Empowering Young women through
Higher Education :
Adhering to the
vision of the college young women especially the poorest are given priority
in the admission. The curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular
activities are educative endeavours to produce intellectually enlightened,
spiritually inspired, emotionally balanced, morally upright, socially
committed young women who will be agents of social transformation in today’s
India.
1. Objectives of the Practice
2. The Context
The Examination System
has undergone a sea-change. The centralized system of conducting two
Continuous Assessment Examinations and a Semester Examination has resulted
in a generally judicious evaluation of the performance of the students; both
below average and above average.
The underlying fact that a large number of the
student community is below average has been reshaped by Supplementary
Examinations for III years and Arrear Examinations before the regular
Semester Examinations at the end of the Semester.
The basic concept behind the strategies is to help
the slow-learners who belong to the category of first generation learners
and vernacular medium students, to reach the level of obtaining a pass
percentage. Students are encouraged to put in more effort. It is a conducive
time frame for the student to study, to bridge the gap and get attuned to a
pattern of assessment different from the School Examination System.
3. The Practice
The students are
taught according to the course plan and objectives of the syllabus. Every
subject being divided into five units/modules, the first Continuous
Assessment focuses on the first two units; the second Continuous Assessment
focuses on the third and fourth units and the fifth unit is completed before
the Semester examination. The two continuous assessments and semester
examinations are centralized.
Apart from these Continuous Assessments, every
subject includes an innovative component in the form of assignments,
seminars, preparation of models, mini projects, demonstrations, dramatics,
recitation for test of phonetics and the like, which are subject-related,
but outside the syllabus.
The Arrear Examinations scheduled before the
Regular Semester Examination help slow learners who do not fare well. This
provides a better chance for the students to clear their examinations with
ease and without stress.
The uniqueness of this practice lies in the fact
that a separate schedule is set apart for the conduct of such Arrear
examinations and therefore is surrounded by an attitude of seriousness and
concentrated effort.
Looking at the constraints and limitations of this
practice, it is found that it is a tightly packed schedule and it is a
challenging.
The College is still grappling with innovative
strategies to instill motivation in students and cultivate an interest in
them to study. This is a major constraint that deters them from making use
of the ample use of opportunities given to them.
4. Evidence of Success
It has been found that
the practices of the Examination System have resulted in a considerable
increase in the pass percentage of students. The efficient and accurate
system of valuation is evident from the reduced number of applications for
photocopy and revaluation.
The fact that the Arrear Examination schedules are
carried out as planned, proves the strict adherence to the work plan every
semester.
Timely announcement of the results is yet another
evidence of the success of central valuation.
The learning outcome is ensured through the
Evaluation System. Course objectives are duly met when overall assessment of
student performance in the respective subjects is analysed.
5. Problems Encountered and Resources Required
At times, some
students fail to realize the importance of being consistent in studies. This
results in their poor performance in the Continuous Assessment and Semester
Examinations.
In the rare cases of malpractice, the Controller
of Examination and the Examination Committee decide on the action to be
taken.
All the resources required for the smooth conduct
of examinations are available.
1. Objectives of the Practice
It is the prime duty of the Mentors:-
2. The Context
The students are
mostly from a rural background. They are either first generation
learners or from the vernacular medium. They come from the marginalized
strata of society and it is difficult for them to get rid of their
inhibitions.
The students of the vernacular medium develop
a complex when they are amidst the English medium students. The
financial stress levels are insurmountable for many of them, which make
them imbalanced. Hence the task of the Mentor is very challenging and
crucial.
3. The Practice
A target group of
minimum 25 students is assigned to each faculty member as Mentor who
follows their progress throughout their course of study. A booklet “Joy
of Mentoring” has been designed by the College to keep track of the
student’s growth and development on campus. Meetings are held once a
month for group mentoring and on an individual regular basis whenever
necessary. Certain academic problems of the students are discussed in
the department along with the Heads of the Departments. The mentor meets
the parents of her ward once a semester to update them on her overall
performance. The Mentoring System enables students and faculty to
establish a personal bond with each other.
The parents are also called for, whenever any
problem like long absenteeism, irregularity in attendance, academic
performance, punctuality, irregularity in submission of assigned tasks,
indiscipline and other teenage issues arise. If necessary, a meeting is
arranged with the Principal and Vice-Principal and the Head of the
Department, to take major decisions.
The slow learners are also identified by the
Mentors, who arrange for Remedial Classes and Peer-Group
study.
When students face emotional crises, the
Mentors counsel them and send them to the College Counsellor to get
professional help and if necessary, medical aid.
The Mentors take special care to help the
teenagers through the difficult phases in their lives. Their world is
plagued by the media and the use of modern technology and
gadgets.
The uniqueness of the practice is the quality
time spent with the wards to listen to their problems and guide them on
the right path.
The limitation of the practice is the fact
that many students are disinterested and not ambitious; hence they do
not pay heed to the advice given.
4. Evidence of Success
Many students have
benefitted much from the Mentoring Sessions. They are enabled to cope
with stressful situations at home and academic problems that they
encounter through their progress. Many students who have low self-esteem
are counselled and they gain confidence over a period of
time.
Students who are inclined to discontinue the
course are counselled and they regain confidence in pursuing and
completing the course. A remarkable number of students are able to
successfully complete the course through the academic assistance in the
form of remedial classes and peer-group study.
5. Problems Encountered and Resources Required
Students are slow
to imbibe the benefits of the Mentoring System. Their non-cooperation,
lack of motivation and low self-esteem are the challenges encountered by
the mentors. Mentors often find it difficult to allot sufficient time to
meet the students on a regular basis outside the class
hours.