UNIVERSITY NEWS a Weekly Journal of Higher Education Association of Indian Universities Vol

Rs. 30.00 ISSN- 0566-2257 UNIVERSITY NEWS A Weekly Journal of Higher Education Association of Indian Universities Vol. 58 No. 26 June 29-July 05, 2020 G Srinivas Annapure S G Accreditation of Universities: Work from Home in the Field of Teaching- A Different Perspective Needed Learning Process: Information Communication Technology as a Boon Navita Abrol, Manjulika Srivastava and Shekhar Suman Pravendra Singh Birla and Bhargavi Das Recognition of Prior Learning: Strategy for Combating Sexual Harassment at Workplace Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio in India Student Column UNIVERSITY NEWS Accreditation of Universities: Vol. 58 June 29- No. 26 July 05-2020 A Different Perspective Needed Price Rs. 30.00 G Srinivas* A Weekly Journal of Higher Education Traditionally, in India, higher education is offered through Published by the Association of Indian Universities universities and colleges. Universities being degree awarding institutions give affiliation to autonomous and other colleges. In This Issue This article stands on the premise that, similar to the diversity of Items Page the country, our universities are also diverse and heterogeneous Articles in multiple ways. This paper outlines the context of current accreditation in Universities in India and points out the need, Accreditation of Universities: A Different Perspective Needed 3 benefits and a model for departmental level accreditation. Recognition of Prior Learning: Strategy for In order to catalyze academic excellence at par with global Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio in India 7 standards, the government of India took significant initiatives and Work from Home in the Field of Teaching- made accreditation mandatory. It has also started ranking higher Learning Process : Information education educations (HEIs) annually under National Institutional Communication Technology as a Boon 17 Ranking Framework (NIRF). These well intended initiatives have STUDENT COLUMN some unintended consequences too. Many institutions embraced Combating Sexual Harassment accreditation as a credentialing for branding and marketing while on at Workplace 21 the contrary many others developed an accreditation phobia because Campus News 27 of their inherent limitations along with systemic problems. AIU News 28 The concept and process of accreditation is relatively young Theses of The Month 32 in India compared to developed nations, but is catching up in faster (Social Sciences) pace in the last few years. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the first accreditation agency in Indian higher Advertisements 35 education, came into existence in 1994 through the initiative of UGC, as an autonomous body. It is one of the Inter-University New Subscription Tariff Centres (IUCs) of UGC. National Board of Accreditation (NBA) (Effective April 01, 2020) was another accreditation body established by AICTE in the same year. While NAAC has been doing institutional accreditation, Inland Foreign Institutions Academics/ Airmail Surface NBA is conducting programme-based accreditation in the area of Students Mail Technical Education. (at residential address only) Rs. Rs. US$ US$ UGC expects all HEI’s to be accredited by 2022 which appears 1 year 1250.00 500.00 210.00 170.00 to be an uphill task. A year ago, UGC brought out a draft bill for 2 years 2200.00 900.00 400.00 300.00 multiple accreditation agencies including Private Accreditation Subscription is payable in advance by Bank bodies which may create healthy competition among different Draft/MO only in favour of Association of accreditation agencies, a situation similar to other countries. Indian Universities, New Delhi. However this is yet to be materialised. Therefore, in effect, NAAC Opinions expressed in the articles are those remains as the single accreditation body executing all institutional of the contributors and do not necessarily accreditation in Indian Universities. reflect the views and policies of the Association. Insufficiency of Current Approach Editorial Committee Chairperson: Dr (Ms) Pankaj Mittal NAAC’s framework of methodology, criteria and accreditation Editorial Committee: process are common for universities and colleges while metrics Dr Baljit Singh Sekhon Dr Amarendra Pani and weightages differ for Universities, autonomous colleges and Dr Youd Vir Singh affiliated colleges. This difference is in terms of percentages of Editor: score-allocation and weightage, not in process or framework or Dr Sistla Rama Devi Pani #Let’sBeatCoronaTogether *Joint Secretary, UGC (SERO), Hyderabad. E-mail: [email protected]) UNIVERSITY NEWS, 58(26) JUNE 29- JULY 05, 2020 3 approach. The broad process of NAAC accreditation aspects currently form a part of the common considers the institution - whether it be a university criteria for evaluation process, which is again not or autonomous college or affiliated college - a representation of the true functioning of those as a single unit. In that way, the approach of common but interdependent units. accreditation treats the institutional system as Even though the university may offer innovative homogenous. The criteria for Self Study Report or academic programs, their administration and support Internal Quality Assurance Report or the subsequent services are still following outdated standards of Peer Team Visit consider each university as a single functioning. These matters get exposed, attended homogenous entity like colleges. In daily reality to and will get resolved only through a model of and in practice this approach is far from the actual summation of individual cum total model. This will situation. This missing factor and recognizing that help the university to understand the overlapping the Universities are heterogeneous clusters demands impact of central services on departmental a new accreditation model for Universities, which is performance also. Summation of scores of all these different from Colleges. units can be the institutional (University) score in a There are sufficient reasons to argue that the meaningful way. University accreditation should be different from Fourthly, the current unified score of a that of colleges in terms of methodology, criteria and university does not indicate the performance of each metrics. Firstly, the existing level of differentiation academic department (s). Strengths and weaknesses in universities by way of specializations in of each unit or programme are not known to postgraduate courses and research programs are stake holders. One is also not able to appreciate not adequately captured by the current umbrella the achievements of individual departments. At approach of accreditation. One can argue that there best, peer teams may capture only the outlier of are also various departments in a college as well. achievements, which appears rare. There are certain But most of these colleges caters to undergraduate departments in several universities given special programmes where as universities largely cater recognition by extramural agencies based on their to postgraduate and research programmes, which achievements. Special Assistance Programme (SAP) demand a different approach; not only for internal scheme of UGC is one such programme with several quality measurement and enhancement but also in phases linked to departmental performance. In the the eyes of stakeholders. current NAAC accreditation process, these aspects Secondly, the department level quality get subsumed. The departmental identity is not efficiencies or inefficiencies are overlooked or adequately reflected. averaged by considering the university as a single Fifth, the affiliating responsibilities of the entity. This is a hindrance, if the accreditation is universities are not well considered in the current to be considered as a correctional mechanism, as accreditation process. While central universities the source of potential inefficiency is unclear. The (baring few, which are largely due to historic net accreditation of a university is expected to be developments), deemed universities and private the summation of evaluation scores of individual universities do not have affiliated colleges, one of departments or programmes. That level of specificity the major responsibilities of the state universities is and precision is not evidenced in the current catering to affiliated colleges. This is a very sensitive method. and serious responsibility considering the size and Third factor is about the governance and number of affiliating colleges. With admissions, administration practices in universities. Besides curriculum design, examination and award of the evaluation of individual academic departments, degrees of affiliated colleges coming under the State administration, finance, student support services University, managing these aspects need serious may also be assessed as separate units, in an ideal considerations and resources. How effectively the condition. In many universities, administration State Universities are facilitating their affiliated and finance are moribund units due to inefficient colleges need far more important reflection in terms of old-styled functioning. The common links of the due weightage in relevant matrices of accreditation. university cluster are central and departmental Affiliation is not a liability, but a significant job in libraries, administration, finance, sports facilities, developing colleges by mentoring. student support services, hostels, etc. These 4 UNIVERSITY NEWS, 58(26) JUNE 29- JULY 05, 2020 Growing Heterogeneity over the past which lays more emphasis

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