Report External Peer Review And

Report

External Peer Review and Validation

Program Self-Assessment

Department of Bengali, Faculty of Arts

University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Submitted to

Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)

University of Dhaka

October 2016

Preface

Quality assurance is a process of establishing stakeholders’ confidence that education provision by higher education institutions fulfills expectations or measures up to the requirements of the concerned agencies. Quality assurance is an all-embracing term covering all the policies, processes and actions through which quality of higher education is maintained, developed and enhanced.

The main mission of higher education institutions is to do research and produce well trained graduates equipped with essential knowledge of the discipline, the ability to effectively apply the acquired knowledge in real life, desirable attitudes and values, together with necessary twenty first century skills to meet the changing requirements for employment, lifelong education, and country development plan.

Valuing that quality education is very important that needs to be maintained and enhanced, the Government of Bangladesh under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to change the landscape of higher education through enhancement of quality of higher education and research in the country. To achieve the target of quality education, the Government and the World Bank have generously funded the project which is known as Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) and has been implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) led by Chairman Professor Dr. A.K. Azad Chowdhury, with assistance of the project officials and those by the World Bank. UGC prepared the Self-Assessment Manual to be guidelines for the universities to implement the self-assessment and quality assurance at program level which is the core unit of producing graduates and manpower for the country, through planning and coordination of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).

Quality assurance cannot happen automatically or accidentally. It has to be planned. Quality assurance is not any single thing but an aura, an atmosphere, an overpowering feeling that ‘the Institution is doing everything with excellence’. Quality assurance is the own responsibility of the institution.

Acknowledgement and Affirmation

The External Peer Review Team (EPRT) would like to thank the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) for appointing us as the experts for the peer review of Self Assessment (SA) activity of the Department of Bengali, University of Dhaka, and for the arrangement of work plan, coordination and constant support from the time of arrival till departure.

Appreciation is extended to Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Dhaka, for giving us her time and listening to us attentively and providing us valuable information regarding the academic and administrative matters and to Dean, Faculty of Arts, for her cooperation in the peer review activity.

Special thanks are given to Professor Syed Md. Shahed, SAC Head, Professor Syed Azizul Huq, SAC member, Professor Bayetullah Quaderee SAC Member, and to all academic and non-academic members of the Bengali Department, Alumni Association, and the current students for excellent cooperation in this peer review of SA activity.

Finally, we are pleased to submit an external peer review report of the Program Self-Assessment, Department of Bengali, Faculty of Arts, University of Dhaka. The external peer review team affirms that the content of the report is the result of the analysis of the SAR prepared by the Department of Bengali and information from meetings with SAC, five groups of stakeholders and their recommendations, site visits to physical facilities and administrators and the study of Self Assessment Manual prepared by UGC, Ministry of Education.

Dr. Manit Boonprasert Prof. Dr. Md. Kamrul Alam Khan Prof. Dr. Maniruzzaman

Contents

page

Preface

Acknowledgement and Affirmation

CHAPTER

1. Introduction 5

2. Overview of the University and Bengali Department 10

3. Aims and Learning Outcomes of Programs 13

4. Results of the External Peer Review 23

5. Conclusion and Recommendation 31

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter outlines the main principles of program review, the aspects under review and description of the peer review process.

1.1 Main Principles of Program Review

University is basically made of the core academic activities of teaching learning and research. The most important aspects of quality education generally refer to the quality of teaching learning and research which relate directly to academic activities. In this respect, all academic activities are functionally taking place at the program level. To maintain and enhance education quality of the program, regular program review exercise is necessary for evaluating and continuously enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the program under review. Program review is a cyclical process which is critical for improving its quality of teaching learning and research and it is also a requirement for program accreditation. Program review exercise needs necessary data from stakeholders to evaluate and reflect the quality of the program through self-assessment.

Self- assessment is a systematic process of evaluating the various aspects of institution or academic programs whether quality standards are being met. It is an exercise conducted by the institution/ department itself to assess whether its program(s) meet their educational objectives and outcomes with the purpose to improve quality of program(s) and enhance students’ learning. Self-assessment is a means of explaining and confirming existing procedures. Desired outcomes of self- assessment are for the institution/department to be proactive than reactive, systemize the process of assessment, to be current with the changes in the respective fields, assist in preparing good professionals of tomorrow, and initiate improvements to achieve academic excellence.

Program self-assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning. It involves the thorough examination of all aspects and components of the program in respect of stakeholders’ opinions. It is a process of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the program in terms of capacity of effective teaching learning, student performance assessment, program management, ability to provide students support services and adequate physical facilities. Program self-assessment helps the program offering entity to:

 better understand the ongoing programs under assessment;  revisit the program objectives and goals;  redress the intended learning outcomes of the program, if necessary;  identify the area of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and emerging changes to make the program updated and need based;  assess the adequacy of student support services for effective teaching and learning;  assess the progress of improvement desired, and

 develop strategic plan with commitment and priorities for further improvement.

Quality in higher education is the outcome of interaction of quality of faculty and students, infrastructure facilities, research and learning environment, strategic planning, assessment procedures and market forces. Implementing the quality concept needs prioritization of projects and activities across the university structure. Obviously, first priority goes to academic activity, wherein quality enhancement initiatives should focus on curriculum development, improvement in delivery methods, faculty training and development, appropriate use of technology, effective stakeholders’ orientation of academic programs, and enhancing the quality of R & D programs of the university.

1.2 Aspects under Review

There are a total of nine aspects, forty four indicators and seventy-one standards identified in the Self- Assessment Manual produced by UGC. Aspects, indicators and standards of each aspect are presented in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Indicators and Standards No. Aspects Indicators Standards 1 Governance 1. Mission and Objectives 13 2. Management 3. Accountability and Transparency 4. Academic Leadership and Autonomy 5. Stakeholders’ Feedback 2 Curriculum 1. Involvement of Stakeholders 05 Content, Design, 2. Need Assessment and Review 3. Content and Structure 4. Defining Course Learning Outcomes 5. Skill Development mechanism or strategy 6. Evaluation and Review 3 Student Admission, 1. Entry Qualification 09 Progress and 2. Admission Procedure Achievements 3. Progress and Achievement 4 Physical Facilities 1. Classroom 02 2. Library facilities 3. Laboratory and field laboratories 4. Medical facilities 5. Other facilities 5 Teaching, Learning, 1. Teaching – Learning 10 Assessment 2. Quality Staff 3. Appropriate Teaching-Learning Methods 4. Use of Lesson Plan 5. Technology Integration 6. Focus 7. Skill Development Mechanism 8. Assessment of Student performance

6 Students Support 1. Academic Guidance and Counseling 08 Services 2. Co-curricular and Extra-curricular activities 3. Career and Placement 4. Alumni Services 5. Community Services 7 Staff and Facilities 1. Recruitment 17 2. Staff Development 3. Peer Observation 4. Career Development 5. Key Performance Indicators 8 Research and 1. Research Capacity Development 04 Extension 2. Research Funding 3. Dissemination and Transfer System and Policy 4. Patent of Innovation 9 Process 1. Internal Quality Assurance System 03 Management, and 2. Conduct Self-assessment following a Cycle Continuous 3. Continuously and Systematically Review the Improvement effectiveness of the Procedures to Meet the Objectives Source: Self-Assessment Manual, Ministry of Education, UGC, HEQEP, IQAC, Bangladesh

1.3 The Peer Review Process

The peer review process begins with the appointment of the external peer review team on the recommendation of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of University of Dhaka and approval of the Pro -Vice Chancellor of the University. The selected external peer review team of the Islamic History and Culture Department comprises the following persons:

1. Dr. Manit Boonprasert, QA Expert, Office of National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, Bangkok 10400, Thailand, Team Leader-Foreign QA expert. 2. Dr. Md. Kamrul Alam Khan, Professor, Department of Physics and Director, IQAC, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh, Team Member-IQA expert. 3. Dr. Maniruzzaman, Professor, Department of Bengali, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh, Team Member-Subject expert

According to the Terms of Reference (Annexure-8), the panel was required to, 1. Carry out a desk study of the Self-Assessment Report prepared by the SAC of and Department of Bengali, DU, especially look for documentary evidences. 2. Visit the Faculty and the Department under review to critically observe the various aspects of the program in order to validate the findings of the SAR, 3. Identity further areas that need to be improved and newly introduced. 4. Prepare and submit an external peer review report based on their findings.

Accordingly, the external peer reviewers studied the Self Assessment Manual and SAR of the Department of Bengali, carried out a desk study of the SAR, and visited the Faculty of Arts and the Department from the 14th to the 17th August 2016 to confirm and validate information. A written exit report was submitted to the Department SAC and IQAC on the evening of 17th August 2016.

The peer review process is presented in Figure 1.1 and the descriptions of tasks in each phase are presented in Table1.2.

Before site Study SAR, Manual, plan for site visit visit. (Phase 1)

Figure 1.1: Peer Review Process During site Meet stakeholders and observe visit facilities. Exit report. (Phase 2) (Phase 2)

After site Write a final report. (Phase 3) visit

Table 1.2 Activities Phases Duties and responsibilities 1. Before site 1. IQAC sent PDF files on legal documents, i.e. agreements and visit responsibilities of reviewers on the assignment, Self-Assessment Manual. Before the visit, SAC sent soft file of SAR of the Bengali Department. The main contact points were IQAC and SAC. 2.Each external reviewer studied Self-Assessment Manual prepared by UGC to understand the prescribed guidelines of practices and expected outcomes and follow accordingly. 3.Each external reviewer studied and analyzed the SAR of the Department under review and identified points that required evidences and clarification during site visit. 4.Each external reviewer contacted IQAC about travel plan, transportation and accommodation besides the academic matters.6.

2. During site Follow the work plan prepared by IQAC and SAC. Selection of team leader. visit A brief on activities during the three days including: 1. Meet Dean of Faculty of Arts, SAC of Bengali Department. 2. Interview five groups of stakeholders: students, non-academic staff, academic staff, alumni, employers, to collect more information following items in the survey questionnaire and to verify some statements in SAR. 3. Site visit to physical facilities, library, medical service, residence halls swimming pool, central playing field, central gymnasium, Central Mosque and TSC of the University and seminar library, classrooms, offices of faculty members of the Department. 4. Observe class teaching. 5. Check documents with SAC.

6. Wrap up session of external reviewers at the end of day 1 and 2. Draft an exit team report following categories in the checklist for external reviewer in the Manual. Plan to collect more information on day 3 to complete all QA aspects. 7. Complete a draft of the exit report. Reviewed and approved by the external peer review team by signing the printout of the exit report and submitted the printout and soft file to IQAC, SAC before departure of the external reviewers.

3. After site visit 1.Team leader collected notes from team members and drafted a final report following the guideline in the SA Manual. 2.Share the draft report with team members for review and editing before submission of the final report to Director, IQAC. and Head of SAC.

Chapter 2

OVERVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY AND BENGALI DEPARTMENT

This chapter provides an overview of the University of Dhaka and Bengali Department.

2.1 Overview of the University

Background of establishment: Historically, on May 27, 1912, the Government of Bengal published a resolution in regard to the proposed University and appointed a Committee of 13 members headed by Sir Robert Nathan, Barrister-at-Law, from London to draw up a scheme for Dhaka University. The Nathan Committee Report was published to elicit public opinion. The report recommended that the proposed University should be a state institution with unitary teaching and residential formed on a model of modern UK universities, like Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool and encompass seven colleges including Dacca Government College and Jagannath College.

The University of Dhaka was formally established in the East Bengal in 1921 under the Dhaka University Act after passing the Legislative Council and receiving assent of the Governor General. It was effective on July1,1921. The University has a distinctive feature as a non-affiliating and residential like that of the University of Oxford, UK. In 1947, the University of Dhaka was given an affiliating mandate in place of an exclusive residential-cum teaching character. The University started its journey with 3 Faculties: Arts, Science, and Law; and 12 Departments: Sanskrit and Bangla, English, Education, History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Persian and Urdu, Philosophy, Economics and Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Law.

A new phase began in the history of the University with the emergence of the Bangladesh in 1971. This has been a phase of development, expansion and consolidation of earlier gains. The University has assumed a central role in the academic pursuits of this new nation. Just after the creation of the Bangladesh, the government proclaimed the University of Dhaka Order 1973 whereby democratic norms and autonomy became integral features of the institution. While serving the highest echelon of academic excellence, the University also functions as a central premise for free thought and democratic practices that would lead the nation to its march towards progress. The University of Dhaka is increasingly striving to combine the pursuit of knowledge and truth with the values and needs of an evolving society.

Presently, the University has 13 Faculties, 77 Departments, 11 Institutes, 20 residential halls, 3 hostels and more than 51 Research Centers. The number of students and teachers has risen to about 37,064 and 1,885 respectively. The University enrolls more than 5,800 students, on merit basis, in the first year Honors Program in different Departments of the Faculties and the Institutes. Besides conducting teaching courses in the 4-year Bachelor and 1-year Master Programs, the University also trains up a large number of researchers in different disciplines. More than 1,262 Ph.D and 1,217 M.Phil researchers have obtained their degrees from this University.

Mission and Vision of the University:

The mission of the University is to create and absorb new areas of knowledge and disseminate the new knowledge to the society through its students. Since its inception, the teachers of this University have been rendering their professional services to achieve the aim of higher learning which is to combine imagination with critical power for keeping original contribution in the field of knowledge. The University has plan for further expansion of facilities for new avenues and opportunities, course curricula updated and new research projects. “The University of Dhaka is well prepared to meet the challenges of the future with its spirit of freedom, justice and truth as a foundation concomitant to the objectives envisioned by the founding fathers that “the efforts and energies of the University of Dhaka teachers and all concerned are directed towards to do more than anything else to increase and spread the fame of Dhaka beyond the limits of Bengal or even of India itself”.

2.2 Overview of the Department of Bengali

2.2.1 History The Bengali Department of the University of Dhaka started its journey as the Department of Sanskrit and Bengali. It is one of the twelve departments with which University of Dhaka was established in 1921. It was housed in the present Dhaka Medical College Building which was originally the secretariat of Assam – Bengal Government (1905). The reputed scholars of Sanskrit and Bengali were appointed as teachers including MM Haraprasad Sastri and Mohammed Shahidullah. Since then the Bengali Department was blessed with versatile genius like Sushilkumar Dey, Mohitlal Majumdar, Ashotosh Bhattachrya, Monomohan Gosh, Muhammad Abdul Hai, Munir Chowdhury.

2.2.2 Mission The Bengali Department was established to teach Bengali Literature and Language. As Bengali, or Bangla is the language of the land, the Department has the potential to play a central role in the field of teaching and research in the language. Initially 3 years Bachelor (Hon’s) degree and 1 year Masters degree was offered in the Department. After 1947, 1 year preliminary Masters course was added to this which continued till 1980s. From 1960’s a Ph. D program was offered and a M. Phil program was added to this since 1977.

2.3 Brief Summary of the Program Reviewed

2.3.1 Undergraduate Program (Hon’s)

The aim of the undergraduate program is to produce graduates in the subject. The program of the Department consists of major and minor courses, all credit course. In the four years degree (Hon’s) course, 28 papers are taught, including 2 minor papers. The major courses cover history of Bengali literature and language, old and medieval Bengali literature, modern Bengali literature, literary criticism and theory. It includes pieces of Greek, Sanskrit, Persian and English Literature in translation. The minor courses include among others, English literature, Philosophy, Linguistics, Sociology, Psychology, History and Political Science. For the minor courses, 4 teachers are hired as part-timer from other departments. The teacher-student ratio is 1:20.

2.3.2 Graduate Program

At the Masters level, modern Bengali literature occupies the major portions in its paper. The pioneering works of modern authors constitute the core of the syllabi. It includes poetry, short story, novel, play, essay as well as translations from modern world literature including African, North and South American, French and German literature.

2.3.3 Grading System

The grading system, grading scale, distribution of marks, bases for class attendance marks, follow the university system. For M. Phil one year course work with examination is compulsory and theses is required for the degree. For Ph. D usually a 4 year research work culminated in a theses.

2.3.4 Students and Graduates

The Department started its journey in 1921. In the last 95 years about 8000 students enrolled in the Department and for the last few years, the average enrollment in the first year is 130+. Their GPA scores are 4.5 out of 5. Usually almost 98-99 % student continue in the second year and so on. The total number of students in the Department is presently 613. In graduate programs the average pass rate is about 100 %. In Masters program, the number of failing is nil. The number of graduate (Hon’s) passed is about 6000, and about 8000 in Masters.

2.3.5 Employment

The graduate in a four year (Hon’s) is eligible for public service commission examination and a good number of Bengali graduates are joining public services every year. However, for teaching at college and university level, a Masters degree is required. Every year a large number of Masters degree holders are joining the teaching profession. Some of the degree holders are working as diplomates, bankers, etc.

2.3.6 Research and Extension

The Department of Bengali is reputed for its research. Till date about 150 scholars have earned Ph. D in various fields of literature and language. The number of M. Phil degree recipients have already crossed 50. The Department has its own reputed research Journal Sahitya Potrika (1957). A large number of theses and research monographs are written by the teachers and scholars of the Bengali Department. Presently, the Department has 26 full-time teachers, 14 of them have Ph. D degrees and 112 others have enrolled in a Ph. D program. The Department does not have research projects for teachers. An eminent professor emeritus and 2 supernumerary professor is also serving in the Department.

Chapter 3 AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES OF PROGRAMS

The report on aims and learning outcomes in this chapter reflects mainly what has been done to be counted as aims of the University together with objectives and learning outcomes of the Programs based on SAR, documents, and site visits.

3.1 AIMS From the review of the documents and analysis of the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) prepared by the Department, the Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes of the University and Programs can be described as follows.

3.1.1 Aims of the University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka is a state funded university. Its mission is to create and absorb new areas of knowledge and disseminate the new knowledge to the society through its students. Since its inception, the teachers of this University have been rendering their professional services to achieve the aim of higher learning which is to combine imagination with critical power for keeping original contribution in the field of knowledge. The University of Dhaka is well prepared to meet the challenges of the future with its spirit of freedom, justice and truth as a foundation concomitant to the objectives envisioned by the founding fathers that “the efforts and energies of the University of Dhaka teachers and all concerned are directed towards to do more than anything else to increase and spread the fame of Dhaka beyond the limits of Bengal or even of India itself”.

The University started its journey with three Faculties: Arts, Science, and Law; and 12 Departments: Sanskrit and Bangla, English, Education, History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Persian and Urdu, Philosophy, Economics and Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Law. Presently, the University has 13 Faculties, 77 Departments, 11 Institutes, 51 Research Bureaus and Centers, 1089 Ph. D Researchers, 1620 M. Phil Researchers, and 37064 students.

Since its inception, the University of Dhaka has a distinct character of having distinguished scholars and reputed intellectuals as faculties who have enriched the global pool on knowledge by making notable contributions in the fields of teaching and research. The degrees offered at undergraduate level are: BA (Hons), BBA, BSS (Hons), BS (Hons), B.Ed, B.Sc in Nursing, B.Pharm (Hons), B.Sc. in Health Technology (Laboratory), B.Sc. Health Technology (Dental), BDS, B.SSE, BHMS, LLB, MBBS, and at graduate level are: MA, MBA, MSS, MS, M.Sc, M. Econ, MDS, MHS, M. Pharm, LLM, M. Phil and Ph.Ds.

3.1.2 Overview of the Faculty of Arts Faculty of Arts was established in 1921. It is one of the first and largest faculties of the University which currently consists of sixteen Departments. They are Department of Bengali, Department of English, Department of History, Department of Islamic History and Culture, Department of

Philosophy, Department of Information Science and Library Management, Department of Arabic, Department of Islamic Studies, Department of Sanskrit, Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Department of Urdu, Department of Language Science, Department of Theatre, Music, and Department of World Religions. The academic activities of these departments are conducted by the Faculty of Arts. There are four research journals, two in Bengali and two in English which are published regularly.

3.1.2 Objectives of the Bengali Programs The Bengali Department was established to teach Bengali Literature and Language. As Bengali or Bangla is the language of the land, the Department has the potential to play a central role in the field of teaching and research in the language. Initially, a three year Bachelors (Hon’s) degree and a one year Masters degree were offered in the Department. After 1947, one year preliminary Masters course was added to this which continued till 1980s. From 1960s a Ph. D program was offered and a M. Phil was added since 1977.

3.2 Learning Outcomes

3.2.1 Graduates and Employment Over the years of its existence, the programs have produced 150 Ph. D scholars in various fields of literature and language, and over 50 graduates from M. Phil. A graduate in Bengali (4 year program) is eligible for public service commission examination and a good number of Bengali graduates are joining public services every year. Also, every year a large number of Masters degree holders are joining the teaching profession. Some of the degree holders are working as diplomats, bankers, etc.

3.2.2 Learning Achievement For the last few years, the average enrollment in the first year has been 130+. Their GPA scores are 4.5 out of 5. Almost all students (98-99 %) continue in the second year. Presently, the total number of the students in the Department is 613. In the last 95 years, about 8000+ students enrolled in the Department. In the graduate programs the average pass rate is about 100 %.

3.2.3 Research and Extension

The Department of Bengali is reputed for its research. A large number of theses and research monographs are written by teachers and scholars of the Bengali Department. The Department has its own reputed research journal Sahitya Potrika (1957).

3.2.4 Self Assessment Project Under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project, Ministry of Education, the Bengali Department has conducted self-assessment activity by distributing questionnaires to the five groups of stakeholders: student, alumni, academic staff, non-academic staff, employer, with the purpose to survey their perceptions towards the performance of the Department based on the QA aspects

14 prescribed in the project. The returned questionnaires from the five groups of respondents comprising: 1) students-187, 2) alumni-23, 3) academic-20, 4) non-academic staff-6, 5) employer-13. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics: percent, mean, standard deviation, and the analysis results were presented below.

1. GOVERNANCE Rationale: Governance at university encompasses the organizational structures, legislative framework and process through which policy and program are developed, managed and delivered. Governance facilitates the achievement of the stated mission and objectives of the university. The central administration and statutory bodies like the Vice Chancellor, Board of Trustees, Syndicate, and Academic Council are the powerful actors in university governance system. The players involved in ensuring the governance at the university includes all administrative layers from top management to program management level.

From the survey, it was found that the non-academic category rated highest with mean 4.92, followed by alumni 3.80, teacher 3.60, students 3.31, respectively. It should be noted that the students rated quality of website lowest, followed by the quality of learning environment. The perceptions of non- academic staff of governance are very positive.

Table 3.1 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Governance Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 3 items 1.Student 3.31 1.Written course information 1.Website was informative. provided in advance. (4.14) (1.51)** 2.Follow academic calendar 2.Providing conducive learning (3.92) environment. 3.Teachers were friendly and (2.41)* cooperative. (3.91) 3.Students’ opinions were treated properly. (3.01) 2.Alumni 3.80 1.Fairness and transparency. 1.Providing conducive learning (4.57) environment. (3.17) 2.Students’opinions towards 2.Providing information about academic and extra-curricular. aim, objectives. (3.48) (4.13) 3.Academic calendar was followed 3.Results were published as properly. (3.57) stipulated. (4.09) 3.Academic 3.60 1.Results are published in 1.Programs objectives and learning compliance. (4.28) outcomes. (2.61)* 2.Documentations were 2.Dept. provides students’ maintained properly. (4.17) handbook containing..(3.06) 3.Transparency of academic 3.Internal quality assurance is decision. (4.06) working. (3.11)

4.Non- 4.92 1.Teachers were friendly. academic (5.00) 2.Institute provides curriculum to students. (5.00) 3.Results were published timely. (5.00)

2. CURRICULUM DESIGN AND REVIEW Rationale: Curriculum refers to a well-defined and prescribed course of studies, lessons and activities, which students must complete and fulfill the requirements for acquiring the degree. A structured and well- defined curriculum is a pre-requisite for a successful program.

The results of the survey showed that the overall mean scores of this aspect are good. The perceptions of students, alumni and teachers of curriculum design and review are presented below.

Table 3.2 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Curriculum Design and Review Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 3 items 1.Student 3.40 1.Curriculum was effective for 1.Curriculum structured and analytical and problem solving. arranged properly. (3.34) (3.84) 2.Curriculum was too heavy. 2.Curriculum addressed (3.41) objectives, outcome. (3.63) 2.Alumni 3.75 1.Curriculum was heavy and 1.Curriculum was effective, created huge pressure. (4.17) analytical, problem solving. 2.Courses in the curriculum were (3.22) structured. (3.87) 2.Curriculum addressed 3.Assessment strategies were program objectives. (3.65) suitable. (3.87) 3.Academic 3.46 1.Curriculum addressed program 1.Current curriculum is objectives. (3.78) reviewed & updated regularly. 2.Curriculum evaluation was (2.9)* done regularly. (3.72) 2.Current curriculum is enough 3.Assessment strategies were to develop students’ (3.44) appropriate. (3.50)

3. TEACHING – LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT Rationale: Teaching learning constitute the core of education. It is the responsibility of the educational institutions to ensure effective teaching learning for quality in education.

The opinions of students, alumni, faculty members of teaching-learning and assessment were summarized. Overall, the academic staff category had rather low satisfaction of this aspect.

It was noted that the common items that have lowest mean scores are class size, multiple techniques are developed for communication, and teaching devices.

Table 3.3 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Teaching-Learning and Assessment Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 3 items 1.Student 3.34 1.Teachers provides practical 1.Class size was optimum. ideas. (3.71) (2.41)* 2.Teachers remained available 2. Diverse teaching learning during specified time. (3.66) strategies.(3.14) 3.Teaching learning approach is 3.Teaching learning interactive. (3.55) environment inspired students. (3.17) 2.Alumni 3.95 1.Different teaching and learning 1.Teachers were available strategies. (4.26) during specified time. (3.39) 2.Diverse teaching learning 2.Teachers provided additional methods. (4.22) resources. (3.61) 3.Teaching learning environment 3.Lesson plans designed inspired. (4.17) addressing aims. (3.74) 3.Academic 2.93 1.Lesson plan designed 1.Teaching devices are addressing aims. (3.56) available. (2.22)* 2.Co-curricular activities are 2.Multiple techniques are used available. (3.39) to develop communication. 3.Teaching learning strategies (2.39)* inspired students. (3.39) 3.Class size is good for better teaching. (2.44)*

4. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES AND FACILITIES Rationale: Institutional structures and physical facilities are basic infrastructure on which a program may be built. Quality physical facilities are integral part of the quality learning opportunities at the university. Physical facilities create favorable learning condition and facilitate the attainment of learning objectives.

The results of the survey of opinions of students, alumni, academic, and non-academic staff showed that the availability of class rooms, internet facilities are critical problems.

Table 3.4 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Curriculum Design and Review Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 3 items 1.Student 2.04 1.Adequate office room with 1.Adequate class rooms with relevant equipment. (2.24)* well-spaced. (1.36)** 2.Adequate indoor outdoor and health care. (2.16)* 2.Alumni 3.60 1.Library provided with 1.Adequate office room appropriate ICT. (4.09) facilities. (3.04)

2.Adequate indoor outdoor and 2.Library had adequate health care. (4.04) resources. (3.39) 3.Class rooms were good in number. (3.48) 3.Academic 2.47 1.Adequate office room and 1.Numbers of class rooms are facilities. (2.89)* adequate. (1.83)** 2.Library has adequate and up- 2.Internet facilities with date reference. (2.78)* sufficient bancwidth.2.39* 4.Non- 3.11 1. Number of class rooms were 1.Internet facilities with academic adequate and well-spaced. (3.89) sufficient bandwidth. (2.5)* 2.Adequate office room and facilities. (3.00)

5. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE Rationale: Student support services are to meet the personal and academic needs of students. The support system is an educational necessity and both student and staff benefit from it. It contributes to the social and academic development of the students, meeting their diverse needs. It also promotes intellectual development. Student support services facilitate to build a student-level community that creates a sense of belongingness, friendly and congenial academic environment through socialization, collaborative efforts and student involvement.

The survey results of stakeholders’ opinions showed that the students category were not quite satisfied with this aspect, while the non-academic category was very satisfied with this aspect.

Table 3.5 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Student Support Service Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 3 items 1.Student 2.93 1.Students were encouraged to 1.Placement and career involve in community. (3.79) planning office is available . 2.Students were encouraged to (2.06)* participate in extra-curricular. 2.Career services are effective (3.61) to graduating students. (2.13)* 3.Alumni support in scholarship. 3.Guidance and counseling (3.39) support were available. (2.54)* 2.Alumni 3.35 1.Department has placement and 1.Scholarships were available career planning office for for poor students. (2.91)* maintaining communication with 2. Placement and career alumni & employers. (4.00) planning office provides 2.There was arrangement to effective service. (3.00) provide guidance & counseling 3.There was opportunity for for academic improvement. students to get involve with (3.59) community service. (3.14) 3.Students were encouraged to participate in activities. (3.5)

3.Academic 3.02 1.Policy and program for student 1.Student support services are participation. (3.28) evaluated. (2.65)* 2.Access to appropriate and 2.Department encouraged adequate services. (3.24) students and provided facilities. 3.Department maintains students (2.89)* progress documents. (3.11) 3.Department maintains active linkage with employers. (3.00) 4.Non- 4.95 1.Students and staff maintained 1.Department maintained active academic good relationship. (5.00) linkage with employers. (4.83) 2.Department maintained students progress document. (5.00)

6. RESEARCH AND EXTENSION Rationale: The prime objective of higher education is to contribute to the sustainable development and improvement of society as a whole. Research forms the basis of creativity and innovation, which are very critical for sustainable socioeconomic growth and development. Research also makes teaching learning effective and practice oriented.

The survey results showed that the overall satisfaction of this aspect were good, except the adequate research fund and facilities.

Table 3.6 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Research and Extension Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of item 1.Alumni 3.44 1.Adequate fund and facilities. (3.59) 2.Research outputs were regularly published. (3.45,) 3. Research findings in the form of theses, monographs were properly used in teaching. (3.45) 2.Academic 3.36 1.Research works are published 1.Adequate fund and facilities. regularly. (3.72) (2.61)* 2.Teachers encouraged and prepared students for engagement in research. (3.56) 3.Research findings used for teaching-learning. (3.50)

7. STAFF AND FACILITIES Rationale: At any university or program offering entity the academic and non-academic staffs are the major players in teaching learning and research along with the students. Efficiency and commitment of these

19 staffs are the key success factors to all academic activities and quality assurance system. Teaching staffs are creating knowledge through research and transfer the same to the students through teaching learning practices. On the other hand, non-academic staffs must have active role with the necessary depth and breadth of technical knowledge and experience to support the academic activities and entity.

From the survey results in Table 3.7, the non-academic staff believed that they are competent and responsive. However, they did not have enough opportunity to take part in different training programs for skill development. Recruitment and development policy was good enough and inspiring at the Department.

Table 3.7 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Recruitment and Development Category Mean Highest mean of 3 items Lowest mean of 2 items Non-academic 3.71 1.Recruitment and up-gradation 1.Different training program for staff policy was good. (4.83) skill development. (2.00)* 2.Competence, experience, and 2.Complement for related sincerity were criteria for service, development. (2.12)* promotion, up-gradation. (4.67) 3.Non-academic staffs were competent and responsive. (4.67)

8. PROCESS MANAGEMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Rationale: Quality assurance system refers to a set of administrative and procedural activities with systematic assessment in respect of standard, feedback, remedial measures and monitoring. The total system is focused on process output, which refers to quality in education and achievement of objectives. Several interventions are needed to assure internal quality and continuous improvement, which include faculty development, external evaluation, linking program with corporate world, adopting good practices and developing quality culture in all walks of academic management. Top management of the university should have commitment for developing quality culture which recognizes the importance of quality assurance in practice.

The survey results from academic category revealed that the practice of self assessment and continuous improvement was not the usual practice or culture of the programs.

Table 3.8 Means of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Process Management and Improvement Category Mean Highest mean of 2 items Lowest mean of 2 items Academic 3.07 1. Department supports 1.Department ensures that university policy, procedures. culture is a usual practice for (3.63) evaluation. (2.00)* 2.Chairperson plays prominent 2.Department develops a role. (3.63) system to review its program from time to time. (2.87)*

9. EMPLOYERS’ VIEW ON GRADUATES’ PERFORMANCE The survey collected feedbacks from 13 employers in order to know their perceptions of the quality and performance of graduates from the Department of Bengali. Most of the respondents were from academic institutes (62 %), followed by Banking sector. The employers’ assessment of graduates’ performance at the workplace is an important indicator of the success of the program of study. In this case, employers stated that the performance of graduates from Bengali Department in their workplace was either excellent or very good in time management, sense of responsibility, commitment & accountability, problem formulation, solving and decision making skills, capacity to work under pressure, efficiency to meet deadline, and interest and drive for self-development.

The average scores of the employers’ perceptions of graduates at their workplace are presented in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1 Average Scores of Employers’ Perceptions of Graduates Problem formulation, solving and decision 4.69 Discipline 4.62 Ability to link theory to practice 4.6 Time management skill 4.54 Average score 4.46 Sense of responsibility 4.38 Judgment 4.31 Collecting and analyzing appropriate data 4.08

10. SWOT ANALYSIS The students and teachers of the Department of Bengali have gone through the review of the Department performance activity in terms of strength and weakness. The following are the results of the analysis of their feedbacks.

AREA TEACHERS’ OPINIONS STUDENTS’ OPINIONS  Multidisciplinary knowledge.  Central of cultural practice.  Teacher-student relationship.*  Literature based learning.  Active participation in social work.  Teacher-student relationship.*  Strong curriculum.  Enhance knowledge.

 Job opportunity. STRENGTH

 Poor time management.  Curriculum should update.

 Lack of motivation.  Library should update.  Absence of critical analysis.  Accommodation in classes.  Lack of holistic understanding.  Lack of class monitoring system.

WEAKNESS  Faculty members focused non- education areas.

 English is a complementary study instruction.  Independent admission system.  Update monitoring system.  Improve career counseling service.

 Involve alumni for support. RECOMMENDATION

Chapter 4 RESULTS OF THE EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW Chapter 4 presents the summary of findings as the outcomes of the external peer review of the 10 aspects of self-assessment criteria and standard comprising Governance; Curriculum Content Design & Review; Student Admission, Progress and Achievement; Physical Facilities; Teaching-Learning and Assessment; Student Support Services; Staff and Facilities; Research and Extension; Process Management & Continuous Improvement. Based on the analysis of the SAR, and site visits by interviewing stakeholders, observations of class teaching and physical facilities together with reviewing related documents, the External Peer Review Team (EPRT) is able to give judgment on each QA aspect of the Bengali Department, Faculty of Arts, the University of Dhaka as follows.

4.1 GOVERNANCE The Bengali Department was established to teach Bengali Literature and Language. As the Bengali or Bangla is the language of the land, the Department has the potential to play a central role in the field of teaching and research in the language. The aim of the undergraduate program is to produce graduate in the subject.

The Department has an organizational structure in compliance with the legal framework under which the Department is established. The program management complies with the academic and administrative rules, regulations, procedures prescribed by the University.

Strength: 1)The degree programs under the Department of Bengali, BA (Hon’s.) Bengali Literature and Language, M.A, Ph. D and M. Phil have well-defined syllabi providing basic information about the program design, course outline and all requirements for programs of study, including learning performance evaluation methods and criteria according to the Ordinance of the University. A copy of syllabus is published and given to every student. 2)The Faculty of Arts published a framework and characteristics of a study in the B.A. Honors Program under the Semester System and Letter Grading effective from 2006 – 2007. Any major changes in the prescribed rules will require approval of the Arts Faculty meeting and Academic Council of the University. Minor changes may be made by the Dean and Chairman of Arts Faculty with approval of the Deans’ committee. 3)The Department has an Academic Calendar to comply and publications of results are mostly on schedule. Students can check their grades on notice boards of the Department. 4)The Department started collecting feedbacks from the five groups of stakeholders by distributing the survey questionnaires to seek their opinions to assess its performance on different QA aspects as guided by UGC. The analysis of the collected data was done and Self Assessment Report has been finalized. The report sufficiently reflects the strength and the areas for improvement by the

Department. The overall average scores of students’ satisfaction is 3.31, teachers 3.6, non- academic staff 4.92 respectively. 5)The management of the Department is under the leadership of the Department Chairperson, who serves a three-year term. The Academic Committee and Committee for Co-ordination and Development of the Department with other responsible teams are key mechanisms in management of the Department. They hold meetings on a regular basis. The management records are maintained. 5) The Alumni Association is very active and works closely with the Department and helps raise fund for scholarships and other activities.

Areas needed improvement: 1) The meetings with students, academic staff, non-academic staff, and the SAR reveal the need for more space and classrooms. The opinion of students who participated in the survey reflected low satisfaction on the items of conducive learning environment and website at 2.41 and 1.51 respectively. 2) The effective use of website as communication channel.

Recommendations for further improvement: Observation made allows us to suggest that: 1) Since the teaching learning effectiveness needs proper learning environment, and sufficient number of classrooms, the University Central Administration (UCA), the Faculty of Arts should take immediate and effective measures to solve the problems through effective plan and coordination of the Department, the Faculty and the UCA. 2) The UCA needs to have more effective strategic plan to procure government funding to improve the facilities and a strategic plan and action plan for effective management, key performance indicators and criteria of program management. 3)The electronic data base management system should be installed for effective management, decision making and improvement planning. The non-academic staff should be trained to transfer the existing records which are in the manual system into electronic data base system. The transformation process needs a strategic and action plan for procuring hardware, software, and skill development for personnel involved (people ware). 4) The academic and non-academic staff need more training /workshops to make them more efficient in their work in the digital age.

4.2 CURRICULUM DESIGN AND REVIEW The curriculum under the Bengali Department is content based. The BA (Hon’s) curriculum design consists of major and minor courses which students can choose from the six groups of courses, i.e. political science, sociology, psychology, history, linguistics, and English Literature. The aim of the undergraduate program is to produce graduate in the subject. A graduate in Bengali (4 years) is eligible for public service commission examination. At the Masters’ level, the focus is on modern Bengali literature, poetry, short story, novel, essay as well as translations from modern world literature. The overall performance is good (3.58). The average scores of students’ satisfaction toward this aspect is 3.54, alumni 3.75, teacher 3.46, respectively.

Strength: 1)The curriculum is reviewed periodically in compliance to the ordinance of the university. The latest update of course contents was three years ago. The reasons for the changes are to keep up with the development of the discipline content. 2)The curriculum provides adequate opportunity for students to achieve intellectual and transferable skills. Graduates from the B.A (Hon’s.) program can further their study in the one year M.A program or research oriented program (M. Phil. or Ph. D). 3)Apart from class lecturing, the program also organizes extra - curricular activities for students.

Areas needed improvement: 1) Identification of aims and intended learning outcomes (ILO) of the Program clearly. 2) Course syllabus including course learning objectives, learning outcomes which support the ILO through curriculum mapping. 3)The provision for research methodology course in the M.A program. 4) Proper advice for students about choosing minor courses.

Recommendations for further improvement: 1) Program aims and intended learning outcomes (ILO) in the learners should be clearly identified in the curriculum for curriculum implementation and learning outcome assessment. All courses should be designed to support and achieve the stipulated ILO which includes knowledge, skills, attributes and attitude. 2)There is a need to review the syllabus format if it is meant to be an official curriculum document. Or the Department prepares a new version of a curriculum document of each degree program. 3)The Department should add more minor courses, or short courses training, e.g. IT, statistics, phonetics, environmental science and other areas that may be overlooked. And scholars in the areas and alumni who are keen in the topics should be invited to give ideas or train them about these short courses. 4) Students in the M.A program should have research experience.

4.3 STUDENT ADMISSION, PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT The University has the central admission system and the central administration conducts an admission of new students for all programs. The concerned Faculty Deans and Department Heads are on the University Admission Committee. The applicants’ qualifications and entry scores for certain part of the test for each program is taken into consideration.

Strength 1)The Faculty organizes an orientation program for all new students which is followed by an orientation of each Department. For the last few years, the average enrollment in the first year under Bengali Department is 130+. Their GPA scores are 4.5 out of 5. 2)While in the program, the Department assigns teachers as advisors to supervise students, and course coordinator closely monitors students’ progress and achievement. Almost 99 % of students continue in the second year. In the M.A program the pass rate is about 100 %.

Areas needed improvement From meeting with students and class observation, the number of students in a lecture class is overcrowded. The light in the room is not enough. The ventilation is not good. There is no multi- media facility and Wi-fi connection.

Recommendation for further improvement: 1)There is an immediate need to have a Faculty or University project on classroom renovation to make the atmosphere more conducive to teaching and learning. 2)There should be a Bengali standardized test constructed by the Department to monitor and diagnose the level of students’ achievement in writing ability and language use for continuous improvement to achieve the ILO. 3)Admission system. Dr. Anisuzzaman, President of Bengali Academy and Professor Emeritus, University of Dhaka, has an opinion that the quality of education is partly from the quality of students intake, the admission system to choose students who are interested to study the Bengali literature and language and the teaching and learning system. Students must be able to work independently.

4.4 PHYSICAL FACILITIES The Department has two medium classrooms, one air-conditioned seminar library which is well furnished for teachers and students. There are a few more small floating classrooms. WI-FI connection is provided in the teachers’ offices. From the SAR document, students’ and teachers’ satisfaction about infrastructural support, especially adequate classrooms with well-spaced, equipped, maintained was at 1.36, 1.83 respectively. They are not good considering the number, space, equipment and maintenance to ensure effective learning.

Areas needed urgent improvement: 1) Provision of adequate classrooms and lecture hall, physical facilities, sanitation, high speed WI-FI network 2) To the students, the seminar library has not had adequate and up-date reference materials. 3)There was a lack of well-spaced office and adequate support staff.

Recommendation for further improvement: 1)In connection to teachers’ rooms and the shortage of classrooms, the Academic or concerned Committee of the Faculty needs to give attention to these matters. The effective space management plan is priority. 2) There should be a renovation project of the overall physical facilities and building of Faculty of Arts to be a place of conducive to learning and keep it clean. 3)Number of copies of relevant books need to be increased

4.5 TEACHING-LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT The Bengali Department was established to teach Bengali Literature and Language. The Department has 26 regular full-time teachers, with 13 full professors, 4 associate professors, 6 assistant professors, and 3 lecturers. The faculty members have good publication record.

The course assignment to teachers, about one to two courses, is decided in the Department Academic Committee meeting. Teachers have course syllabus. Reading list for each course is revised when there is a curriculum review. Each course is co-taught. The teachers have their lecture notes. No lesson plan format is prescribed. Class interaction is possible in the 1 credit session in which students are split into groups of approximately 8- 10 students. Each teacher’s teaching feedbacks from students are collected informally by the course teachers. There is no formal feedback system from students about course teaching and no peer observation system by the Department. The teacher students ratio is about 1:20. Management records are documented and preserved manually. Overall average score of teaching and learning by students’ evaluation is 3.34 and assessment is 3.75. Strength: 1) A good number of teachers hold academic ranks and Ph. D. qualifications. And some of them are imminent scholars. 2)Teachers are productive. There are many publications; research based books, articles, and literary works.

Areas needed improvement: There is no formal lesson plan requirement and no system for formal course teaching assessment by students and peers’ observation.

Recommendations for further improvement: 1)Teachers’ teaching performance should be evaluated periodically by students and observation by peers for teaching improvement. 2) In TL of each course, the students must prepare themselves with adequate knowledge of the particular course as outlined in the syllabus before coming to the class. 3) Workshops for academic and non-academic staff should be planned according to the needs/ requirements in cooperation with IQAC, especially pedagogy for TL improvements. 4)There should be more scope for technology integration and skill development mechanism in TL.

4.6 ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE Assessment system is clearly defined in the syllabus. There is a uniform grading policy for programs in the Faculty of Arts. Course assessment method is summative and formative, i.e. 60% for final examination, 30% for mid-term and 10% for class attendance and class performance. There are two examiners for setting up questions and to evaluate the scripts of mid-term and final examination in each semester. The results of the learning assessment, the grades, are posted within the scheduled time.

Strength: There is a quality control in assessment in terms of the percentage ratio of summative and formative assessment. Each course learning assessment is conducted by two teachers and the marking results are averaged by two. There is a uniform grading policy for the Faculty of Arts.

Areas needed improvement: 1) From discussion with SAC, the common weaknesses of students are their writing, very much depending on class notes. Most of them did not read the assigned books. In addition, their written

27 language is full of mistakes, spelling, sentence structure, expression. They are not creative. Their grades are on the average A- (10 -15%), B+(20 %). A is very rare. 2) Teachers seem to be familiar with the annual system that students have more time to do projects or study. Under the semester system, time is rush. Only mid-term and final exam are common assessment practice. No term paper assignment.

Recommendation for further improvement: 1) The Department should form a working committee to do some research to compare the benefit of the present experience of semester system with that of the past experience of annual system and experience of other departments with annual system. The Department can share the findings with other Departments in the Faculty for further action. 2) There should be a study of the types of test items whether they require students to use higher order thinking skills, in addition to understanding subject matter. 3) There should be lesson design workshops for teachers in the Department to improve higher order thinking and writing skills of the students. 4) Class observation in other Departments, for example Department of English, might benefit the teaching learning in the Bengali Department as well.

4.7 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES Student support services are provided centrally. Such supports include library facility, medical facility, co and extra-curricular activities, and also counseling through the students’ advisor services, including orientation. There are part-time jobs available at the central administration for students to apply if they wish. At the Department level, student support services include advising, mentoring regarding academic and other matters. The annual students’ activities include study tour, one-day picnic, Bengali New Year, Sports (soccer, cricket). The seminar library of the Department has about 3,500 books, approximately 1,000 titles in the field of Bengali language and literature. Some of them are rare books. At present, there is no career development service in the Department. The overall average score of students’ evaluation about support service is 2.93 Recommendations for further improvement: 1)The Department should adopt the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) model in conducting the co and extra-curricular activities for continuous improvement. 2) Career planning program for students should be integral part of program of study. Forum on job opportunities with alumni should be organized for current students to be well informed of the requirements of different job positions to prepare themselves for the real world.

4.8 STAFF AND FACILITIES Recruitment of academic and non-academic staff is carried out by the central administration of the University. The Department has 26 regular full-time teachers, with 13 full professors, 4 associate professors, 6 assistant professors, and 3 lecturers. The faculty members have good publication record. Apart from training programs organized by the Institution or the Department, the Institution grants study leave and sabbatical leave after five years of service for further professional development. The

28 academic and non-academic staff need more training and welfare to increase their work performance effectiveness.

Strength: Academically, the Department has many well recognized faculty members at the national and international levels. They publish regularly in a journal of repute and participate in conferences and seminars at home and abroad.

Recommendations for further improvement: 1) Upgrade IT facilities to improve the efficiency of program management. 2) The teaching workloads and other workloads of teachers and proper class size for language learning and practice should be reviewed to maintain effective TL.

4.9 RESEARCH AND EXTENSION There are two streams for masters’ programs. One is M.A in Bengali Literature and the other is M. Phil and Ph. D by research. The M. Phil students who fulfill the requirements could be transferred to the Ph. D program as per the rules of the University. If they are not qualified they will continue in the M. Phil program to complete the degree. There are many imminent scholars in the Department.

Strength: 1)From the SAR, it was reported that the Department was successful in the Ph. D program and able to produce 150 Ph. D and more than 50 M. Phil so far. The Department has its own reputed research Journal ‘Sahitya Potrika’ since 1957. A large number of theses and research monographs are written by the teachers and scholars of Bengali Department. 2) The Department organized international conferences and national seminars quite frequently.

Areas needed improvement: 1) The Department has no research policy or guidelines for research fund for faculty members and students. 2) The M.A students have no chance to do thesis.

Recommendations for further improvement: 1) More research projects, especially the ones links to courses and students’ needs should be undertaken. These projects will help continuous improvement of teaching learning and student development. 2) Faculty members should do more research projects with University, UGC and Ministry of Education grants and involve junior teachers and graduate students in the projects for practical training in research.

4.10 PROCESS MANAGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT From the analysis of SAR, the review team did not find an action plan and a strategic plan of program management and improvement. The program management follows the prescriptions in the syllabi and ordinance. The syllabi and ordinance serve as quality control of program of study and management.

There is a management record keeping system for program management, like number of students’ enrollment, students’ registration in each course, students’ grade report, etc. in separate folders. Those records have not been used for self analysis, students’ learning and program management improvement.

The Department has recently established an internal quality assurance system as guided by IQAC and appointed SAC as a mechanism to coordinate the SA activities of the programs. The first activity is collecting feedbacks from stakeholders. The analysis of returned questionnaires from the five groups of stakeholders was done and the SAR was completed. The next step is to prepare an improvement plan. Areas needed improvement: 1) Strategic plan. Process management and continuous improvement needs a strategic plan and an action plan and assessment. Assessment results will identify the areas for improvement. 2) QA culture. Organization QA system is integral part of the management system. It involves everyone in the organization. Non-academic staff must be well informed of the QA practice and be trained accordingly. 3) KPI. Key performance indicators need to be identified and developed as bench mark for management, assessment and continuous improvement.

Recommendation for further improvement: 1) The QA system needs data base for planning, management and assessment. For continuous improvement, the management information system using appropriate software should be used for effective and efficient program management. 2)Under the leadership of the Office of IQAC, a project on upgrading an integrated management information system of the University should be developed and executed as one of priorities in improving quality education provision. 3)Students and peer feedbacks system, research and learning community are necessary for continuous development. 4)The result of SWOT analysis should be taken into serious consideration of the Department, especially areas for improvement or weaknesses should be addressed as quickly and effectively as possible.

Chapter 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In this chapter the external peer review team provides the concluding remarks and specific recommendations for further improvement. The external peer review team also provides judgments on overall Bengali Department performance of each QA aspect on rating scale.

5.1 Conclusion on Overall Performance of the Bengali Department The Department of Bengali was established to teach the Bengali literature and language, to produce graduate in the subject and to play a central role in the field of teaching and research in the language.

Regarding the teaching learning, at present the Department of Bengali offers degree programs comprising B.A.(Hon’s) in Bengali Literature and Language, M.A., M. Phil, and Ph.D. The B.A. curriculum consists of major and minor courses which are designed for students to choose according to their interest. This curriculum design is appropriate as it helps broaden the students’ knowledge in other disciplines which will benefit their future career. However, the effective implementation of the curriculum needs an effective Department counseling program to provide information to students about the nature and objectives of each group of the minor courses before students’ making their choices. The curriculum objectives and intended learning outcomes still focus on subject knowledge. At the M.A. level, the focus is more on the modern Bengali literature, including translation from modern world literature and the breadth of courses cover all genres of literature.

On the graduate and research extension, so far the Department has produced more than 6,000 B.A, 150 Ph.D and 50 M.Phil (source: SAR) scholars. The perceptions of employers from the survey of the graduates’ performance at their workplace is very good, especially the desirable attributes, like problem solving skills, discipline, ability to relate theory to practice. The Department has 26 full time teachers, 14 of them have Ph.D degree and 12 others have enrolled in Ph. D program. A large number of theses and research monographs are written by the teachers and scholars of the Bengali Department.

It can be concluded that the Department has accomplished the mission of teaching and research in language. However, to play a central role in the field of teaching and research in the language, the Department needs to develop a research policy, research agenda and research network to have impact on the advancement of knowledge in Bengali literature and language. In addition to the Department research journal ‘Sahitya Potrika’, a dissemination of students’ and teachers’ projects or theses abstracts in English version to share to the interested persons and public through the Department website should be established.

The missing part is the complete records of students and teachers’ research work which is a key performance indicator of the advancement of knowledge in the Bengali language.

5.2 Department of Bengali Performance of QA Aspects under Review on Rating Scale Table 5.1 Performance of QA Aspects under Review on Rating Scale

Aspects Judgment given EPRT SAR 1 Governance Very good 4 3.91 2 Curriculum content design and review Very good 4 3.54 3 Student admission, progress, achievement Very good 4 - 4 Physical facilities Good 3 2.80 5 Teaching Learning Good 3 3.40 6 Assessment of student performance Very good 4 - 7 Student support services Very good 4 3.56 8 Staff and facilities Very good 4 3.71 9 Research and extension Very good 4 3.40 10 Process management and continuous Good 3 - improvement Total Very Good 37

5.3 Recommendation for Improvement The following recommendations are made for development of strategic improvement plan on the basis of the analysis results of SAR, the site visits, interview of stakeholders in the areas of:  Management information system  The identifications of curriculum objectives, intended learning outcomes of the program and courses.  Student admission, progress, and achievement system  Physical facilities  Teaching and learning process  Process management and continuous improvement 5.3.1 Management information system 1)The electronic data base management system should be installed and the non-academic staff should be trained to transfer the existing records which are in the manual system into electronic data base system. The transformation process needs a strategic and action plan for procuring hardware, software, and skill development for personnel involved (people ware). 2)The academic and non-academic staff need more training /workshops to make them more efficient in their work in the digital age.

5.3.2 The identification of Curriculum Objectives The Programs under the Bengali Department should revise curriculum format according to Curriculum Standards prescribed by UGC (if any) or by the University. Identify the learning objectives and intended learning outcomes of the program clearly. Involve faculty members to share their ideas.

5.3.3 Student Admission, Progress, and Achievement

1) A recording and reviewing system of students’ learning achievement from intake to graduation of each batch should be established for effective students’ academic counseling and their learning improvement. From this recording system, retention rate or graduation rate of each batch can be calculated and reported readily. 2) The monitoring system. The Bengali Department should have Standardized Bengali Reading and Writing Test and use it as a tool to diagnose and monitor the level of Bengali language achievement of students in the Program. 3) There should be a systematic study about effective teaching strategies to enhance the students’ learning motivation and interest in the literature and language.

5.3.4 Physical facilities The Faculty of Arts needs to survey the need for classrooms and facilities of all departments in a cycle of four years and plan accordingly to accommodate the increasing number of enrolled students. This is a critical problem for the Faculty of Arts building that needs immediate attention from all levels of administration of the university to solve the problem.

5.3.5 Teaching and Learning Process 1)The Academic Committee of the Bengali Department should set common standard practices as minimum requirements of teaching and learning process in consultation with the guideline prescribed by the Academic Council of the University. The framework may consist of the basic forms including: course plan; lesson plan; questionnaire for course teaching evaluation; course teaching evaluation report; peer teaching observation. 2) Teachers should be trained to design course plan, lesson plan to guide the teaching and learning in support of course learning outcomes and program objectives. Teachers’ teaching performance should be evaluated by themselves and by students for improvement. These assessments should be monitored by the Head of the Department at the end of each semester and then acted upon. 3) The Department should organize pedagogical workshops for academic staff, focusing on designing a lesson, writing course learning objectives, interactive methods of teaching, use of IT in teaching and learning effectively, learning assessment, teaching reflection for learning improvement. 4) Pedagogical/professional learning community/network of faculty members should be encouraged so that teachers can share their teaching experiences and learn from each other. This activity promotes learning organization (LO) and knowledge management (KM). 5) In TL of each course, students’ responsibilities should be identified and made known to them from the beginning of the course. 6)There should be more scope for technology integration for language skill development and enhancement. 7) The optimum class size for effective teaching and learning should be set as standard and follow accordingly.

5.3.6 Process Management and Continuous Improvement 1) Process management and continuous improvement requires quality assurance system that comprises quality control, quality audit, and quality assessment. Curriculum management under the leadership of the head of the Program must monitor the curriculum management according to the

33 prescribed standards (quality control) by UGC or the University. And the Program must set the information management system to support curriculum management. 2)The Programs/ Department Academic Committee must develop a strategic plan and an action plan and set criteria of achievement for each indicator. The five-point scale and percentage can be used to identify achievement criteria as appropriate. Assess the achievement of the plan against the criteria of each indicator annually. The assessment results will identify the strength and weakness of the program management. This cycle of continuous improvement can be explained by Plan-Do-Check- Act (PDCA) quality management process. 3)The IQAC needs to prepare and organize workshops on developing a strategic plan and an action plan, including identifying KPI and criteria of achievement for personnel from the Department, especially teaching learning and research. 4) All in all, the Department needs to create a quality culture and it is the responsibility of everyone in the organization as stipulated rationale in the Preface.