This year is the 50th anniversary of the Punjab University School of Open Learning, or USOL. It started out as the Directorate of Correspondence Courses in 1971, with the goal of spreading quality education beyond the walls of the University. In the beginning, it was a college for undergraduates. Over time, it grew into a leading and well-known Open and Distance Learning Institute. Today, it has everything it needs to meet the needs and expectations of learners in the 21st century, which change all the time.
USOL has a wide range of courses, including traditional undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses, professional courses, job-oriented courses, skill-based courses, market-driven courses, and some value-oriented courses. The method of teaching includes printed study materials in “Self-Learning Mode,” a “Personal Contact Program,” “Response Sheets,” “Assignments,” “Video and Audio Content on Selected Topics,” “Dissertations/Projects in Selected Courses,” “One-to-One Counseling” with students, “Regional and National Seminars/Webinars” and “Special Lecture Series,” etc.
Students at USOL are taught by professors who are highly qualified and have a lot of experience. These professors are also involved in academic research and furthering knowledge. It offers great facilities and effective support services through its impressive building on the beautiful campus of Punjab University. There is a well-stocked library, a postal library, an Educational Media Centre, labs, a computer lab, and a subsidized hostel for students from other places. The USOL also gets students involved in extracurricular activities and brings students from different places together on a single platform.
USOL is ready to teach quality education online in addition to the traditional face-to-face method. This is because it has successfully added ICT to its curriculum. Students at USOL take the same classes as regular students in Departments and Colleges affiliated with Punjab University. They also take the same tests and do the same work.
