriculum changes following the institution's newly acquired autonomous status and when boys would be admitted to the traditionally all-girls college.
The college held an orientation for parents on Friday - the first such session in many years - to familiarise them with its ethos and address questions related to autonomy.
The 2026-27 batch is the first to be admitted under the college's autonomous status. Students in the second and third years will continue to follow the curriculum of the University of Calcutta.
"We wanted to celebrate the autonomy of the college with the parents who are our partners in the mission and simultaneously address their questions regarding the change. We also want the parents to know the culture of the school," said Sister A. Nirmala, teacher-in-charge, Loreto College.
The University Grants Commission granted autonomous status to Loreto College on July 21.
The college has announced that it will begin admitting boys from the 2027-28 academic session.
Autonomy will allow the institution to design its own curriculum, prepare its academic calendar and timetable, and introduce new courses to meet evolving academic and industry needs.
"The parents had some direct questions, one of which was how much the syllabus will change with the autonomous status of the college. We will change the syllabus between five and 20% and introduce some hands-on and experiential learning in the curriculum. We don't want to change the syllabus for the sake of changing because some portions of the syllabus of Calcutta University are extremely good and we intend to retain those," Sister Nirmala said.
The revised curriculum will come into effect after approval by the college's Board of Studies.
The college also plans to strengthen industry collaboration. It will introduce "Professors of Practice", under which industry professionals will take classes once a month or teach specific modules, parents were told.
The initiative is aimed at expanding students' exposure and making them industry-ready.
Around 220 parents attended Friday's orientation.
Admissions for the current first-year batch were completed before the college was granted autonomy. However, the prospectus had indicated that autonomous status, if approved, could lead to academic changes, a college official said.
Parents also asked whether fees would increase.
"The fees will be revised, but not this year," a college official said.
Loreto College applied for autonomous status in January after an 18-month preparation process that included visits to autonomous institutions and consultations with its faculty to address concerns about the transition.