SAROJINI NAIDU COLLEGE FOR WOMEN Self Study Report-2014 ii PREFACE After its assessment and accreditation by NAAC in 2006, Sarojini Naidu College for Women , registered under 2f and 12B of the UGC Act is submitting the Self Study Report for Re-assessment and Re-accreditation for the Second Cycle. In its first assessment, the College was awarded Grade B++ with Institutional Cumulative Grade Point 81.90. The NAAC Peer Team gave some invaluable suggestions and guidelines in their Recommendation Report. Those recommendations gave impetus to the forward march of our institution. Despite certain unavoidable delays, we have tried in the last five years to develop our institution in various directions accommodating the recommendations of the NAAC Peer Team with the support of all the stakeholders of the College. The Self Study Report is submitted in the following format: a) Preface b) Executive Summary—SWOC analysis of the institution c) Profile of the College d) Criteria-wise Analytical Report e) Post Accreditation activities f) Evaluative report from each department. During the preparation of the Self Study Report, data was collected individual-wise, department-wise and institution-wise. In this regard, the co-operation of all stakeholders is gratefully acknowledged, without which it would not have been possible for the College to submit itself to the Re-accreditation process. Published by: Principal Sarojini Naidu College for Women 30, Jessore Road Kolkata-700028 West Bengal. NAAC-SSR Sarojini Naidu College for Women i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sarojini Naidu College for Women was founded in August 1956 as an institution for the rehabilitation of women refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, in the aftermath of Partition. Since then, it has traversed a long road to carve a niche for itself as an institution offering quality education to young women in the northern area of Kolkata. The roadmap of the institution was laid down by the first Principal of the College, Smt Latika Ghosh. A poet and litterateur, she was the daughter of the renowned educationist of Presidency College, Prof Manmohan Ghosh, and the niece of Rishi Aurobindo Ghosh. As such, she shared their missionary zeal in establishing the policies of access and inclusion, and the principles of service and engagement fostered by a spirit of enquiry. This legacy is carried on to this day, and is summed up in the motto of the institution — “Tadvidhhi Pranipatena Pariprashnena Sevayaa”. There have been setbacks and deterrents, but the College has succeeded in overcoming them, and carried on forward in the pursuit of its ideals, shaping and moulding women from all cross-sections of society into responsible citizens who can make a significant contribution to the community. Women from this institution have made a mark for themselves in the various fields of public life, education and fine arts. But the institution also embraces in its fold young women who come from the marginalized, underprivileged sections of society, some of whom are even first-generation learners. These are the children of a lesser God, and the College is committed to their education and advancement in society. For, as the Mahatma said, the true test of the efficacy of any step contemplated is to see whether it reaches to the poorest and the weakest, and enables them to control their lives and destiny. It is a matter of pride that the institution has ensured access and opportunity to these women, helping them “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”, so that they can become the torch-bearers of a better tomorrow. SWOC analysis of the institution: Strengths: . A congenial physical and social environment prevails in the campus with no internal or external disturbance. All mechanisms are in place for comprehensive planning and delivery o f curriculum, feedback and evaluation. There is proper organizational structure in the administrative and financial departments. A committed staff is one of the greatest assets of the College. There is a cordial relationship between all constituencies. The institution adopts comprehensive programme as per the guidelines of the UGC to make and have performance based appraisal system (PBAS). One of the institution’s greatest strengths is its aspirational students, who, despite their inhibiting home environment, desire to free themselves from social shackles. There is a strong focus on extra-curricular activities and community work. ii Weaknesses: . The Tutor-ward system needs to be more structured and formalized. Posts have not been created to meet the expanding needs of the College. Government sanction has not been received for even the minimum stipulated posts. The College faces financial constraints to recruit enough staff to meet its needs. The College requires an Auditorium, a full-fledged Gymnasium, and a centralized Computer Centre. Opportunities: . There are opportunities for scholarly interaction and collaboration with academic communities within and beyond the state through the two Online Journals with ISSN No., published by the institution. There is scope for an Online hub of academic resources. Some opportunities can be explored and created with present infrastructure and optimum use of existing human resource. These include a) Diploma and Certificate Courses meant for creating human resource with technical know-how in the areas of Solar energy/Power, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology, Photography and b)Certificate Course in Women’s Studies. Challenges: . Private tuition at all levels of education is widespread in West Bengal. It is a challenge to counter this trend and make students focus on classroom learning. First-generation learners need to be motivated to overcome social barriers. Scope of employment generation and industry-institution interaction, especially for girls from the disadvantaged sections, are an immense challenge for the College. We are constantly reminded of” the petty done, the undone vast”. NAAC-SSR Sarojini Naidu College for Women iii Summary of the Criterion wise Inputs is as follows Criterion—1: Curricular Aspects The curriculum of the college is delivered through meticulous planning and sustained implementation. Various mechanisms and measures taken by the College ensure that the syllabus is taught within a definite time frame. The time-table and the Academic Calendar are two mechanisms that enable timely completion of the syllabus. Various measures are taken to accommodate the different needs of different learners. These include tutorials, remedial lessons, counselling sessions. At the end of the session an Academic audit is conducted to assess whether all provisions made in the delivery of curriculum have been realized. At present the College offers 19 programmes, including 2 self-financed Vocational courses, at the UG level. Two new UG programmes ( Honours in Hindi and Sociology) and two self- financed PG programmes (in Bengali and English literature) have commenced from the 2014- 15 academic session .As part of its future curricular programmes, the College has plans to introduce the BBA course, Honours in Psychology and two Commerce subjects— Accountancy and Marketing—from the next academic session. Currently, the students are given a total choice of 55 elective options for Humanities and Science. In addition, learning in the DE mode is offered through the Netaji Subhas Open University study centre within the College premises . Horizontal mobility is allowed to students through the option of choosing a different course within the time period before final registration with the University. Students are allowed some vertical flexibility to complete their programme as per the guidelines framed by the University. The institution also undertakes supplementary measures to enrich curriculum and teaching practices through lectures/seminars/workshops by academics and experts, through study tours and through interaction/association with external research bodies/agencies. Supplementary enrichment courses are provided through the Environment Education programme, and the courses on basic Computer applications and English communication skills. These courses, based on an assessment of learner needs, are provided as horizontal support for the students. The College also organizes various co- curricular and extra-curricular activities to offer students an exposure to skill-development opportunities. Through the Placement Cell of the College, students are also given opportunity to develop employable skills. Student progress is monitored and evaluated through the Continuous Internal Assessment mechanism of the College—through monthly and periodic tests. The formal feedback from students and feedback received from other stakeholders and external peer groups enables the institution to constantly evaluate and re-work on the implementation of curriculum. All these measures ensure the holistic development of students through appropriate deployment of curriculum, as envisioned in the mission and goals of the institution. Criterion 2: Teaching- Learning and Evaluation: In an effort to increase access to opportunities of Higher Education, the institution has achieved a 30% rise in enrolment over the last four years, from 1389 in 2010 to 1811 in 2013. The College follows a policy of inclusion so far as enrolment is concerned, embracing students from economically disadvantaged sections, from backward and minority groups, and differently-abled students. It also adheres strictly to the Government guidelines regarding reservation categories. iv Instructional techniques