ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page1 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 CHRIST UNIVERSITY BENGALURU - 560029 ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page2 VISION To be the best institution for commerce education in the country MISSION To nurture commerce professionals who possess high level of knowledge and competence to effectively contribute to the society with commitment and integrity ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page3 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION TITLE PAGE NO. FOREWORD 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 1 FACULTY 9 2 CURRICULUM 22 3 STUDENTSHIP 26 4 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN 2014-2015 72 5 EXTENSION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 91 6 ADMINISTRATION 95 7 LECTURES, PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS 102 8 ACADEMIC OUTREACH 113 9 RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS 121 ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page4 FOREWORD It gives me great pleasure to pursue the annual report of the Department for the academic year 2014-15. Department of Commence has forever stood for its values which aimed at nurturing Commerce professionals with a high level of knowledge and competence to effectively contribute to the society with commitment and integrity. The guiding philosophy of the Department, throughout, has been to create and impart knowledge, influence Commerce practices and integrate globally - to be a department of generative ideas so that we remain relevant to our society through Excellence and Equity. We are a Department of work in progress. The objectives of imparting education, combined with creation, dissemination and application of knowledge, are being met in an integrated form, to create a synergetic impact – be it education, research, or extension. We do this by making continuous improvements in curricula and pedagogical tools. The diversity of options in our curriculum is complemented by a breadth of activities outside the classroom. Every student finds ample opportunities to participate in and contribute to a variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. We thus strive to become a 'centre of excellence' and 'centre of experience'. The annual report of the Department of Commerce stands a testimony to the fact that we are a department of national impact and trans-national repute. It would not have been possible for the department to be what it is today without the constant support and contribution of our fraternity. In our endeavor, we draw upon reserves of goodwill among the Diasporas of our alumni, reputation among recruiters and potential students, and commitment of our faculty. In so doing, we have our focus on six inter-weaved concepts - maintaining diverse community of integrity, imparting value based academic experience, blending current trends with culturally congruent values, imbibing sense of social commitment, fostering imagination, and staying connected with creative minds.We thus inculcate human values and professional ethics in our students, which help them, make decisions and create path that are good not only for them, but also for the society, for the nation, and for the world as a whole.While I extend my heartfelt congratulations, I wish you all the success. Prof. Thomas Joseph Associate Dean, Deanery of Commerce ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The academic year 2014-15 proved to be yet another eventful and fruitful year for the Department of Commerce. The first department meeting on 30th May 2014 introduced growth strategies for 2014-15 with ‗QUALITY ENHANCEMENT‘ as the prime focus in all initiatives. This resonated in all activities undertaken during the academic year. The University level FDP-I declared the strategic intent for the new strategic plan period 2015-18 ―to emerge as a world class institution of eminence through performance and differentiation.‖ A series of discussions, deliberations and workshops were held to draw out a detailed strategic action plan for the Deanery of Commerce for the years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. The ground work for the implementation of the strategic plan from June 2015 has already begun with many changes in the curriculum brought in during the Jan 2015 BOS meeting. The faculty learning circles continued to be a rich platform for professional and intellectual dialogues among faculty members. This year the learning sessions were directed towards exploring the various pedagogies practiced in higher education and new developments in the realm of commerce and encouraging research culture amongst faculty members. FPDP‘s, FDP, OBT and QIP witnessed more active involvement and led to widened and strengthened intellect. Knowledge updating with international exposure through MOOCs has become a culture in the department with as many as 40 courses completed by faculties during the year. In the area of research, faculty worked as teams to produce good quality publications. One faculty member was awarded PhD this year, taking the total number of PhD holders in the department to nine. One MRP, 3 RDC‘s and 2 working papers were submitted during the year. As many as 16 articles were published in the newspapers and reputed journals and 5 books were published by faculties during the year. Instances where faculty members were invited as resource persons and key note speakers in and out of Karnataka increased. A significant development in the research front, were the joint research papers involving faculties and PG & UG students presented in International seminars. One such paper was also awarded the Best Paper award. ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page6 Digital learning and self-learning modules were experimented as new student–centric initiatives to engage them more thoroughly and inculcate self-learning skills. Innovative CIAs that also develop research and referencing skills were introduced. Student mentoring and attendance follow-up was continuously monitored by all class teachers which reflected in their attendance percentages and performance in examinations. Curriculum revision during the year focused on strengthening electives, industry exposure and professional certifications. The MCom electives were restructured to increase its scope and broaden the career opportunities. The revised electives are a) Accounting and Taxation and b) Banking & Insurance. The finance courses have been integrated as core courses in the first two semesters. Summer internship has been introduced for the BCom programme in the fourth semester. NGO projects, micro projects, mandatory MOOC courses are additions to curriculum of all programmes. Add-on professional certifications from CISI / IIBF/III have been made mandatory for the BCom Hons programme. These initiatives add new flavor to the programmes, and rings in more rigor to enhance the overall exposure and experience of students besides enabling them to acquire additional qualifications along with the degree. The MPhil programme was strengthened with a view to steer the scholars towards producing high quality research work. Research related workshops for literature review, writing proposal and research articles were organized. Paper presentations and publications were made mandatory part of the course work. A plethora of activities were conducted during the year that added to the existing vibrancy of the department. The Corpus Conclave was an initiative that brought together people from industry, professional bodies and educationalists on the same platform. The event aimed to bridge the gap between theory and practice and align the curriculum to industry needs. Besides building the industry network, this initiative also enhanced the placement prospects for the students. The programme showcased the uniqueness of the different BCom programs and the add-on courses and related activities through the stalls. The professional calibre of the students were demonstrated through the case study presentations and the round table discussions with clusters of industry professionals, faculty members and students brought forth valuable suggestions for curriculum enhancement. ANNUAL REPORT (2014-2015) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Page7 CISI was made open to BCom (Hons) and BCom students and saw higher student enrolments and better pass percentage. CISI toppers Vikram and Akshay were invited to Mumbai for a special award ceremony and honoured by Lord Mayor, Chairman of CISI, London. It is noteworthy to mention that we are in the final stages of signing a MoU with the Institute of Management Accountants, USA for offering CMA certification programme to commerce students. New clubs were added this year to involve more students in active dialogue, discussion and activities relating to their favourite subjects. The Marketing club and ED club ‗Udaan‘ were newly initiated during the year. Many interesting events were organised under the banner of the various clubs. ‗Suyukti‘ the oratory club extended its activities beyond the campus to conduct a skill development workshop ‗EKTA‖ for rural youth. The panel discussion on the interim budget by BCom (Hons) students was commended for the in-depth analysis and expert presentations of the student panellists. Technology was used to conduct guest lecture through Skype on Forex to final year BCom students. Service Learning activity by MCom students taught financial management and small savings to housekeeping women staff of CU. Faculty and students also extended visits to four NGO – orphanages, old age home, Home for HIV children and shared gifts with the inmates. The PG Journal club was streamlined and progressed in a more systematic manner