Assessment Report on
Institutional Accreditation of
Scott Christian College
Nagercoil, Tamilnadu
Scott Christian College,
Nagercoil, Tamilnadu volunteered to be assessed and accredited by the National
Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore. Accordingly, the College submitted a
self-study report in January 2000 to NAAC which then constituted a Peer Team to
visit the institution for assessment work with the following: Dr. A.N.P. Ummerkutty, Former Vice-Chancellor,
Calicut University (Chairman), Prof. G.H. Sawkar, Director of College
Development Council, Bangalore University (Member) and Prof. Premendu Prakash
Mathur, Professor, School of Life Sciences,
Pondicherry University (Member).
The Peer Team visited the College on 21st, 22nd
and 23rd February 2000.
Established in 1893, the
Scott Christian College has been managed by the Kanyakumari Diocese of the
Church of South India (CSI). Being one
of the premier higher education institutions of the district, the Scott
Christian College has contributed greatly to the educational advancement of the
area. It has an interesting affiliation
history. When launched more than a
century ago it was affiliated to the then Madras University. But when the Travancore University was
established in 1938, the affiliation was shifted to the new University as it
fell under the latter’s geographic jurisdiction. However, when part of the erstwhile Travancore State was merged
with the new state of Tamilnadu, the affiliation was reverted to the Madras
University in 1956. The College has had
two more shifts in affiliation, first, to the Madurai Kamaraj University when
the latter was carved out of the then Madras University in 1966 and second, to the
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University with which it has been affiliated since
1990. The positive point to note is
that the College has been growing during all these years, becoming a first
grade college in 1950 and a P.G. College in 1971 (when the College started
functioning in the present campus).
M.Phil. programmes were introduced in 1994 followed by Ph.D. in
Economics, Tamil, Zoology & Botany.
At present it is a fairly large institution with a student strength of
around 1700 and a little more than 1/10th that number of faculty and
staff.
The College is situated in
an area of 43.5 acres on the N.H. 47 which has great potential for growth.
It offers 11 UG, 10 PG, 6 M.Phil and 4 Ph.D. programmes. It has applied
for autonomy. Assessment &
accreditation is sought in the light of this objective. College authorities felt that assessment
& accreditation by the national agency is necessary at this stage of growth
in order ‘to have an introspection and to know its strengths & weaknesses’. Before visiting the campus, the Peer Team
studied the self-study report prepared by the college.
During their stay the Team
visited all the academic, administrative and supporting facilities in the
campus, interacted extensively with various segments of the academic community
and scrutinized relevant documents. Discussions were held with the members of the Governing Council,
the Correspondent, the Vice-Principal in the absence of the Principal due to
illness, the Secretary of the diocese, the faculty, the staff, students,
parents and the alumni. On the basis of
a judicious analysis of the self-study report, the extensive visits and
discussions the Peer Team has had on the campus and in the light of the
well-defined criteria formulated by the NAAC, the Peer Team assessed the
quality of education imparted at the Scott Christian College, Nagercoil. The assessment is presented below in terms
of the criterion-wise approach and over-all analysis. A few commendations on the institution and suggestions for its
further development are also added.
Scott Christian College
Nagercoil is affiliated College with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and
follows the syllabi and examination pattern prescribed by it. The College offers eleven programme options
at the undergraduate level and ten at the post graduate level in Arts, Science
and Commerce faculties. In addition to
them, it offers M.Phil. in Tamil, economics, commerce, physics, botany &
zoology while Ph.D. level research is pursued in Tamil, economics, botany &
zoology.
Though all the programmes
offered are traditional in nature, the course contents in M.A. (English
Literature) and Tamil provide Journalism and Mass Communication as options,
similarly B.Sc. (Mathematics) includes computer science as an ancillary
subject. Within the present university
regulatory system, the college takes about one year to introduce a new
programme. The College has taken
initiative to start the new Department of computer sciences a couple of years
ago. It could have made an effort also
to introduce some more need-based job-oriented courses. It is significant to
note that under parts-IV and V some subjects like Gandhian Thought, Consumer
Protection, Status of Women and Freedom Movement are being offered at the
undergraduate level.
There is no formal mechanism
for obtaining a feedback from academic peers and employers on the teaching
programmes. The College has initiated
contact with Indian Rare Earth, Manavalakurichi and conducts some of its
activities through the Rotary Club and NGOs.
It needs further strengthening of the industry-neighbourhood networking
which would be much helpful to students and to the community at large.
Value education classes are
compulsory for all students. The
college also provides liberal Christian Education. There is a little evidence
of any corporate exercise by the whole community to review goals, re-design and
re-structure curricula with in the constraints of the affiliating system.
Enrichment and supplementary programmes may be introduced.
Admission to various courses
are in accordance with the policy of reservation of the Government of
Tamilnadu. However, the minority status
of the college allows it to reserve 50% of the seats for Christians. Admissions are strictly based on academic
records of the candidates at the qualifying examinations. During 1999-2000 for about 580 seats in UG
and 245 seats in PG courses, approximately 1831 and 802 candidates competed
respectively. Admissions to M.Phil. and
Ph.D. courses are also based on merit.
Though there is no provision of judging the students’ knowledge and aptitude at the entry level, the college has provision of assessing students’ knowledge and language proficiency at the beginning of the course. It provides special coaching classes and remedial teaching to the academically weaker sections of students. Continuous monitoring of the bridge courses and the evaluation of the course content and pedagogy may help tin making them more effective.
The syllabi are unitized and
the evaluation is based on summative end semester examinations conducted by the university. Periodical assessment and model examinations
help the teachers to monitor the progress of the students. Reliance on the conventional lecture seems
to constitute normal pedagogy. Audio visual aids are used. Field trips and study tours are conducted by
some departments to expose students to an engagement with the world outside.
The pass percentages in many
undergraduate and postgraduate courses could have been better. Admission of first generation learners and students from disadvantaged
sections of society may be one of the reasons for this. The results in the last semester shows
improvement and is much better than those of the past couple of years. It is
nevertheless a challenge to make these students acquire higher levels of
proficiency which the college should meet.
The College has 111
permanent faculty members (25 Ph.Ds, 78 M.Phils and 8 postgraduates) and 24 (5 Ph.Ds, 10 M.Phils
and 9 postgraduates) temporary teachers.
Teachers are recruited according to the regulations of UGC and Tamilnadu
Government. Selection of teachers is
made by the Selection Committee appointed by the Governing Board which has subject
experts. The college enjoys freedom to
appoint temporary and adhoc staff. It pays them from its own resources.
Though the college allows
the faculty to participate in refresher and orientation programmes conducted
under the auspices of the UGC, their participation in various academic
seminars/ conferences and workshops is minimal. Teachers may be encouraged to
make use of such opportunities. Various departments may organize some of the
national / regional level seminars to make the M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes
more effective.
There is no institutional
mechanism for faculty appraisal.
However, the self-appraisal format prescribed by the Government of
Tamilnadu is used for purposes of time-scale promotion.
The college makes the best
use of the UGC’s Faculty Improvement Programme (FIP). Eight teachers are making use of FIP under IX Plan. The Management is very supportive of the
career advancement of the faculty members.
The College has established
a student exchange programme with “Partnership For Service Learning”, New York
and is in the process of establishing a linkage with Rikkyo University, Japan.
Learner–centred pedagogy,
continuous formative internal assessment, teacher performance appraisal, use of
educational technology, and other strategies to make teaching-learning
processes more contemporary and relevant are essential to promote quality education. The college may speedily be
involved to promote them.
The Peer Team tried to get
an overview of the research activity undertaken by the teachers in different
subjects. Though the College is
predominantly an undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning centre,
research orientation exists in 6 disciplines – physics, botany, zoology, economics,
commerce and Tamil. These departments
offer M.Phil. programmes. Except physics and commerce departments the rest
offer Ph.D. programmes also. There are 13 full time research scholars on FIP
and 21 are working as part time scholars.
The departments of zoology, botany, English, commerce, Tamil and physics
have been publishing books, journals and research papers and abstracts
presented in conferences. It is felt that the faculty should try to publish
papers in peer-reviewed journals in their fields and such activity may be
supported by the Management. The botany department has two ongoing projects
totaling about Rs.550000. The
department of chemistry has a minor project. The department of English was able
to generate some resources. The Peer Team recommends that research activities
may be better monitored and co-ordinated.
The departments of botany
and economics have helped the Government of Tamilnadu to prepare the
environmental profile of Kanyakumari District and make the fourth Economic
census of Kanyakumari district.
The college has listed
several of its extension activities.
However, there could be a designated person to co-ordinate all such
activities more effectively. The
College Rotract Club has undertaken many extension activities by taking part in
eye donation, flood relief, refugee relief, immunization drive, literacy
mission, blood donation camp, communal harmony, adoption of villages,
environmental awareness etc.
Scotsprings, a club sponsored by the Department of English is involved
in many extension activities such as visits to homes for the aged, polio home
etc. The Club has also donated 13 calipers to polio victims. The College Union has undertaken activities
to help the leprosy patients and
spastic children. The college
has also started a project called ADAT (Alcohol, Drugs, AIDS, Tobacco) to fight
against the evils. It has conducted a
few seminars and training programmes apart from training a group of 35 students
in addiction management. It has one
company of the NCC which has organised adventure activities, and held blood
donation, animal welfare and free medical camps, karate is also taught.
The college has adequate
sports facilities. Some students have participated in various zonal, inter
zonal and inter-university tournaments. However, there are not many cultural
activities. In order to develop the overall personality of the students it is
suggested to strengthen cultural activities as well.
The campus has a cluster of
buildings accommodating various departments and class rooms. For further development the college has
adequate space. Buildings and the
campus are well maintained by the Management.
Additional buildings were put up with the help of the P.T.A. and the Management
funds. The College has well laid play grounds.
The College has spacious
class rooms and laboratories. The laboratories are well maintained and
well-equipped. Class rooms are provided with modern audio-visual aids. The college has developed a Green House,
aquarium and a garden. Medicinal plants are grown in the botanical garden. The Management maintains a coconut form on ten acres of land. A new
chapel has been built where students can pray and meditate during their leisure
hours. The PTA has built a new Non Resident Women’s Day Centre. The men’s
hostel is being converted into a women’s hostel so as to meet the growing demand for providing more hostel
facilities to women students. The college provides mid-day meals to 23 needy
students.
All the students of the
College are subjected to medical check up. The Management provides medical
facilities to needy students. The
college has a canteen.
A few departments like
physics and economics have computers of their own apart from the computers in the
computer centre. The Computer Centre
may be adequately equipped to provide computer literacy to all students and
members of faculties.
The college buildings are
used by the state and central governments, other universities, banks etc. The college has been providing space for
holding competitive examinations. The British Council offers counselling about
higher education in the United Kingdom.
The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University has established an Institute for
Coastal Area Studies in the college campus.
The college has a well
maintained library which has 66,169 volumes and several journals. During the
last year the library spent Rs.95,793/- towards purchase of books &
journals. Stock verification is made
every year. The library works from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. The college may plan for
the automation of library services.
The department libraries have the recently acquired books and journals. The Book Bank facility is provided through
the departmental libraries.
The college has adequate
sports facilities for playing basket ball, cricket, football, and for athletic
practise. A large number of students
take part in sports. Outstanding
students in sports are encouraged by giving nutritious food and sports
kits. The college has represented at
university and state in several meets and has won several prizes. However, student participation in sports
needs greater encouragement.
A unique feature of this
college is that majority of the students are drawn from the neighbourhood areas
and are first generation learners. A
large number of students get many scholarships and other forms of financial
assistance from different agencies. The Management is very supportive of the
financial needs of students and help them in different ways. Though there are
informal mechanisms of collection of feedback from the students, it is
suggested that a formal mechanism of student feedback should be evolved and the
information available analysed scientifically for follow-up action.
The college publishes an
informative and updated prospectus every year.
Though there is no formal career counselling, personal counselling is
undertaken by a male and a female teacher. The college also gives importance to
counselling in drug/alcohol related problems.
It is suggested that a
formal Career Guidance Bureau with a placement cell be established so as to
help students find employment opportunities and career progression. The drop out rate of the students in the
College is only 8% which is fairly low.
The alumni are mainly
involved in developmental activities of the college. A large number of old
students have excelled in civil administration and held good positions in
institutions. However, it is suggested
that their active participation in academic matters may also be sought as many
of the alumni have made notable contributions to improve the respective areas
of their work.
The Governing body meets
periodically and there is an elected staff member from the teaching faculty on
the Governing Body. Internal
co-ordinating and monitoring is done by the Principal, the Staff Council of
Heads of all departments and the Staff Secretary. The committee meets regularly. Staff members are formed into small
committees and put in charge of various responsibilities pertaining to the day
to day functioning of the institution.
The administrative aspects are under the purview of the college
committee and the Governing Body. An
academic calendar is prepared before the commencement of the academic year
highlighting academic and extra curricular activities.
The supporting staff are
recruited as per Government rules. The
support staff are given training by sending them to various administrative
courses. The college provides loans to
its non-teaching and teaching staff. It
operates a Staff Welfare Fund through which teachers are given loans up to
Rs.10,000/-. When a member dies in harness an ex-gratia amount of Rs.5000/- is
provided from this fund.
New UGC pay scales have been
implemented. The college has been
making efforts to generate additional revenue through self-financing courses,
in addition to the funds given by the Management.
Administrative staff are
made aware of their responsibilities and are held accountable for any
lapse. Auditing and budgeting
procedures are according to government directions.
The Management consists of
educated and reputed persons. The
Management has a lot of landed properties and buildings in different
places. Part of the income from these
properties is used for development of the college.
The College functions with a
vision and traditionally staff members have cordial relationship with the
Management. The Teachers’ Association
has provided a banking counter in the
campus. Staff are taken into confidence
and given free hand in academic and developmental activities of the
institution. The Staff Council meets
regularly and serves as an advisory body to the Principal. The Management encourages students to have
their union and consults it on matters relating to students.
The Peer Team, during the
visit to the college, could identify a few practices that make this college a
place of attraction for the over-all development of students mainly drawn from
rural background. Some of them are
mentioned below.
· A healthy ambience for an
educational institution with notable campus cleanliness and tree plantations in
the campus.
· The premises, class rooms
and laboratories have been maintained fairly well.
· A very active parent teacher
association.
· Establishment of a
non-resident women students’ centre with many facilities.
· Establishment of a
communication room with telephone, reprography, fax, internet and e-mail
facilities.
· The democratic pattern of
the annual Student Union elections and its smooth functioning.
· Availability of a large
number of scholarships and financial aids for weaker sections
· Well-conducted extension
activities and social work through NSS, Rotaract Club etc.
· Establishment of linkages with
foreign institutions.
· Imparting of value based
education
Being a centenarian
institution, the Scott Christian College, Nagercoil has rendered notable
service in educating the backward peoples of the southernmost district of the
country. Formerly patronized by the
ruling house of the Travancore Maharajahs, the College had produced many
distinguished citizens. Presently, it
is a postgraduate college aspiring to become autonomous. This statement also indicates its present limitations:
Being an affiliated institution, the college has little option regarding
formation of syllabi, curricula, conduct and pattern of examination etc. One method of influencing the latter is to
get into the Boards of Studies, Academic Council etc of the University and try
to exert healthy academic pressures on such bodies. Since it is a postgraduate institution with research facilities
in a few departments, qualified and interested teachers may try this method. Such academic efforts will, in turn, help
them to achieve autonomy for the college.
The college lays great
stress on discipline. Value education is given due importance. Teachers and students were deputed to
training programmes and camps organised by AIACHE and SCM. But it would be
advisable to draw from wider sources both for teaching materials and for
training purposes. Being a pluralistic
society, our students should be prepared at least to be familiar with the value
systems of various segments of the population.
The value education materials may be prepared keeping this broader base
in mind. Guest lectures by eminent
persons from different walks of life could also be arranged.
With a long tradition of
service to people, the college has a few laudable features which are given
separately as commendations. A few
suggestions for further growth and development of the institution are also
listed and added separately.
Commendations:
· Situated in a backward area,
the college conducts language proficiency tests wherever necessary, to improve
the language ability of the students.
· A non-resident centre for
women students is a good recent addition for great many students who come from
nearby places. An attractive building
was donated by the Parent Teacher Association.
· Also notable is the conversion
the existing Men’s Hostel into a women’s hostel as the number of women students
in the college is more than the number of men students.
· The presence of two
counsellors –a man and a women- for academic & personal counselling is a
welcome arrangement.
· The functioning of ADAT
(Alcohol, Drugs, AIDS, Tobaco) as part of extension activities is good as it is
symbolic of the continuous fight against those evils, students involvement in this is commendable.
· Participation of botany and
the economics departments in the Economic Census of Kanyakumari District is
notable
· The starting of a separate
college communication centre with e-mail, fax and internet is a welcome step.
· The department of English is
organizing a language laboratory with 8 booths. This will provide an opportunity for more effective language
teaching/learning.
· Though 4 departments are
recognized for Ph.D. level research and some research work is being done,
organized effort to cultivate research culture is desirable. To facilitate this a Research Cell may be
constituted. It can encourage the
faculty to prepare research projects and also to monitor existing research efforts.
· With 10 P.G., more than that
number of U.G. and a few self-financing programmes, it is necessary for the
college to have a centralised computer centre.
With such a centre computer literacy may be imparted to students.
· Though there is a placement
officer and a employment cell, their activities may be strengthened and
streamlined. In the semi-urban
environment of the college, meaningful efforts in procuring some employment for
students, particularly women students, will be welcome.
· The number of regional or
national level seminars/conferences hosted by the college is very small. Authorities may look into this problem and
try to organize at least a couple of such seminars in the PG departments for
more creative exposures of teachers and the students.
· Consultancy has not received
the attention it deserves. In this PG
institution in a backward area, consultancy service will be widely useful, at
least in some select areas where the college has expertise like coastal
management and biodiversity. A
consultancy cell may therefore, be constituted.
· An informal Curricular
Development Cell may be constituted to probe into possibilities of course
diversification, curricular updating etc. and then to put up appropriate
proposals before the university for consideration by the respective Boards of
Studies and the Academic Council.
· Success rate at the UG level
in the university examinations seems to be fairly low in many subjects. Reasons for low performance may be analysed
and remedial/bridge courses offered to correct the imbalance.
· A tutorial system may be
considered for improving the standard
of English assigning some 20-25 students or so to each of the English teachers.
· Computer Science students
are not getting any practical training in hardware. As it is a full-fledged science course, some arrangement with
external agencies for practical experience in hardware is a necessity.
· Some computer
familiarization may be introduced for the benefit of all teachers and students
in a phased manner on a moderate charge utilizing the existing computer
facilities.
· Since submission of research
projects involves some expenditure, it would be advisable if Management
reimbursed the expenditure incurred for the preparation of research projects,
since the funded schemes bring infrastructure development to the institution.
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