Today, the college has 20 departments offering as many as 60 programmes (undergraduate 13, post-graduate 3, doctoral 2, diploma 5 and certificates 37) in the faculties of arts and sciences. The college has on its rolls 142 teachers (women 41, men 101) and 2758 students (women 793, men 1965), the strength of non-teaching staff being 57 (technical 39, administrative 18).
The Peer Team consisting of Dr. K. Gopalan (Chairman), Dr. K.N. Munshi and Dr. (Mrs.) Shanta Pattabhiraman visited the college between 16 and 18, August 1999 for assessing the institution for accreditation. It was accompanied by Dr. Latha Pillai (Deputy Adviser, NAAC). It had extensive interaction with the Management, the Rector, Principal, faculty, staff, students, representatives of various associations & unions, parents, alumni and others concerned. The Team had a close look at the academic, co-curricular, sports and extension facilities of the college. The Team also examined a whole lot of relevant documents.
The curriculum the college follows is designed and framed by the Bangalore University to which it is affiliated. It is required to strictly adhere to that curriculum. However, it tries to work out innovative teaching-learning strategies within the limited confines of the present system. These include seminars, group discussions, field trips, and a range of other activities including tie-ups with industry, business and other sectors.
The college offers a fairly wide range of programme options particularly at the undergraduate level. In addition, it offers nine HRD certificate courses to the first year degree students, eleven 100-hour honours certificate courses, eighteen computer courses (of which 15 are certificate courses and 3 are diploma courses), and two diploma courses in TV Technology and Audio Repair. There are also two undergraduate vocational courses sponsored by the UGC. The departments of chemistry, botany and microbiology offer two-year M.Sc. courses, which are career-oriented.
The aims and objectives of the college are reflected mainly through the HRD and personality development courses conducted by the college. There is no formal mechanism to obtain feedback from various sources including academic peers and employers on the teaching programmes. In the present affiliating system, it takes a minimum of 12 months to introduce a new programme. In spite of delays, the college has been able to introduce about 10 new courses during the past 16 years. The college does not follow the credit system of instruction. For its regular affiliated courses, it follows the non-semester annual examination system. It has established some linkages with industries such as BPL, MICO, Smithkline-Beecham, Rallis, Usha Ltd. and Oberoi Group of Hotels. Innovations in curriculum design are visible in the HRD and honours programmes conducted by the college. The honours programmes, which are very popular, have a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approach, and evaluation is done through continuous internal assessment ending with a final examination/dissertation.
The academic activities of the college in respect of the regular aided courses and programmes affiliated to Bangalore University seem to be too internalised. There is hardly any inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary approach in the mainstream science courses. Interaction between science and social sciences departments appears to be minimal. This weakness needs to be addressed.
The college does not judge the students’ knowledge and aptitude at the entry level (before admission). Nor is there a formal provision to assess their knowledge and skills for a particular programme (after admission). Bridge/remedial courses are not provided to the educationally disadvantaged students. However, the college does offer a wide range of enrichment programmes through honours courses, HRD courses and various departmental associations such as the Abacus Maths Club, Seasons Nature Club, Quiz Club and Centre for Social Concern. Advanced learners (there are only a few of them) are encouraged to work ahead of the other students by doing some small-scale research projects and by participating in seminars and inter-collegiate competitions.
Making of a teaching plan is left to the individual teachers. Unitisation of syllabus is done in some cases, more to suit the convenience of teaching than to meet the felt needs of students. Some departments and teachers supplement the lecture method of teaching with other methods such as group work, seminars, projects and field trips. There is no centralised media facility to prepare multi-media teaching-learning packages. However, the college has an audio-visual centre; but it is seldom made use of.
Teachers are normally recruited through advertisements and as per the guidelines of the state government and the UGC. The college has freedom to appoint temporary/adhoc teaching staff and they are paid consolidated salary until government grants are allocated. Of the 142 teachers at present, 27 are temporary. Teachers are encouraged to attend seminars/conferences/workshops. The college does not undertake any formal appraisal of teacher performance. Nor does it obtain any formal feed-back from students. Though the college acknowledges teachers’ achievements and successful teaching practices, it neither monitors nor rewards them on its own. However, two teachers of the college have won the Karnataka State Best Teacher Award/DST Youth Scientist Award.
Since examinations are conducted strictly based on Bangalore University rules and regulations, the college is not able to influence or modify patterns of evaluation. No innovative methods of evaluation are tried out in regular examinations.
The college could consider evolving a common policy and action plan to provide bridge/remedial courses to educationally disadvantaged students. Time-bound remedial courses could be offered by the departments at the beginning of the year, after identifying the students who need them.
It would be worthwhile to have an appropriate mechanism to evaluate the teaching, research and work satisfaction of teachers. It is advisable to provide for sabbatical leave and to reward successful teaching innovations. There is a strong case to make all teachers computer literate and train them in the use of multi-media materials. It is necessary to develop computer aided learning (CAL) packages and use them on a large scale. It is also suggested that a programme of action be drawn up to train all technical staff on a time-bound basis with a view to updating them in their respective fields.
The college has a positive approach towards teaching staff, who want to undertake research. Teachers are granted study leave and seed money. Currently, 17 teachers are part-time research scholars registered elsewhere. During the past three years, 3 teachers have obtained M.Phil. degrees and 5 teachers Ph.D. degrees. About 40 research papers have been published by the teachers of the college during the past two years. About 25% of the teachers are reported to be active in research.
The postgraduate Centre was founded in August 1986 and it was recognised for doctoral research in chemistry and botany in March 1999. The college has at present 5 full-time (in economics) and one full-time & two part-time (in chemistry) Ph.D. scholars. In April 1999, the college has set up the St. Joseph’s college Research Centre.
There are 6 externally funded projects now in operation (of which 5 are in the chemistry department and one is in the botany department) involving 5 faculty members and a budget of about Rs.23.6 lakh.
The college does not have any formal international linkages. However, in their individual capacity, a couple of teachers have teaching/research connections with some foreign universities. The college could try to work towards converting these links into formal official collaborations.
The college has a lot of potential to promote research further. Most of the 20 departments are rather passive in research. Of the 142 teachers on the rolls of the college, 40 are Ph.D. degree holders. Out of them only two are recognised as guides for Ph.D. Many more teachers should try to get recognition for guiding research at the doctoral level. They should also be encouraged to submit research proposals in their respective fields to funding agencies such as UGC, DST, DOE, CSIR, ICSSR and ICAR. The college should consider evolving a suitable mechanism to scrutinise research proposals before they are submitted to funding agencies. Research can also be promoted at the undergraduate level by giving meaningful and relevant problems for project work. This will help to demystify research and enable all departments to inculcate the culture of research.
The college does not offer any consultancy and testing services in a formal sense. Hence, no funds are generated through consultancy and testing activities. There are a number of highly qualified teachers in the college who are capable of giving consultancy services and thereby contributing to societal and national development. The college should consider adopting rules for individual as well as institutional consultancy with a view to encouraging its teachers to offer consultancy services in the areas of their expertise on a commercial basis, without prejudice to their regular work in the college.
The college appears to be doing very well in extension activities. Extension services are rendered mainly through the NSS, which has a membership of about 148 students. Extension activities and outreach programmes such as blood donation camps, life skill education, AIDS awareness campaign and environment awareness programmes are also done through the NCC, Seasons Nature Club, Centre for Social Concern (CSC) and several other departmental Associations and Clubs. However, participation of teachers and staff in extension activities is insignificant.
The culture of consultancy may be encouraged in order to promote individual and departmental initiative and to interphase college and its neighbourhood for professional exploitation.
The main building of the college is an imposing landmark of architectural importance. However, the second floor of the administrative block of the main building has been declared to be weak and hence unfit for conducting classes. With the starting of several new courses, there is an acute shortage of class-rooms. Some classes are conducted in laboratories. The maintenance of buildings and classrooms needs improvement. Some of the furniture need to be replaced. There is a general need for more conference halls and well-equipped seminar rooms. It appears that the college has plans to put up a new building with provisions for a separate office room, auditorium, classrooms, laboratories and other extra rooms to meet new demands. The existing infrastructure and facilities are put to optimum use by conducting several need-based short courses and by hiring them out to external agencies after regular class hours.
There is no central computer facility. However, it has a Computer Science Department and an Electronics Department with good computer facilities. The Department of Chemistry has two computers in its post-graduate centre. Other departments have no computers. The Principal, the accounts section and the college office have their own computers to store and retrieve data. The college neither develops nor uses any computer aided learning (CAL) packages. However, it has an audio-visual room and a stock of about 75 video cassettes. Many of the laboratories need to be updated and augmented with more modern items of equipment. Most of the departments appear to be severely handicapped because of lack of adequate technical staff, clerical staff and computer facilities.
The college library has about 61,450 volumes and subscribes for 51 journals and 23 periodicals. It does not have inter-library borrowing facilities at the state and national levels. It has a book bank, which lends textbooks to deserving students. The library has photocopying facility. The library is kept open from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Saturdays. The library is being computerised.
There are adequate facilities for sports and games. It has playgrounds for all major games, and a 200 m. track. Two full-time Directors of Physical Education are in charge of coaching programmes. Students talented in sports and games are given incentives such as scholarships, personal sports equipment, best sportsperson awards and pocket allowances. The college has very strong sports teams. Several students find places in the university, state and national level teams. However, students seem to feel the absence of a gymnasium.
The college does not have a centre for instrumentation.
Seventy-five students of the college stay in the hostel which has a library and a recreation room. In addition, there is a partially subsidised canteen. The welfare schemes for students include, among others, loan scholarships, Poor Students Scholarship Fund, distribution of free note-books and midday meals scheme (for about 100 students per year). For teachers and staff, the college has a staff welfare fund and a medical trust. There is no health centre. There is a credit co-operative society on the campus. There is no formal grievance redressal mechanism for students, staff and teachers. It has a recognised students union, staff association and non-teaching staff association, which give suggestions and representations on matters concerning them.
There is a case for extending the library timings and for keeping it open on Sundays and holidays. The library should have inter-library borrowing facilities at the state and national levels as well as access to INFLIBNET. The library should also be provided with internet facility.
It would be very useful to set up an advanced instrumentation centre as a common facility to take care of the repairs and maintenance of sophisticated instruments in the various departments and to promote interdisciplinary research . It would be a good idea to establish a non-resident students’ centre for the benefit of day scholars.
General information about the college including its objectives, regulations and facilities is given to students through the college prospectus and the college calendar, which are updated every year. There is no formal mechanism to collect feedback from students. Feedback is reported to be collected on matters such as teaching methods, infrastructure facilities and student services in an informal manner. Financial aid is given to deserving students in the form of various types of scholarships, fee concessions, midday meals, bus passes, and so on. Average student progression at the under-graduate level is about 79%, while the overall drop-out rate is of the order of 29%.
The college has a career guidance and information bureau and a coordinator. In addition to guiding and counselling students about careers, the bureau also hosts campus recruitment and answers queries from various companies about availability and suitability of applicants. Some of the companies which have done such campus recruitments are the Asian Age, BPL, MICO, CIPLA, Oberoi Sheraton and Hindustan Lever. About 70 undergraduate students were able to get placements through the Bureau last year. While the college does not have any professional counsellors, six teachers are said to be functioning as personal counsellors.
There is an effective “welfare officer system” working in the college. Under this system, two men and two women teachers are appointed every year as welfare officers for boys and girls, respectively. The main duties of these welfare officers are: to help maintain discipline in the class-rooms and on the campus, to keep track of the attendance and academic work of the students, to help and advise on non-academic problems of students, and to interact with parents of students.
In October 1998, the college introduced a “Class Teacher System”, according to which each class is put under a class teacher. The main objective of the Class Teacher System is to attend to the academic and other needs of students by identifying those who need help.
Although there is an alumni association (set up 35 years age), it does not have a proper mechanism to keep track of its old students. The alumni association of this 117 year old institution has only about 265 members, of whom 195 are life members. While it does have some interaction with the college in the form of occasional get-togethers and cultural programmes, the alumni association is not active enough to sustain support. It would be useful to keep track of at least those old students who have made a mark and thereby activate the alumni association to the advantage of the college. The alumni association could be involved more deeply in various academic and developmental programmes of the college including establishment of endowments, chairs, professorships, research fellowships and visiting fellowships.
The college is governed by a 21 member Governing Council chaired by the Rector and consisting of the Principal, teachers, parents and a couple of external members. The Rector is the head of the college and the Principal has powers delegated to him by the Rector. A staff council consisting of Vice-Principal, Heads of Departments, President of Staff Association, Student Union Governor and welfare officers advise the Principal on various matters concerning administration and the academic Management of the college. The superintendents of the college office and the accounts section, along with their teams, look after the administration and maintenance of the college and liaise between the college and the university/government.
It is reported that the functions and powers of the various bodies and committees of the college are not properly defined and made known. This in turn affects the efficiency of the system adversely. Heads of Departments are reportedly given responsibilities without powers. No external agencies or committees have so far been appointed to study and give suggestions to improve the organisation and Management of the college. It appears the college does not have any in-built mechanism to check the work efficiency of the non-teaching staff. Both staff and students consider this to be the greatest weakness of the college. The Management also accepts this non-accountability on the part of non-teaching staff as a weakness of the system. So far, the college has not conducted any professional development programmes for the non-teaching staff.
It appears that the whole approach of the college is a little conventional and conservative. There is a case to make the approach more dynamic and liberal with sensitivity to today’s fast-changing socio-economic situations and global expectations. Administration of the college needs to be more decentralised. Various academic, cocurricular and planning activities of the college could be looked after by suitably constituted committees with clearly defined roles.
The data base in respect of admissions, enrolments, courses, projects and various other operations and activities of the college appears to be weak. There is urgent need for a centralised data base and documentation centre so that information on various matters can easily and readily be accessed.
The audited statement of accounts for the year 1997-98 indicates that the total receipts and expenditure were of the order of Rs. 2.05 crore. The college appears to have severe resource constraints. It should be possible for the college to raise more resources on the basis of the various suggestions made in this report. They include among others: submitting properly prepared research projects to various funding agencies, undertaking consultancy and testing services on a commercial basis, involving the alumni association in the various academic and developmental programmes of the college, starting more self-financing courses, hiring out the existing facilities and infrastructure to external agencies, and attracting and admitting more foreign students on the basis of a differential fee structure.
A Self-Study of the management and utilisation of the resources available as well as a plan of action for augmenting quality through optimization of the utility of material and human resources may be attempted as a college exercise with external experts also may be the alumni of the college.
The college has quite a few unique features and healthy practices, which enhance the academic ambience of the institution and which have already been dealt with under the various parameters above. They include:-
- Optimum utilisation of the existing infrastructure and facilities.
- Offer of a wide range of enrichment courses through the HRD and honours programmes, and through the various departmental associations such as Abacus Maths Club, Seasons Nature Club, Centre for Social Concern and Women’s Cell.
- Conduct of a number of need-based short courses on a self-financed basis.
- Welfare Officers System to maintain discipline, to monitor the academic work of the students, and to interact with parents.
- Class teacher system to attend to the academic and non-academic needs of students by identifying those who need help.
St. Joseph’s college, Bangalore is a well established institution enriched and nurtured by a heritage of over a century. It is a government-aided minority institution affiliated to Bangalore University. During the past 117 years of its existence, it has done yeomen service in promoting higher education and contributing to national development. Through its various curricular, co-curricular and extension activities, it has earned for itself a pride of place in the academic field. It has enough potential to become an Autonomous college.
The college has a positive approach to assurance of quality and standards. It deserves to be commended on the following aspects:-
· The atmosphere of intellectual vigour and moral rectitude.
· The compassionate concern for the welfare of the weak and the under-privileged.
· Good range of programme options at the undergraduate level.
· Introduction of a wide range of enrichment courses.
· Offer of a good number of need-based self-financing courses.
· Interaction with industries such as BPL, MICO and Hindustan Lever
· Innovations in curriculum design in the HRD and honours programmes.
· Good extension services and outreach programmes.
· Functioning of a good career guidance and information bureau.
· Facilitating aspects of the institution to promote student participation and achievement in sports and games.
While commending the contributions made by the college to promote higher education in the country, the Peer Team would like to make the following suggestions for its future growth and further development:-
· The college appears to be too conventional and conservative in its approach. There is a case to make the approach more dynamic and liberal with sensitivity to today’s fast-changing socio-economic situations and global expectations. Administration of the college needs to be more decentralised. Representatives of R&D organisations, industry, business and service sectors could perhaps be included in the Governing Council of the college.
· It is advisable to evolve an appropriate mechanism for the annual self-appraisal of teachers. A lot more needs to be done to motivate, encourage and support faculty development. It would be worthwhile making provision for sabbatical leave.
· The college must have a built-in mechanism to monitor the work efficiency of the non-teaching staff. It is considered necessary to devise a programme of action to train all technical staff on a time-bound basis with a view to updating them.
· Many of the laboratories need to be updated and further augmented with more modern items of equipment. The various departments have to be provided with adequate technical staff, clerical staff and computers to improve their operational and functional efficiency. There is ample scope for more wide-spread use of educational technology and multi-media facilities including CAL packages in the teaching-learning process.
· The college has a lot more of potential to promote research further. Teachers should be encouraged to submit relevant research proposals in their respective fields to various funding agencies at the national level. Research can also be promoted at the under-graduate level by giving meaningful problems for project work.
· There is a strong case for the college to go in a big way to offer consultancy and testing services on a commercial basis, without prejudice to its own academic and research activities.
· It would be worthwhile to extend library timings and to keep it open even on Sundays and holidays. The library needs to have inter-library borrowing facilities and access to internet as well as INFLIBNET. Setting up a sophisticated instrumentation centre would be a progressive step.
· It would be a good idea to establish a well-equipped non-resident students centre for the benefit of day scholars.
· The alumni association of this 117 year old institution could be activated to involve it more deeply in the various academic and developmental programmes of the college.
· The college would do well to chalk out a perspective plan for its further development in the next ten years. As part of plan, the college may also consider undertaking more effective measures to mobilise additional resources as indicated under criterion VI above.
-o0o-