Best Practice I
Title of the Practice: Institution and Society
Subtitle: Contributing to Society through Outreach Activities
Objectives of the Practice:
Underlying Principles/Concepts:
By adopting this as one of the best practices, our institution will try to fulfil its commitment towards the society. By undertaking various outreach activities apart from academic pursuits, the institution seeks to sensitize the population living there about various issues of health, sanitation, hygiene, education environment and many more.
The Context:
Silchar College is located in the rural area of Kabirgram, Singari. The college and its nearby areas are thickly populated chiefly by the tea garden labourers and the Bishnupriya Manipuri community, who mainly depend on agriculture or small scale businesses. The interior areas are still backward in terms of literacy. There is minimal education amongst the elderly population of the village. Though they send their children for primary and secondary education, there is high percentage of dropping out from higher education. Basic awareness on health, hygiene and environment is inadequate among the villagers. Our institution, as a centre of higher education is committed to fulfil its responsibilities towards the society at large. Frequent visits to the village areas are made by the faculties of our college to impart knowledge about the significance of higher education. Institution also takes necessary initiatives to conduct outreach activities in the adopted village and its neighbouring areas to facilitate the involvement of the locals as well as contribute to the development of the society. The aspiring students don’t have to travel longer distance to seek higher education.
The Practice:
Silchar College has adopted West Singari village in the year 2022. Since the practice has taken place very recently as a part of the initiative taken by the NSS wing of Silchar College, so there are still many more miles to go. As some of the pilot steps, the institution has arranged programmes like plantation, cleanliness drives, awareness campaigns on conservation of nature, women empowerment, self-reliance, career selection etc.
Among the notable works, are the relief works offered during the Covid-19 period and the disastrous flood during the months of May and June 2022. Food and other essentials have been distributed in the West Singari village along with medical aid.
Faculties of Silchar College are in different ways associated with various organizations which contribute to a better understanding of the society and social issues. Dr Sumita Singha, department of Sanskrit, is the Assistant Secretary of the Nikhil Bishnupriya Mnaipuri Sahitya Parishad located in New Bhakatpur Silchar working for the learning and understanding of specific issues of the Bishnupriya Manipuris. She also acts as a member of Mahila Swayam Sevika Samiti which works for women empowerment at the local level. In addition to that she is the vice-chairperson in ‘Bhasa Gyan Parikksha Parshad’ which provides certificate courses on Bishnupriya Manipuri. She is the ex-president of Gokulananda Gitiswami Foundation, an organization involved in a holistic development of social and cultural activities. From giving social aid during Covid-19, annual felicitation programmes are organized for the students with academic and non-academic achievements. Ms Joyotee Deb, joint secretary of Lions Club of Silchar city relentlessly contributes to social welfare activities. She was personally engaged in distribution of flood relief. Her contribution in the neighbouring areas of the college during the Covid period is also notable.
Constraints/Limitations faced while executing the practice:
Among the biggest challenges in implementing the practice, the financial limitation has been considered the major hindrance to reaching out to the villagers with practical helping hands. With limited funds, our college faces challenges to organize talks by eminent persons, organize frequent meets with the villagers to discuss issues, distribute posters, pamphlets or leaflets containing information etc. Another challenge is lack of education amongst the elderly people which in turn makes it difficult for them to motivate the younger generations to pursue higher studies. Sensitizing girls about empowerment become a challenging task due to the social taboos inherent within the family systems of these villages.
Evidence of Success:
Through field visits/home visits and personal interaction with the villagers, the enrolment rate of girl students has increased to a sizeable extent. The awareness programmes in the interior parts of the village has brought a visible change in their daily life. Adoption of cleanliness measures have now become a part and parcel of some of their lives. Sensitizing the villagers on the hazards of plastic has shown prominent outcome as some of the small local businessmen have started using paper/cloth bags instead of polythene bags.
Resources required:
With funds made available, the institution can make bigger plans to execute initiatives for bringing development in the adopted village with more awareness drives. The institution has plans to adopt more villages in near future and expand its frontiers to include more gender sensitization programmes, career-counselling programmes, adopt measures to make the locality plastic-free zone etc.
Best Practice II
Title of the Practice: Mentoring System
Subtitle: Nurturing the needs of students with special care and attention
Objectives of the Practice:
Underlying Principles/Concepts:
The Context:
Evaluation of the advanced learners and slow learners is the most vital parameter in institution. Both the qualitative and quantitative measures are adopted while identification of the advanced learners and poor learners. To begin with this process, at the initial days of each semester the matters related to Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), internal examination system etc are thoroughly discussed and planned properly to be put into action. Post admission, the individual faculties of the respective departments begins to assess the students’ knowledge and aptitude through random class tests, verbal tests, paper presentations on topics related to their syllabus, assignments, Continuous Assessment Test (CAT) etc.
The Practice:
Mentoring system is another powerful tool to improve the students’ overall performance and also helps in reducing the dropout rates. Mentor-mentee list is prepared on regular basis in order to monitor the students. However, looking at the faculty strength and the teacher-student ratio, the mentor –mentee ratio is determined on the basis of equal ratio, i.e., the total enrolled students is equally be divided among the faculty members irrespective of their departments. In the mentor/teacher- mentee/student system, the mentors are assigned with the responsibility to keep a check on individual student’s performance and their learning levels. The mentors/teachers keep record of students’ attendance and marks in the unit tests. The mentors communicate with the mentees through calls and visit their homes as and when necessary to motivate them and also update their guardians about their overall performance in the college.
After the result of the first unit test, the mentors identify the slow learners and start working on them. This has also resulted in developing a healthy academic environment in the institution and betterment of the students in the final exams.
Constraints/Limitations faced while executing the practice:
Sometimes it gets challenging issue to meet the students living in far flung areas. The economically insolvent students are reluctant to allow their teachers in their houses due to poor living condition. Some senior teachers also show unwillingness to visit students’ houses due to adverse locations. Students who are supposed to meet with their mentors in the college itself after the class hours for mentoring sometimes avoid meeting their mentors. They avoid getting into one-on-one conversation with their mentors.
Evidence of Success:
Mentoring system has shown immense improvement relating to students’ all-round development. Many students found this system helpful and opened up to their mentors to a great extent, discussed their academic shortcomings, financial, psychological and personal issues.
Resources Required:
Attendance for the mentoring system should be made compulsory for the students so that they cannot skip meeting their mentors and the mentors on the other hand, get opportunity to help the mentees in multiple ways.