College Code : 048
The IQAC has been consistently striving to institutionalize quality assurance strategies and processes at every level of the institution’s functioning. Here are the two practices Institutionalized by as a result of IQAC initiatives.
IQAC INITIATIVES
Vijayam Science and Arts Degree College (VSADC) was established in the academic year 2003-04 with an aim of imparting quality education with values and achieved marvellous progress in various performance parameters. Strategic plans and prospective plans were prepared taking in account the vison and mission of the statements. Due to dynamic changes in education sector and change in requirement of deployable resources in the job market, the institute felt that a structured and well-established IQAC is required to enhance various quality aspects of the institution.
The institute included establishment of IQAC as one of the goals in Strategic Plan 2014-19 of the Institution. After understanding the complete functioning of IQAC and processes required for various aspects, the institute established IQAC on 15-06-2018. IQAC was constituted as per the norms laid down by the NAAC and UGC. Regular IQAC meetings were conducted, various actions were initiated and successfully implemented numerous quality initiatives across the institution. In addition, IQAC has established a procedure to compute CO-PO attainment and advised the academic departments on setting CO/PO targets and achieving them.
Here are some of the quality initiatives implemented by IQAC of the Institution at various functions and teaching-learning process.
Designed curriculum of Vijayam Science and Arts Degree College (VSADC) not only addresses the local and global needs but also meets the requirements of AICTE model curriculum. The case study mentioned below substantiates the active decentralization and participative management in the timely introduction new program at VSADC.
The Top management gives generous freedom and flexibility to the Principal together with the academic council to lead all the academic activities of the college. They regularly meet and take necessary steps to formulate and implement the perspective plan of the institution.
As part of improvement initiatives of the institution and its concern Administrative and Academic Advisory Committee and other statutory Committees continuously work on improvement. In the beginning of academic year all faculty members conduct a meeting and discuss the smooth functioning of the institution. Various committees are constituted and responsibilities are assigned to them. Committee Chairman and members of the committee report to the Principal, Department Academic Committee about the planning and implementation of the decision. They get the response from all the stakeholders of the institution and take steps for further improvements as far as they are within the capacity and recommend the management for further corrective action.
The Administrative and academic duties are controlled by the Principal of the Institution. Head of the department works under the guidance of the Principal. The Heads of the Department are given specific duties and responsibilities to attend the day-to-day routine work. Every faculty member is involved in the various academic and administrative or other statutory and non-statutory committee.
DAC monitors the academic and administrative activities. In this process of decentralisation and participative management the Department Academic Committee submitted a proposal for new program and it was approved by the HOD. The HOD of Management submitted a proposal to the Principal to introduce new program of BHM. The Principal approved the proposal and submitted to GB for further action. GB approved the proposal to introduce a new program – BHM from the AY 2017-18 during 9th GB meeting held on 11-08-2016.
Introduction about Course Proposal:
The institution started gaining its momentum in the conduct and functioning of various degree programmes as per the guidelines of affiliated university i.e., Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. Through the incessant requests made by the parents and students, the institution initiated to add BHM program as it is considered as immediate job provider. Consecutively, college got permission from the university to start the program to cater the needs of the students to get into the promising and highly prospective hospitality industry from the academic year 2017-18.
The Background:
It is a well-known fact that Vijayam Science and Arts Degree College in Chittoor is a fine destination for the student community who aspire for quality education and a minimum source of guarantee for campus placements. It is very well reflected in the students’ admissions and results. The Institution is considered as one among the best in the holistic development of the students. The regular degree streams like B.Sc., B.Com., BBA, BCA and BCCA gained its momentum in terms of getting distinctions and regular MNC placements in a sustainable way. But the plight of a minute percent of leftover students and their future has become a dilemma.
The Context:
To address this issue, the institution made an oral survey in and around areas of the Chittoor and come to an understand that many number of students who scored lesser marks in their academics are opting to go to the nearer bigger cities like Bangalore or Chennai to pursue their job-oriented degrees like Hotel Management. This course offers them immediate placements either in star hotels or in similar hospitality related industry. To claim this statement, the survey team of the institution came to know that the students who pursued Hotel Management courses (either Diploma or Bachelor in Hotel Management) got placements with considerable salaries and gained respect among the friends and relatives. But the main displeasure for the students is they have to incur lucrative amounts for course fee and for hostel accommodation. For example, in a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore or Chennai, a student has to spend Rs. 3 to 4 lakhs in an average to complete their course.
The Need:
As the institution receive students from different strata of the society, the parents from underprivileged families emphasized the need of commencement of Hotel Management courses with minimum fee structure and to cater the needs of their wards. Instead of spending exorbitant volumes of money they can pursue the course in Vijayam Degree College as it is strategically located in tri-junction border with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The Result (Outcome):
After going through all these potentials, the institution decided to start Hotel Management course BHM with S.V. University, Tirupati affiliation from the academic year 2017-18 with an intake of 50 students.
The college provided all the necessary infrastructure, wear and tear, expert faculty and separate environment exclusively for the course. The incessant efforts taken by the management resulted in 100 per cent placements for the first batch of BHM students. Most of them got their first opportunity in Maldives, a foreign destination. A dream came in to reality in the lives of the Vijayam students.
ADMISSIONS UP TO AY 2021-22
|
ACADEMIC YEAR |
NO. OF STUDENTS ADMITTED |
|
2017-18 |
12 |
|
2018-19 |
12 |
|
2019-20 |
21 |
|
2020-21 |
49 |
|
2021-22 |
29 |
PLACEMENTS:
BACHELOR OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT (BHM) PLACEMENT UP TO 2020-21
|
ACADEMIC YEAR |
NO. OF STUDENTS |
% OF PLACEMENTS |
|
|
ELIGIBLE |
PLACED |
||
|
2019-20 (First Outgone Batch Joined in AY 2017-18) |
12 |
12 |
100 |
|
2020-21 (Second Outgone Batch Joined in AY 2018-19) |
12 |
12 |
100 |
|
2021-22 (Third Outgone Batch Joined in AY 2019-20) |
21 |
21 (21 Students are in Internship) |
NA |
Outcome
The Management of the Institution conducts the regular meets and discuss the issue and challenge with developmental aspect of the institute. Thus, Management of the Institution encourages the teachers, students and non -teaching staff, alumni and coordinators to share their ideas, opinions and suggestions through the proper channel. The input received from various committees and feedback analysis are considered for the future decision making. In the process of decentralization and participative management the new program Bachelor of Hotel Management was introduced.
III. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS ON FACILITIES
The provision of good faculty, infrastructure, and other resources are essential for the students to face emerging challenges in order to achieve their goals. The students, faculty, and other staff are the benchmarks of an institution’s image. Besides regular academic support, the students are provided with other facilities such sports & games, cafeteria, accommodation, and library for excelling academics for their holistic development.
IQAC strives to provide a pleasant ambience to the students for developing their skills in academics, co- curricular and extracurricular activities. Therefore, providing key infrastructure and maintaining them in sound condition goes a long way in providing quality education to the students. Through the institute has been maintaining various facilities from time to time, students are also involved in providing the outright feedback on various facilities of the Institution.
The students give feedback in the range of 1 to 5 for each parameter in the feedback form. The received feedback forms are analyzed by the IQAC and identified issues are prioritized for maintenance and upgradation. IQAC continuously monitors the pending actions and ensures that those observed deficiencies are sorted out with time bound schedule.
Since the inception of the institution, the enrolment of female students in to various degree courses is accumulating year after year. This incremental growth in the enrolment testifies the commitment of the institution towards women empowerment. Hence Women Empowerment Cell was constituted at the institution to support, help and guide the female students for their holistic development. The main objective of the cell is to encourage women students to excel in academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. In addition, the cell arranges for various programs to motivate and provide career guidance to the women so they excel in their career. The cell also addresses various opportunities available for women in India to turn in to success entrepreneurs.
Women empowerment cell is constituted every year under the leadership of the head of the institution. The cell consists of mostly women faculty and students. This cell meets at least once in a semester to plan the various activities and review the action points.
The establishment and effective functioning of the cell has not only motivated the students during the course of study, but also helped chasing their dreams. The institute witnessed more pass percentage among women, more placements and achievements in co and extra-curricular activities. Various programs conducted by the cell also helped and guided many women to become successful entrepreneurs. As a result the institute continues to attract more girl students to its UG programs every year.
Mentoring system, which is nothing but a handholding program for the students, is implemented by the institution for holistic development of the students. This system provides a flatform for the students to interact one to one with mentor and share his/her difficulties and other personal issues that are stopping the students from excelling well in studies and other career-oriented activities.
IQAC has taken an initiative to implement mentor system for improving the academic performance and prepare student for industry requirements. Head of the institution approves the list of mentors from each department and the approved list is shared with the concerned HODs. Each HOD assigns mentees to the mentor and hands over the mentor diaries for recording various activities and data for further reference. Each mentor meets the mentee at least once in 15 days or as often as required and gets to know the about various aspects such as attendance status, academic performance, any personal issues etc. and offers the solutions then and there.
The key points transpired during the discussion are also recorded in the mentor diary. The mentor keeps track of issues reported by the mentee and keeps a record of action taken on the reported issue. The mentoring also goes beyond the campus. The mentor also contacts the parents of the students, is needed, to resolve issues of the students. Once a mentor is assigned to a mentee, the same faculty will continue to be the mentor of the mentee till completion of the program. The mentoring system yielded good results in terms of pass percentage, placements, participation in extension activities etc.
As a part of its process to deploy technology to reform teaching-learning process, the IQAC of the institution transformed the conventional teaching learning resources into ICT enabled facilities. Digitalization is taking place in all walks of life and its use has made life smooth and comfortable. Providing various ICT enabled facilities at the institution is part of digitalization. Currently the institution has almost 100% ICT enabled classrooms and seminar halls.
IQAC explained the advantages of having ICT enabled classrooms and received BOG approval for providing ICT enabled facilities in phased manned in the Institution. The Institution has spent more than
13.90 Lakhs during last five years in upgrading and adding new infrastructure as a part of providing ICT enabled facilities. ICT enabled facilities include Project with screen, LAN, Wi-Fi, access to google classrooms and access to various teaching learning e-resources.
Provision of ICT enabled facilities has been helping the students to understand complex concepts easily. Moreover, the presentation of huge volume of teaching materials is now a click away. Online classes were also conducted through a paid online meeting platform and ICT enabled facilities. The efforts and initiative of providing ICT enabled facilities has been yielding the good results. Increase in pass percentage of students, Faculty’s contribution of publishing book chapters, research publications, and access to learning material online are the direct benefits of implementing ICT enabled facilities by the institution.