Josephite Newsletter Volume 11 | Issue 2 | St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bangalore - 27 | September 2017 - December 2017 Our College has been reaccredited with A++ grade and a CGPA of 3.79/4.00 by National Assessment and reaccredition council (NAAC), the highest in the country. Congratulations to all Josephites! Principal’s Message never fail to engender in us a deep sense of a world-class institution of higher learning. gratitude to God for the gift of Jesus Christ, With the blessings of the Almighty and the our greatest inspiration and role model. continued dedication of every one of us here at SJC, there is every reason for confident hope We also have reason to be grateful this time for the exciting years ahead. As the contents of for another milestone our beloved college this newsletter amply demonstrate, ours is a has achieved – the conferment of the highest campus abuzz with activities that testify to our grade in the nation for the fourth cycle of academic vigour and our broad cultural and NAAC accreditation. The credit for this goes artistic spectrum of ever actualizing potential. to every member of the Josephite family and, in a special way, to all who provided Have a blessed Christmas and a happy new inspiring leadership through the whole year full of fulfilment and achievement! assessment process. However, in the spirit of Magis, we will not rest on our laurels but aim Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo, SJ Season’s greetings to everyone in the large for greater excellence. It is with this in mind, Josephite family. We are once again entering that we are embarking on the next phase Principal the blessed season of Christmas, a time of our development – striving to become a when our thoughts naturally turn to the birth deemed-to-be-university. This is no time for of the Lord Jesus Christ, one of the most complacency, but a time to dream big, and to influential persons who ever lived. It is one work hard to realise our vision of becoming of the great ironies of history that Jesus was born in the humblest of circumstances, in a wayside shelter for animals. The English writer GK Chesterton so aptly puts this across: “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” Jesus is the great exemplar of a life so completely dedicated to the well-being of all humanity - right up to the last, the least and the lost - that after his advent, history could never be the same. Every life that has been touched by him, either in person in his own day, or through his spirit across the twenty centuries since then, has been so utterly transformed as to make a positive difference to the world around them. Among the millions of such lives was that of one who lived in the 16th century – St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order that runs St. Joseph’s College. Christmas can thus Pg 1 Events of the Year Internal Quality Assurance received and their experience indicated to the and Professional courses departments was fact they had a rewarding experience while in done by Dr. Bhagyalakshmi on the second and Cell (IQAC) college. This exercise has enabled the college third day respectively. The NAAC assessors to improve upon the services provided. provided their valuable feedback and the IQAC The IQAC of the college was in its final year coordinator observed a marked improvement of the five-year period to submit the self The IQAC team consisting of Dr. Subhashini in the presentations made by all departments. study report of the college to the NAAC for Muthukrishnan-IQAC coordinator, Dr. Arul Mani The assessment was instrumental in building reaccreditation in March 2017. During this (Criterion-I), Mr. Clement D’ Souza (Criterion- confidence of departments and improving academic year an initiative was taken to II), Dr. Arun Thampan Varma (Criterion-III), Dr. their presentations, sprucing up the labs and collect feedback from multiple stakeholders Ronald Mascarenhas (Criterion-IV), Dr. Berin the campus to face the NAAC visit scheduled to assess the quality of service provided by the Lukas (Criterion-V), Dr. Syed Wajeed (Criterion- on 22nd and 23rd September, 2017. college to its various stakeholders. A Gender VI), Mr. Madappa (Criterion-VI) were engaged in audit of teachers (105 respondents) answered preparing the first draft of the SSR. Thereafter Elaborate arrangements were made by IQAC questions relating to gender sensitivity, and a Steering Committee was constituted for in preparation for NAAC visit. Several sub- affirmative action. Dr. Sarasu Esther Thomas, writing the SSR report under the guidance committees were formed to oversee logistics Co-ordinator, Centre for Women and the of Dr. Cheriyan Alexander. The following of the visit. All members of the staff functioned Law, NLSIU delivered a lecture on gender members were part of the Steering committee: as a well-knit unit and the team work was sensitization to all members of the faculty. Mr. Jerome Nirmal Raj, Dr. Michael Rajamathi, palpable with the principal and the IQAC Feedback from Parents (61 respondents) and Dr. Etienne Rassendren, Ms. Mini Mark Bonjour, coordinator taking the lead. All departments Dr. Arul Mani and Mr. Vinayak Rama Varma. The found this exercise of preparing for the mock from the non-teaching staff (20 respondents) team successfully completed the SSR and the visits useful and satisfying. The larger goal was conducted and the perception was good same was uploaded on the college website as of improving the quality of service provided and satisfactory. mandated by the NAAC. The NAAC peer team to various stakeholders and achieving a visit took place during September 2017. better grade for college in the fourth cycle of Teachers feedback on organization climate institutional accreditation was the motivation (105 respondents) was conducted and behind the entire exercise besides building a teachers mentioned that they require more Preparation for NAAC visit community feeling. recognition for good work done, be given more time to pursue research and that the The IQAC arranged for Internal NAAC mock Research committee should address their peer visits from 1st August to 7th August 2017 NAAC Visit research needs. Two more biometric units in order to prepare departments for the NAAC have been installed, one each in the Arrupe visit. Members of the Internal NAAC mock The NAAC finalized the peer team to the college block and one in the post graduate block peer committee comprised of several senior on 22nd and 23rd September, 2017. The team to facilitate easy access to signing in for faculty members of the college representing of three members included Dr. P. Prakash, Vice the day for the teachers. Student feedback various departments. Faculty deputed for Chancellor, SRM University and former Pro- on library services with 450 respondents undergraduate and postgraduate departments Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open (online) indicated that they require extended attended presentations and visited the University; Prof. Dhulasi Birundha Varadarajan, time, more titles and increased computer respective labs and checked the documents Senior Professor and Head, Department facilities in the library. Student’s feedback was relating to publications, research projects, of Environmental Economics, School of collected from 861 respondents (online) and stock registers lab manuals and teaching Economics, Madurai Kamaraj University; and their grievance related to some infrastructural resources. Department presentations were Prof. M. D. P. Rao, Former Principal, Khallikote problems like increasing the speed of internet grouped into the following categories: Natural Autonomous College, Orissa. The Principal, services, new water source additional number Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Rev. Fr. Dr. Melwyn D’Cunha SJ, Dr. Subhashini, of toilets, more lab equipment and spacious Professional courses and Languages. Feedback Dr. Ronald, Dr. Wajeed, Dr Melwin, Mr. Clement canteen have been noted. The college has was given to each of the departments. The peer and Mr. Madappa visited them at the hotel installed 82 new computers in the library, team committee encouraged departments to where they had their accommodation and the internet speed has been increased and refine their presentations for external mock finalized their schedule for the next two days. most of the other minor grievances have been NAAC visit and the NAAC visit. A warm welcome was accorded to them by the addressed too. After two weeks, IQAC organized another three-day external mock NAAC visit. The NAAC Principal, Fathers from the Bangalore Jesuits Education Society (BJES), the Internal Quality A review of evaluation system under assessors included three members, namely, Fr Assurance Coordinator (IQAC) coordinator and autonomy with 300 student respondents Dr. S. Ignacimuthu S.J., former Vice Chancellor its committee members on the arrival to the representing all classes was conducted University of Madras and Bharathiar University, Dr. Hiremath, former Principal K.L.E. College college on 22nd and thereafter they proceeded and several of their suggestions have been and Dr. Bhagyalakshmi, former Director of with the well laid out agenda for the day. discussed and changes wherever possible Directorate of Collegiate Education. Fr Dr. S. have been implemented. The desire to have Ignacimuthu evaluated Natural Science and The first item on the agenda was a presentation internships formalized has to yet to be done. Social Science departments on the first day , by the Principal, Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ who Student feedback on teachers by all students Physical Science departments was visited by gave an overview of the achievements of the (online) has been done like the previous Dr. Hiremath and the evaluation of Languages college during the last five years and the future years. Alumni Feedback from 801 (online) was Pg 2 directions of the college.