1 SREE SANKARA VIDYAPEETOM COLLEGE VALAYANCHIRANGARA P. O., PERUMBAVOOR, ERNAKULAM, KERALA- 683556 www.ssvcollege.ac.in, [email protected] PH.0484-2656938 Mob: 919447667447 (Affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam) SELF STUDY REPORT – 2015 SUBMITTED TO NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL, BANGALORE SREE SANKARA VIDYAPEETOM COLLEGE VALAYANCHIRANGARA 2 SELF STUDY REPORT 3 Preface I am really happy to present the Self-Study Report, for the 2nd Cycle of Accreditation, of S.S.V. College. We have tried to make this report a fair and comprehensive expression of our efforts at sustaining and enhancing quality in everything connected to our Institution. Our report seeks to portray an exhaustive image of the overall activities of the institution in accordance with our Vision and mission. SSV College was founded in 1967 in order to cope with the increasing demand for higher education among the economically and academically disadvantaged local populace of an underprivileged territory in Ernakulum District. Our Institution started as a junior college with 2 batches of Pre degree students, and has now grown to become a first grade college with 10 UG and 6 PG programmes. In spite of being located in a backward rural area, through the hard work and sincere efforts of all associated with it, the college has succeeded in occupying an important place in the educational map of the district of Ernakulum and has made a substantial contribution to the inclusive growth of the local community through socio-economic change and sustainable development. In the exhaustive process of writing this report, we the staff, management and the students were ably supported by all our external stakeholders. Their dedicated support over the years has enabled the college to scale greater heights of quality initiatives, which are portrayed in this report. The support of one and all is gratefully acknowledged. We now keenly look forward to the NAAC Peer Team’s visit to our college and its successful completion. Thank you Valayanchirangara R. Krishnakumar 08-06-2015 Principal SREE SANKARA VIDYAPEETOM COLLEGE VALAYANCHIRANGARA 4 CONTENTS Preface 1 Executive Summary 7 2 SWOC Analysis 18 3 Profile of the College 21 Criteria-wise Inputs 4 Criterion 1: Curricular Aspects 31 5 Criterion 2 : Teaching Learning and Evaluation 47 6 Criterion 3: Research, Consultancy and Evaluation 67 7 Criterion 4: Infrastructure and Learning Resources 89 8 Criterion 5: Student Support and Progression 105 9 Criterion 6: Governance, Leadership and 122 Management 10 Criterion 7: Innovations and Best Practices 137 11 Post Accreditation Initiatives 144 12 Evaluative Report of the Departments 146 13 Annexure 274 14 Declaration by the Principal 293 15 Certificate of Compliance 295 SREE SANKARA VIDYAPEETOM COLLEGE VALAYANCHIRANGARA 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY S.S.V. College, established in 1967 is named after Sree Sankaracharya, the great seer. It is located in Irapuram, a remote, tranquil village about 15 kilometers from the birthplace of Adi Sankara, and this proximity lends itself to a spiritual bearing over the very concept of this institution. The 18 acres of college campus and the serene surroundings also provide a wonderful learning ambience. The College is managed by The Sree Sankara Trust, formed in 1965, for promoting higher education in accordance with the ideals propagated by the great saint Adi Sankara. The Trust is owned and managed by Nambuthiris, the traditional Brahmins of Kerala, known as Keraladwijas in Sanskrit. The Nambuthiris, in addition to their Vedic preoccupations, were traditional scholars and teachers. Nambuthiri houses in the villages of Kerala were great centres of learning where knowledge in disciplines such as Ayurveda, Astrology, Architecture, Ethics and Mathematics were passed on to students under the “gurukula” system. Even today, reliable books on these subjects are mostly the works of Nambuthiris from those times. It is this tradition of learning and education that the founders followed in the creation of a trust to promote higher education in the name of Adi Sankara, a Nambuthiri and a great teacher. The founders of the trust headed by Sri. P.N Nambuthiri were all grass root level social workers and keen to select underdeveloped and educationally backward rural areas to launch their institutions. In addition to SSV College, two other colleges managed by the trust are also located in isolated rural areas of Kerala. This is part of the commitment and guiding principles of the trust to further the cause of rural development by bringing education to such remote locations that would benefit from it. We realize and accept the fact that this whole process of Assessment and Accreditation to NAAC is an effort to find out how far our College has succeeded in providing quality education by effectively using our environment and infra-structural facilities. Right from the beginning we recognized this as a highly meaningful exercise, which should lead us to look back on the hopes and aspirations of our founders. It has actually led us into understanding where we stand with reference to our aims and objectives. In the context of the growing public consciousness that all public funded activities should be made accountable, we have come forward for this process of assessment and accreditation and through this in fact, we are involving ourselves in a constructive discourse aimed at overall improvement. CURRICULAR ASPECTS The College is an affiliated private institution managed by the Sree Sankara Trust and aided by the Government and affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. We have a stated “Vision and Mission” which is communicated to all stakeholders, internal and external. Being an affiliated College, our curriculum is designed by the Board of Studies of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. We have a very effective system for the implementation of the Curriculum designed by the University which include the preparation of the Academic Calendar, department wise and a general time table, allotment of work load, preparation of teaching plans etc. The faculty receive a lot of support from the College and the University for this process. The College arranges all infrastructural facilities like state of the SREE SANKARA VIDYAPEETOM COLLEGE VALAYANCHIRANGARA 6 art class rooms, good library, well equipped laboratories etc. for effective curriculum delivery and transaction. The College networks and interacts with the University and industries for the operationalisation of the curriculum. Our teachers have contributed immensely to the development of the curriculum by way of being members of different bodies and also by expressing our views received by way of feedbacks from different stakeholders. In many ways the College ensures that the stated objectives are achieved such as continuous comprehensive evaluation and other modes of assessment like Assignments, Posters, Power Point presentations, Seminars, Projects, etc., by the students. Being an affiliated College, we have restraints as far as academic flexibility is concerned. Our College runs Certificate course, Diploma course and Advanced Diploma courses in three subjects viz. Actuarial science, E-marketing and Information Technology as Add On Courses. Core and Elective options are provided by the University for all courses both at the UG and PG level. Elective options are provided to all disciplines during the 5th and 6th semesters for UG Courses and during the 3rd and 4th Semesters for PG Courses in some programmes. The institution follows the Choice Based Credit and Semester System offered by the University. The students in various disciplines can choose one Open Course out of nine courses offered by the institution during the 5th Semester at the UG level. We conduct four PG courses and a UG course in the self financing sector for which process of admissions are slightly different. The Curriculum, teacher qualification, fee structure etc. are the same as in aided streams which is fixed by the University. Additional skill oriented programmes are provided in the form of add on courses and we have three of them. Apart from these courses, the Centre for Continuing Education, Government of Kerala, has sanctioned a Diploma Course in Computer Applications to our College, and this course is considered for appointments through Kerala PSC. The department of English is conducting a certificate course in Communicative English and the Department of Hindi is conducting a certificate course in Communicative Hindi. Coaching for NET/SET/SLET, PSC and programmes aimed at improving the potential for employability of students are conducted regularly in the College. We have facilities for a range of sports and games, cultural activities, activities of a number of clubs and forums, NSS activities etc. which help to supplement the University’s Curriculum to ensure that the academic programmes and Institution’s goal and objectives are integrated. The Women’s Forum of our College conducts programmes on value education regularly. The efforts made by the institution to enrich and organize the curriculum to enhance the experiences of the students are centred around a Career Guidance and placement Cell which is functioning in the College under the guidance of placement officers. The Cell provides students with the resources and skills necessary to pursue their career goals by arranging classes, industrial training etc. The cross cutting issues such as Gender, Climate Change, Environmental Education, Human Rights,