Crescent Engineering College

Crescent Engineering College: Also B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Engineering College is located in Vandalur near Tambaram , a suburban area of Chennai, India. The college located on G.S.T Road, which is part of the Indian national highway system. It is situated right next to Vandalur Zoo and is spread over acres of greenary along the GST road.(Chennai to Chengalpat root)

History

Crescent Engineering college was established as a private self-financed engineering college in 1984. Crescent is amongst the top 3 private self-financed engineering colleges in Chennai. At the time of initiation, it was affiliated to University of Madras. Currently it is affiliated to Anna University. It offers 4 year engineering courses to students, who have completed 12 Std (Plus 2) and 3 year courses for students who have a 3 Year Technical Diploma and a SSLC certificate (Lateral Entry Students).

Campus

The college campus has 2 Basket Ball courts, 2 Volley Ball courts, 4 Tennis Courts, 2 field Hockey grounds, 1 Soccer ground and 2 Cricket grounds. All the grounds are huge. There are also Table Tennis (Ping Pong) tables within the college. The college also has a splendid auditorium, modern buildings, laboratories and a cafeteria to support its students and staff. It also offers student housing/hostel facilities within the campus.

Admission Process

The self-financed engineering colleges typically dedicate 70-80% of their seats to the government managed admission system called Single Window Admissions System. The other 20-30 percent is filled by the management of the concerned institution. This quota of seats to be filled up by the management was called "Management Quota".

Some self-financed engineering colleges are classified as minority colleges. These colleges usually provide special reserved seats for the minority communities in the state of Tamil Nadu - such as Muslims, Jains, Syrian Christians, and Telugu speaking people. These colleges had a higher percentage of seats, close to 50%, reserved for Management Quota. Typically this quota is filled up by members of minority community. Although this need not necessarily be the case always.

The Single Window Process

Among Indian States, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of engineering colleges. Andhra Pradesh is the state with the 2nd highest number of engineering colleges. In Tamil Nadu, the State Government manages a Single Window Admissions process through which Students completing 12th Std (2 Years in Kindergarten + 5 years in Primary School + 5 years in Secondary school + 2 years in High school) apply and gain admission to Engineering Colleges that are located within Tamil Nadu. The following are categories of colleges within the state of Tamil Nadu.

"Category 1:" College of Engineering, Guindy

"Category 2:" Govt or Govt Aided Colleges such as PSG Tech, Govt colleges in Thirunelveli, Madurai, Sales, Vellore. There are 10-12 such colleges. Regional Engineering College, Trichinapalli has 50% of seats reserved for students from other states.

"Category 3:" Self-Financed Engineering colleges. There are around 250-300 engineering colleges in this category. With around 80 - 100 in Chennai.

Crescent Engineering College is a Category 3 minority private Self-Financed Engineering college.

In categories 1 and 2 - all seats were reserved for students who appear for the common state-wide entrance exam (TNPCEE). Students are graded for a total score of 300. This score is a weighted average combination of Mathematics (100) , Physicis (50), Chemistry (50) scores in the Plus 2 (XII Std) examinations, and the entrance exam - TNPCEE (100). Student's score determines their rank. Students are then invited, by the Department of Directorate Education, Anna University, for an Engineering Admissions Counselling Process (also called Single Window Admissions System), according to their rank. The counselling process is held in the months of June-July every year. Students invited to participate in this counselling process select the college, they want to matriculate into. This is a highly visible process and is given close media attention and scrutiny. This process is frequently marred by libels and litigations of various kinds every year.

Students typically prefer category 1 college(s) to other 2 categories and category 2 to category 3 colleges. Over the years it has become common for students to choose a Category 3 college, say Crescent Engineering College, above a Government College of Thirunelveli, which is a Category 2 college. The advantage of being located in Chennai, one of India's 4 Metropolitan Cities, the 2nd biggest software exporter in India, the automobile capital of India, is the chief reason for this development.

Admission to Crescent Engineering college is extremely competitive. A student has to be among the first 2000 ranks (out of a total of 40,000 possible ranks) to stand a chance of admission. Typically all Crescent Engineering college seats get filled on the first day of the Engineering Admission Counselling Process (This process spans two weeks). Crescent and Sri Venkateswara Engineering colleges are among the first two to be chosen by students in Category 3 even before 50% of Category 2 college seats get filled up.

Management Quota

Usually, the fees and financial demands of gaining admission through this Management Quota is enormously high. A small percentage of the Management Quota is also dedicated to Non-Resident Indians.

The criteria for Management Quota Admissions is usually not disclosed. It depends on any of the following factors

# A minority certificate - if applicable. In the case of Crescent Engineering COllege, a minority certificate is almost mandatory, except for a few cases.
# Financial wealth to pay donations.
# First Come First Serve Basis
# Connections with College Management.

Since Management Quota admissions into Crescent is also highly competitive, all 4 of the above criteria usually apply.

University Affiliation

Crescent Engineering College is affiliated to Anna University.

Typically, colleges in Tamilnadu are affiliated to a larger umbrella university. Grades and performances across colleges falling under same university are comparable. Examples of universities include, Bharathidasan University, Bharathiar University, Anna University, University of Madras, and Madurai Kamaraj University. These universities control the syllabus and examination process of the colleges affiliated to it. It also manages the process of issuing Hall Tickets (an admission ticket which allows student to appear for University Examinations), Mark Sheets (Transcripts), assignment of external examiners for Laboratory examinations. Before 2002, only College of Engineering, Guindy (a Category 1 College), was affiliated to Anna University. All self-financing colleges located in the city of Chennai were affiliated to University of Madras. Some universities can have both category-1 and category-2 colleges affiliated to them. For example Bharathidasan University and Madurai Kamraj University had both Category 2 and Category 3 colleges affiliated to them.

Crescent Engineering college was affiliated to University of Madras until the year 2001. From 2002 onwards, many engineering colleges in the city of Chennai changed affiliations to Anna University. University of Madras became an umbrella university, exclusively for non-professional, Art & Sciences colleges that offer BSc & BCom degrees. Many colleges chose not to affiliate with any University and became Deemed Universities in their own right. Sathyabama College of Engineering is an example.

Crescent Engineering college is currently affiliated to Anna University. More than 80 self-financed engineering colleges in Chennai are affiliated to Anna University.

Degree & Disciplines Offered

B.E

Crescent Engineering college offers 4 year Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) in the following Disciplines. Each group can accommodate a maximum of 60 students.

1. Civil Engineering (CE)

2. Mechanical Engineering (ME)

3. Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE)

4. ELectronics & Communication Engineering (ECE)

5. Instrumentation & COntrol Engineering (ICE)

6. Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)

B.Tech

Crescent Engineering college offers 4 year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in the following Disciplines. Each group can accommodate a maximum of 60 students

1. Polymer Technology

M.E

Crescent Engineering college offers 2 year Master of Engineering (M.E) in the following Disciplines

1. Civil Engineering (CE)

2. Mechanical Engineering (ME)

3. Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE)

4. ELectronics & Communication Engineering (ECE)

5. Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)

PhD

Crescent Engineering college offers a Doctoral Degree (PhD) in the following Disciplines

1. Mechanical Engineering (ME)

2. Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE)

3. Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)

Other Degrees & Diplomas

Crescent Engineering college offers a Masters Degree (3 year) and Doctoral Degree in Computer Applications (MCA). It also offers a 2 year Masters in Business Administration Degree.

Semesters & Timeline

The academic year in Crescent Engineering College is usually similar to other colleges in the same university. The academic term for 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students begins during June-July timeframe. The specific date is announced adhoc at the end of the previous term. Since Admissions to Engineering colleges are completed only in July, 1st year students start around August-September.

The engineering course is divided into 8 semesters. The odd semesters start from June-July and end in October/November. The even semesters begin in December and end in April/May. Students typically get anything between 1 week to 3 weeks vacation between semesters.

Typically students finish the course in 4 years. However, as per Anna University policy they have a maximum of 7 years to finish the B.E course.

Examinations

The following information is for undergraduate/Bachelor level courses.

At the end of each semester students typically write Semester Exams (also called University exams). These exams are final exams of the courses covered during that semester. Typically each semester has 6 theory courses and 2 laboratory courses. The first year is common for students across all engineering disciplines and as students progress over the years, they continue to specialize in their individual disciplines.

Examinations for Theory Subjects: Odd Semester exams are conducted during October/November time frame. For example 1st and 5th semester examinations could be conducted between October 15- November 1. 3rd and 7th Semester Exams are conducted between November 1 - November 15. Even Semester exams are conducted during April/May time frame. For example 2st and 6th semester examinations could be conducted between April 15- May 1. 4th and 8th Semester Exams could be conducted between May 1 - May 15.

Examinations for Laboratory Subjects:The laboratory exams are conducted separately and before the theory exams. There are 2 Lab Examinations per semester. Except the 8th semester, which does not have a Laboratory course but a Project Course. An external examiner (a faculty of a peer college) is involved in evaluating students. An internal evaluation is also factored into the evaluation of Laboratory courses.

Hall Ticket: A Hall Ticket is an examination registration and entry card issued to a student. It contains the student's registration number and photograph. It also indicates the examination term the student is allow to attend. The invigilator present in the hall inspects the Hall Ticket of every student before allowing them to write the exam. A Hall Ticket is issued after the student pays the required examination fees and has class attendance of 75% or more. The attendance rule, however, is not enforced strictly. Grading System: The examination system in Crescent Engineering college is controlled and managed by Anna University. Except for College of Engineering Guindy, all other colleges do not follow Cumulative Grade Point System (CGPA). Students typically write only one exam per semester. This exam occurs at the end of the semester. Each course (Lab or theory) is graded out of 100 points. A minimum of 45 is required to 'Pass' the subject. The only two grade classifications are 'Pass' and 'Fail'. A student's rank is determined by the average points, the student scores across all the courses.

Degree Classifications: A student whose average score through all four years is greater than 75 is awarded "First Class with Distinction" honors along with his/her degree certificate. A Student who obtains an average score of 60 or above is awarded "First Class". A Student with average score of less than 60 at the end of the four year course is awarded second class.

Arrears: A student is required to repeat the course if he/she scores less than 45 in that particular course (also called subject). This situation is called 'arrears'. A student who has 'arrears' is required to retake the exam in the subsequent semester. The student is not required to attend classes for the course. He can retake the exam in the subsequent odd or even semester (regardless of which semester the course was originally offered) and pass the course. A single arrear disqualifies a student from being awarded "First Class with Distinction" honors.

A student who takes more than 4 years to complete the course (except under non-academic circumstances) is awarded a second class degree at the time of his completion regardless of his average score.

Fees

The fee structure keeps changing almost every year. It changes so frequently that it is not possible to describe it accurately without a historical perspective. Historically, 4 sets of students entered Crescent Engineering college.

Two sets entered the college from the Single Window System managed by the Government.

1. Free Seat: These students paid Rs. 7000 per academic year. These were usually students who scored highly in the Plus 2 & Entrance Exam admission criteria. (Approximately around 285/300 - OC/BC; 265 - MBC; 235 - SC/ST)

2. Payment Seats: These Students paid 50,000 per academic year. These were usually students who had good scores in the Plus 2 & Entrance Exam admission criteria. (Approximately around 275/300).

Two sets entered the college from the Management Quota.

The fees for these two categories are highly subjective. It is never documented or advertised in any brochure or forum. An accurate representation of this is not possible as it is dependent on a case-by-case basis and the demand for seats during that particular year. A significant portion of the fee could be waived for certain people. Given this variance, the following describes what is considered typical or average.

1. Regular Management Quota: The fee here varied a lot. It involved a sum of anywhere between Rs. 100,000 - Rs. 500,000 'donation' at the beginning of the first year and an annual payment of Rs. 32,500.

2. Non-Resident Indian Quota (NRI): The fee in this limited quota of seats was typically very high. It involved a sum of anywhere between Rs. 300,000 - Rs. 700,000 'donation' at the beginning of the first year and an annual payment of Rs. 32,500.

Current Situation:

The government has abolished the 'Free Seat' category during the course of the last decade. Now a student entering Crescent Engineering college through the Government Admission System pays Rs 32,500 every year. This situation can change depending on the government's policy at that time.

Examination Fees

An examination fee of Approximately Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000 is paid by the student every semester (twice a year). This is outside of any other fees he pays to the college. The fee depends on the number of exams the student has to appear for in the given semester.

Reputation

The Electrical & Electronis Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Technology and Civil Engineering department of Crescent are often regarded as one of the best among the state of Tamil Nadu.

This high reputation is determined by the number of students who get University ranks from Crescent Engineering colleges. As this is a direct indication of how students from Crescent perform vis-a-vis students from other colleges affiliated to the same university.

Campus Recruitment is another important factor that determines Crescent's reputation.

Also important is the cut-off mark, which is the score of the least ranked student who chose crescent engineering college during the Single Window Admission process.

Features

Notable features of Crescent Engineering College includes the Information Technology resources, library, and recently inaugurated state-of-the-art auditorium.

The Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) of the college was established in the year 1999. The Principal of the college is the Director of the cell. The EDC conducts programmes in entrepreneurship and initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among the students. Based on the cell's performance, the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) approved the EDC and agreed to provide financial support for a period of five years from 2003.

The College has an IEEE Student Branch which has been very active for so many years. It has been the Biggest Branch in the world and was recently awarded for it for the Year 2004. This IEEE Student Branch is planning for a National Level IEEE Conference named IEEE National Conference on Information and Communication Convergence IEEE ICC 2006 during December 2006.

The Industry-Institute Partnership Cell (IIPC) of the college is a dedicated cell to promote the close interaction of industry and various departments of the institute. The IIP Cell facilitates consultancy, sponsored R&D projects, industrial training etc., in addition to conducting industrial exhibitions and interaction meets.

The College's English department also organises Business English Course and many students gets certified after taking up exams.

The Computer Science Department organises excellent courses outside from regular academic courses. IBM Certified courses such as WebSphere, DB2 were conducted for the benefit of CSE and IT departments. CCNA classes are also conducted through the College.

The College has a well-stocked library with memberships available, via the college, to some of the premium libraries in Chennai, such as the British Council Library.

Hostel facilities are available for the residential students, with separate hostels for Men and Women.

In spite of having excellent infrastructure, the college has still managed to maintain a green environment in the campus. One can find trees in abundance.

Crescent Alumni Association

The alumni of this renowned college are occupying various important positions in technology and business. Recently a dedicated web site ( [www.crescentalumni.org] ) has been created, to facilitate the interaction among the Alumni who are spread across the globe. The Alumni Association has initiated several activities some of them are Alumni scholarship scheme, award for international paper publication, sponsoring technical conferences, particpiating in social activities etc.,

Crescent Alumni abroad: Crescent Engineering College has a rich culture of students pursuing higher education in foreign countries. After completing their engineering degree in Crescent, students go to USA, UK, Australia, Singapore, and Europe for higher education. Many students are also employed in reputed firms in Americas, Europe, Australia, Singapore and Middle-East.

Close to 40% of students in ECE, CSE, EEE groups pursue higher education in foreign countries. Students start preparing for GRE during their third year of engineering and join foreign institutions during August/September of the same year they graduate. Some students prefer to work for one year before pursuing higher studies. The college faculty provide excellent infrastructure and recommendation letters to facilitate the pursuit of such education. The college atmosphere encourages and nourishes such pursuits.

Sports

The college also excels in sports and has been crowned as the champions in the various Anna University Inter-Collegiate Sporting events several times. Adequate facilities are provided for sports. The college has dedicated grounds for Cricket, Football, Hockey as well as Courts for Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton and Ballbadminton.

ISTD-C Students' Club

The Indian Society for Training and Development,(aka ISTD) is the official Students' Club of Crescent Engineering College. It has been in existence for almost a decade now. It is a part of ISTD, Delhi and works under the ISTD, Chennai Chapter.

The college teams which form a part of ISTD-C(alias ISTD-Crescent) have represented college in various cultural events across the country and have won accolades all over. The ISTD-C conducts various events inside the college to bring out the hidden talents in the students and also to acquaint them to participate at events outside the college.

The Students' Club has various clubs under it, where the students can show their talents and nurture their interests. The clubs include The Arts Club, Astronomy Club(newly formed ), Dance Club, Design Club, Dramatics Club, Editorial Board, Literary Club and The Music Club. The complete details of the clubs can be obtained at the comprehensive website of the students club www.istdcrescent.org

The main productions of the students' club include a Writers Inc. Newsletter every semester and the annual students magazine, Writers Inc. by the Editorial Board. The mega event of ISTD-C is Orion, a three-day annual cultural event held every February. The club has come out with new productions this year which include a stage play and training and workshops for students.

External links

* [http://www.crescentcollege.org Crescent Engineering College]
* [http://www.istdcrescent.org ISTD - Crescent Students' Club]