Extract Copy of the Draft Peer Team Report:
The College was established on 1st January, 1973 and the classrooms of the college were inaugurated on 26th January, 2004. The College was established to give opportunity for higher education to the student community of the region with special focus on the rural and economically backward students. The College has a special objective to make provision for higher education for girl students. This is a deficit grant-in-aid College affiliated to Gauhati University. It came under clauses 2f and 12B of UGC on 25th May 2000. The College is situated in the rural setting with a campus area of 2.5 acres. It is strictly a border area college. The College offers Under Graduate courses in different disciplines of Arts. It is also offers self-financing certificate and diploma courses in Computer Application.
The College follows annual system of temporal plan. The College has support services like central library, computer centre, sports facilities, canteen and grievance redressal cell.
The College sent the Self Study Report (SSR) to NAAC, Bangalore on 31st December, 2003. The NAAC constituted a Peer Team with Prof. Ananda Deb Mukhopadhyay, Former Video Chancellor, Vidyasagar University as its Chairman, Iswar Chandra Jena, Head of the Department Commerce, MPC Autonomous College, Baripada, Orissa as its Member Coordinator and Dr. B. Mohanta, Principal, Vivekananda College, Kolkata as its member. The Peer Team visited the institute on 4th and 5th October, 2004. The Team carefully analysed and assessed the SSR. In course of its institutional visit the Team went through all the relevant office documents and interacted with all the constituents of the College. After conducting the above exercises and considering the Criteria identified by the NAAC, the Team observed the following:-
Curricular Aspects
The College offers Under Graduate (UG) courses in Assamese, English, Bengali, Economics, Philosophy, History and Political Science. The College also offers self-financing certificate and diploma courses in computer application. The curricula are designed by the affiliating University and the institution tries its best to make use of the curricula in order to provide education with quality inputs. The programmes have 70% knowledge and 30% skill components. The students have flexibility in horizontal mobility and elective options. During the last three years the college has introduced Major courses in Bengali literature and Computer education. It has also introduced a NCC C- level course. The College takes at least a year to introduce a new programme. The College though offers traditional courses, has desire to open professional and vocational courses in future.
Teaching, Learning Evaluation
The College admits students on the basis of the academic records of the students. The admission committee constituted by the College looks after the admission affairs. The College has initiated the assessment of the knowledge and skills of students for a particular programme through periodic unit tests, course feed backs, discussions and informal interactions. The College has no formal provisions for bridge/remedial courses for educationally disadvantaged students. But it has opened for them special guidance sessions and tutorial classes in each department. On the other hand the college takes effort for advanced learners to work ahead of the rest through additional classes, special consultation facilities, special library facilities etc. The College encourages the teachers to make special teaching plans and innovations in teaching methods. The teachers for effective teaching, learning and evaluation keep a record of the teaching schedule, and qualitative assessment of teaching and performance of the students in different tests and examinations. The College has good practices of supplementing lecture method of classroom teaching through (i) library work schedule, (ii) class room seminars, (iii) field study and (iv) practical session. The College provides the teachers with reprographic, computer, camera, VCDs etc. to prepare audiovisual teaching materials. The College has 275 working days out of which 173 are teaching days. The workload of a teacher is 18 periods per week. The permanent teachers take 70% of the classes. The students of the College are communicated about the evaluation and examination methods at the beginning of the academic session. The College also monitors the over all performance of the students. It follows annual system of examination. The departments are also entrusted to identify students with potentials to improve. The teachers of the College are recruited through an expert committee following State Government and UGC guidelines. The College authority keeps records of each teacher about their regularity in attendance and their performance in teaching. The College also takes periodic feed back from students about teaching in the class.
Research, Consultancy and Extension
The College has a sustained research culture. 50% of the teachers are engaged in active research. The College has a separate committee to promote research activities. There are four ongoing research projects with total outlay of Rs. 10,000. Recently two teachers of the College have obtained two minor Research Projects from UGC with total outlay of 140,000. The College faculties have received research/study grants from the institutions like ASRC, Hyderabad, Asom Sahitya Sabha, Guwahati. The College has established the "Centre for Ethnic Studies and Research (CESR)". The College has established linkages with some national institutes. Many teachers of the College have attended national and a few international level seminars. The College takes part in extension activities like community development, Health & Hygiene, AIDS & Environmental Awareness, Social Works and Medical Camp. It also takes part in mobilising public opinion for communal harmony. The College has opened NCC unit. The College participates in out reach activities such as raising funds for cyclone victims, anticorruption awareness programmes and cleanliness drive in Golakganj town. The College also conducts extension activities in collaboration with several NGOs and GOs.
Infrastructure and Learning Resources
The College is located in a rural setting with a campus area 2.5 acres. The College has 150 metres long building in addition to administrative block and the central library. The College has sufficient academic, administrative and other facilities for its efficient functioning. Class room, separate garden cum park complex, separate departmental chambers, Folk museum and library (central & departmental) are some of the infrastructure available in the College. The College has a special development fund to maintain and develop its infrastructure. The College has a well framed mechanism to ensure optimum utilization of its infrastructure facilities. The College provides its space to various cultural and educational institutes to conduct its educational and cultural programmes. The cultural library of the College remains open on all working days from 10am to 5pm. The College has Computer Center which remains open on all working days from 10am to 5pm. The College has 6 computers. The teachers learnt about developing computer aided learning packages at the computer centre. The departments of English and Economics use the centre for class room teaching. The campus of the College is beautiful and always kept clean. The College has a playground. It has a park, and a folk museum.
Student Support and Progression
The College publishes updated prospectus containing all relevant information for admission like examination procedures and evaluation system, refund and other financial policies, student support services etc. The prospectus is made available to the students before the commencement of the academic session. The College has provisions for financial aid to the students with funds from Central and State Governments. The College has a poor fund for helping the needy students. The College is yet to establish either Employment or Placement Cell. But the teachers take personal interest for counseling of the students. The College provides recreational/leisure facilities to the students through Nature and Debate clubs, cultural programmes, students' magazines, audiovisual facilities and outdoor games. The College has a Folk theatre club. The students have shown efficiencies in cultural and literary activities. The College has provision for health check up for students but has no health centre. The College has Film Club.
Organization & Management
The over all management of the College is looked after by the Governing Body (GB). The administrative and academic departments of the College are governed by the principles of participation and transparency. The College has a committee for internal coordination and monitoring. The College Management holds periodic meeting with the Principal, teaching and non teaching staff for its infrastructure upgrading. The College has an in-built mechanism for checking the efficiency of its non-teaching staff. A special committee prepares the academic calendar. There are various welfare programmes in the College. There are also a number of loan facilities for teaching and non teaching employees. The Thrift and Credit Cooperative Society of the College is a noble welfare programme for the College community. The finances of the College are judiciously allocated and effectively utilised to make its progress cost-effective. The College has good budgeting and auditing procedures.
Healthy Practices
The Peer Team is glad to record the following Healthy Practices in the College:
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The institution displays sensitivity to changing educational, Social and market demands.
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The College has formed several committees for internal quality check; It has also formed a committee for internal quality monitoring.
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The College has opened a PG Correspondence Centre for Gauhati University.
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The College also takes interest in imparting value-based education.
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The College sincerely tries to imbibe the sense of social and civic responsibilities among the students.
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The College also takes special interest to develop general/transferable skills among the students.
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The College takes special drive to generate communicative skill by organising oratory contests, debates, essay writing and creative writing contests.
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The College has carried out campus development projects.
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The College has good resource mobilisation mechanism and could mobilise resources from DRDA, MLA's and MP's local area development fund.
Over All Analysis
The Peer Team after validating the report visited the existing administrative, academic and other facilities and the student support services. The Team has also gone through the official documents of the College. It interacted with the GB members, the Principal, Teaching and Non teaching staff, students, alumni, parents and guardians. Thus assessing everything as per NAAC norms the Team intends to commend the following:
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The College has a healthy academic atmosphere where the management, the Principal, teaching and non teaching staff and the students work hand in hand to achieve the goals and objectives of the College.
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The College has potential faculty members who can take active interest in upgradation of skills and competence of the students.
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The effort given by the College for campus development during last few years is a notable feature.
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The College provides the teachers with the modern teaching aids.
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The College has good research culture.
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Some teachers have published research papers and others some articles.
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Some teachers have also published books.
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The College encourages teachers to visit universities and institute for upgrading their capability.
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The College mainly offers traditional courses but it has introduced self financing courses in computer application.
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The College conducts notable extension activities.
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the College has a bright future.
Recommendations
The Peer Team recommends the following for immediate consideration of the College:
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The Computer Centre may be further strengthened.
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A LAN be installed for internet and other facilities.
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The College may approach UGC for funds for indoor and outdoor games facilities.
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The College may establish a gymnasium with UGC funds.
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The College may approach UGC for building boys and girls hostels.
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Some self financing courses be introduced in innovative/emerging areas in the College.
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The College may also take steps to introduce some job oriented, self-financing, Vocational, Certificate and Diploma courses.
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The College may introduce courses in Science and Commerce streams.
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The College library should be fully computerized.
The Peer Team expresses its deep sense of gratitude to the management, the principal, Teaching and Non-teaching staff and students for their kind cooperation and all help rendered during the team's visit to the College on 4th and 5th October, 2004.The Team is also grateful for the excellent arrangements during our stay.