The Academic Co-ordination Division was established under Clause (2) of Statute 4 of the Statutes of the University, which laid down that every Director shall be a whole-time salaried officer of the University, provided that one of the Directors shall be in-charge of the administrative affairs of the teachers.

In October 1986, the Division was conceived as a separate Unit under the Planning Division, with the responsibility of looking after the personnel and establishment matters in respect of teachers and academic staff in accordance with the provisions in the Statutes of the University.

Subsequently, the Unit was carved out from the Planning Division and the first Director of the Teachers' Affairs Division was appointed on January 3, 1989, who was asked to hold the charge of the Planning Division, in addition to his duties as Director, Teachers' Affairs. The Teachers' Affairs Division was then re-christened in December 1995 as 'Academic Co-ordination Division'.

Role

The Academic Co-ordination Division is entrusted with the responsibilities of establishment, administration and other service matters pertaining to the teachers and academics of the University. The IGNOU Act, 1985, defines the term 'Teacher' under Section 2 (p) as "Professors, Readers, Lecturers and such other persons as may be designated as such by the ordinances for imparting instruction in the University or for giving guidance or rendering assistance to students for pursuing any course of study of the University".

Thus the term ‘Teachers’ comprises the following positions:

1. Teachers: Professors, Readers and Lecturers working in various schools of studies and directors of schools

2. Academics:

a. Directors, Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors in various divisions viz,
i) The Regional Services Division,
ii) The Student Registration and Evaluation Division,
iii) Centre for Extension Education,
iv) Distance Education Council,
v) The Academic Coordination Division,
vi) The Planning and Development Division,
vii) Electronic Media Production Centre, and
viii) The International Division

b. Regional Directors and Assistant Regional Directors in the Regional Centres of the University

c. Librarian and Information Officer, Deputy Librarian, Assistant Librarian, Documentation Officer in the Library & Documentation Division, Analysts, Research Officers and Assistant Directors in the various divisions viz,
i) Staff Training & Research in Distance Education,
ii) The Planning & Development Division,
iii) National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education,
iv) National Centre for the Differently-Abled, and
v) The Inter-University Consortium

Apart from the above permanent posts, the Division is also entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the appointment of Adjunct Professors and engagement of Consultants, On-line Experts, Web Developers and Project Associates etc. on full-time as well as on part-time basis or on contract or tenure or project basis for various academic activities to support the permanent faculty appointed for performance of certain core functions. Senior-level superannuated teachers, who have retired from service, are also appointed on re-employment basis to utilise their experience and expertise in the development of various programmes and courses of the University.