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6.2.1 Does the Institution have a formally stated quality policy? How is it developed, driven, deployed and reviewed?

The formally stated quality policy of the institution as enshrined in its Constitution and Prospectus is to provide an excellent education to young women hailing from diverse backgrounds without any discrimination whatsoever. The excellence striven for is a holistic one accommodating academic, cultural, social work and other dimensions.

This policy is developed through the cumulative efforts of all the stakeholders. The college infrastructure, facilities, books, equipment and other resources are sought to be increased and improved. The talents and potential of the human resources involved at all levels are honed from time to time, and enabling mechanisms are instituted at all relevant points.

The stated quality policy is driven by the fervour, imagination and dedication of all involved.

The Governing Body plays a crucial role in this regard by approving noteworthy proposals.

The IQAC is another body which seeks to implement the core sterling values of the institution.

6.2.2 Does the Institute have a perspective plan for development? If so, give the aspects considered for inclusion in the plan.

The institutional plan emerges from the ideas of the teachers, students and administrators as they share their views and aspirations towards a better institution. The proposals submitted to the UGC under the various plan periods are formulated through the collective efforts of the Principal, teachers and office staff keeping in mind the advantages accruing to the students from the items included. At the micro level each department is encouraged to improve its facilities and services by incorporating learner-centric methods and innovative practices. The departments share their equipment, ideas, experiences and expertise amongst

themselves and the college grows as a whole through such collective endeavours. Academic plans are mooted and vetted at the Teacher Council meetings presided over by the Principal.

The applications for UGC sponsored seminars, for instance, are first discussed at these meetings before they are presented before the Governing Body for final approval. The plan to introduce a Post-Graduate department was suggested by the authorities, and the staff members along with the management decided that of the several subjects offered by the college Geography is the best option as there is a high demand for the subject. Accordingly the college proceeded with the application for the said course. Improvement of ICT facilities in the college was also felt to be of prime importance and hence the process of automating the library and office was undertaken with the full cooperation of the librarians and the clerical staff. Students are encouraged to voice their ideas and wishes for the improvement of the institution through the Professor and Assistant Professor in Charge of the Students‘

Union, and also through their elected office bearers. In these ways teachers, students and administrators are all involved in the planning process.

6.2.3 Describe the internal organizational structure and decision making processes.

The college is run in an extremely organized and democratic manner. The Principal is the fulcrum on whom the activities of all the components of the institution, the students, staff, librarians and teachers revolve. The office of the Principal is also the link between the highest body ie the Governing Body and the rest of the college. All major policy decisions are ratified by the Governing Body which has teaching and non teaching representatives and are subsequently communicated to all concerned by the Principal. Transparency is the watchword of all functions of the college.

Frequent meetings between the administrative head and the Teachers‘ Council as well as the various sub-committees like the Academic Council, the Finance Sub-Committee, the Provident Fund Sub-Committee and so on ensure that opinions voiced by the members are taken into consideration and acted upon in a judicious manner.

Academic decisions are taken by the departments concerned. The staff (teaching and non teaching) are allowed to attend Orientation, Refresher and Training programmes for self advancement and for the betterment of the college as a whole. A mechanism for self appraisal by the teachers is overseen by the Principal. Grievances if any are dealt with, with the right mix of empathy and firmness.

Special efforts are made to maintain a peaceful atmosphere within the college untrammeled by the vicissitudes of politics outside. The Students‘ Union enjoys absolute freedom to take decisions regarding the use of the SU Fund, as well as regarding all other student centric activities (eg cultural and event management activities) in the college. An atmosphere of amity prevails in the relationship between the Students‘ Union and College Authorities.

Care is taken to follow an inclusive policy embracing all categories of students (from diverse religions, economic strata as well as the differently abled) and inculcate the values of multiculturalism, pluralism and national integration among them.

6.2.4 Give a broad description of the quality improvement strategies of the institution for each of the following

 Teaching & Learning

Numerous strategies have been adopted for improving the quality of teaching, learning, research and development. Where teaching and learning are concerned ICT developments have considerably enhanced these processes. An automated library, equipped with Inflibnet, two smart classrooms, the purchase and use of a new LCD projector, a digital visualizer, laptops for every academic department, three LCD television sets to be used as audio-visual aids to teaching, the UGC Resource Network Centre, the upgradation of the existing

Computer Centre for the 3-Year Certificate Course in computer education have all been undertaken with a view to facilitating the communication process, and making it more learner-friendly.

The book holdings in the central and seminar libraries have been increased out of UGC grants and various endowments from the Alumnae Association of the college. The central library has been enriched with a Reference Section and a Digital Section to aid the students in their quest for knowledge.

 Research and Development

Faculty members are encouraged to pursue PhD degrees and to that end are awarded Salary Protected Faculty Development Leave under the UGC on application. They are also recommended by the college for Travel Grants provided by the UGC if they are selected to present papers at international conferences. They are further encouraged to apply for Minor and Major Research projects funded by the UGC. Faculty members who are awarded Major Research Projects are provided with space for their research work.

 Community engagement

The college being a member of the All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) is involved in community work. The college received a grant from AIACHE and Pearson Education, Canada to organize a workshop on the Girl-Child in 2008. This was duly done to spread awareness on the issue. The NSS unit of the college does commendable work in this regard by interacting with the under-privileged sections among the local people. The student volunteers under the guidance of their teachers (NSS Programme Officer and two other faculty members) are extremely enthusiastic about their duties towards the larger society, and organize programmes throughout the year, and actually train and teach some of the youngsters in a nearby slum, donating clothes and other articles for them. The members of the Students Christian Movement of India (SCMI) unit in the college too are engaged in community work. Practically all the students in the college are actively involved in collecting financial contributions for the Blind Persons‘ Association, and some of the NSS volunteers visit the premises of this organization and work for the special Braille Press that the administrators of the mentioned organization are trying to develop. Further, the Eco Club of the college is actively involved in spreading consciousness about the state of the planet through talks and lectures by eminent environmentalists, such as Mr. Mudar Patherya and others. Some of the members under the guidance of one of their teachers undertook a drive to clean up the Kalighat temple complex, a deed which met with some initial resistance but was eventually allowed and which gained them a favourable mention in the press.

 Human resource management

Human resources in the college are used in a way as to capitalize their strengths and utilize the same for the benefit of the institution. Faculty members are involved in activities according to their interests and competencies in the various cultural and extension programmes of the college. Similarly, the non-teaching staff is deployed according to their special abilities over and above their designated duties of course. For instance, those with a sound knowledge of computers are kept on the Computer Sub Committee and are asked to assist in all the ICT developments being undertaken in the college. Among the Supporting Staff again those with technical know-how are asked to pitch in with all work requiring this knowledge. Thus, the staff members are requested to multi-task which ensures optimal utilization of their knowledge and skills. The students too are sought to be given a sound education, the primary reason for which they attend college, and their talents in various spheres are harnessed and given exposure. The college sees that they are given ample exposure to life enhancing experiences so as to help them develop into assets for the nation.

 Industry interaction

There is a Placement Cell in the college which regularly organizes industry interfaces with the students. It is mostly the final year students who attend these career counselling and job recruitment sessions. Several companies such as NIIT, Wipro, HCL and others have organized campus recruitment drives in the college.

6.2.5 How does the Head of the institution ensure that adequate information (from feedback and personal contacts etc.) is available for the top management and the stakeholders, to review the activities of the institution?

The Principal and Secretary are accessible to all members of the staff to look into grievances as well as review the activities of the institution. The representatives of the teaching and non-teaching staff meet the Head of the institution with suggestions from their respective constituencies to review, rectify and improve, if necessary, existing situations. The meetings at various levels again ensure the scope for review of existing practices. The Grievance Redressal Cell is another mechanism instituted to provide feedback to the authorities regarding the activities in the college.

6.2.6 How does the management encourage and support involvement of the staff in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the institutional processes?

The management encourages and supports the involvement of the staff in the activities of the college in various ways. The active presence and participation of representatives from the teaching and non-teaching staff in the Governing Body ensure that all members of the staff are aware of the policies adopted at the highest decision-making body in the college, namely the Governing Body of the institution. Advisory bodies such as the Teachers‘ Council, the Academic Council along with sub-committees such as the Finance Sub-Committee, the Constitution Review Committee, the Internal Quality Assessment Cell, the Library Committee, the Hostel Committee, the Provident Fund Committee, the Prize Sub-Committee, the Reunion Sub-Committee all of which except for the Constitution Review Committee have a representation of the staff on them, ensuring that democratic processes are followed in the day-to-day functioning of the college with considerable delegation of responsibility. The Heads of departments are granted considerable autonomy in running their respective departments specially with regard to their teaching plans, periodical tests, annual seminars and seminar libraries. Also, the various cells in the college, such as the Guidance and Counselling Cell, the Cine Club, the Eco Club, the Women‘s‘ Study Cell, the Debate Club optimize the talents and inclinations of the staff members, and help them to organize co-curricular activities which complement the academic programmes in the college.

The adoption of the mentioned measures and mechanisms help to improve the efficiency as well as the effectiveness of the institutional processes.

6.2.7 Enumerate the resolutions made by the Management Council in the last year and the status of implementation of such resolutions.

The Governing Body decisions and their implementations are given in detail in Annexure IX.

6.2.8 Does the affiliating university make a provision for according the status of autonomy to an affiliated institution? If ‗yes‘, what are the efforts made by the institution in obtaining autonomy?

Yes, the affiliating university has a provision for according the status of autonomy to an affiliated institution. However, such a move has not been initiated by the college as it has some infrastructural limitations in terms of space. Hence, its priorities are focused on acquiring land for a second campus, and introducing new courses and subjects so as to consolidate the position the college has gained in the meantime. Thereafter, the college may think of applying to the University for autonomy.

6.2.9 How does the Institution ensure that grievances / complaints are promptly attended to and resolved effectively? Is there a mechanism to analyze the nature of grievances for promoting better stakeholder relationship?

The institution has a Grievance Redressal Cell for employees and students. There have been no major grievances in the last two years.

The guardian‘s meeting is a platform which gives parents a chance to air their grievances, if any or to express their expectations from the college. The Principal, Departmental Head and all other faculty members attend these meetings, take serious note of parent‘s demands and opinions and ensure all possible remedial actions to address the demands.

The grievance committee headed by the Principal regularly goes through the complaints received through the complaint box. Here again, after considerable discussion and deliberations, necessary action is taken.

6.2.10 During the last four years, had there been any instances of court cases filed by and against the institute? Provide details on the issues and decisions of the courts on these?

During the last four years 5 court cases had been filed against the college. Two of the cases were filed by two Group C members of the non-teaching staff while two others were by Group D members of the same category. The two Group C members of the staff had been aggrieved as the government was reluctant to proceed with their pay-fixation after their recruitment maintaining the college had not sought prior permission from it before filling up the said posts. Since the college is a religious minority institution it is exempt from such a necessity. The case went in favour of the petitioners and their pay has since been fixed. In the other instance two members of the Group D staff who had been appointed against substantive vacancies did not have their pay fixed and their services were suddenly designated as ‗contractual‘ and they were paid a monthly remuneration by the government for their work. As this action on the part of the Govt. was totally unjustified and unacceptable the said employees filed a suit against the Govt. in which the college was also one of the parties. This time too the verdict went in favour of the employees. After a protracted wait and negotiations with the then Jt. Secretary, the DPI, the Principal of the college and the lawyer of the petitioners the matter was finally resolved and the said employees have had their pay fixed. The fifth case filed against the college was by a student who had not been allowed to appear for the University Examination as her attendance was very low and she had failed all her papers in the Selection Test conducted by the college. The case went in favour of the college.

6.2.11 Does the Institution have a mechanism for analyzing student feedback on institutional performance? If ‗yes‘, what was the outcome and response of the institution to such an effort?

The institution has in place a well thought out system of evaluation of the institution and its teachers by students. Only after they have filled the forms of their final university

examination (Part III), third year students are made to take part in evaluation process so that they can give their response and voice any point of criticism with audacious disregard of any hierarchal challenge/confrontation.

They are provided with two feedback forms in one of which they respond to questions on their overall experience in college, particularly on infrastructural facilities, and in the other, evaluate the teachers of their respective departments on several criterion like teachers‘

teaching skill, depth of knowledge, punctuality, accessibility and so on . Students are allowed to maintain complete anonymity while writing the forms which are delivered to the respective teachers in sealed envelopes. The feedback on college experience is carefully studied by the Principal herself and a core team which discusses students‘ comments and suggestions in staff meetings and issue directions for making improvements or amendments in the college as the case may be. Each teacher also takes into serious consideration the students‘ response to his/her performance. Suggestions are accepted with an open mind and necessary modifications are made so that teachers can fulfill their students‘ expectations from them in a better way.

Apart from having in place an institutionalized system of receiving feedback through feedback forms, students‘ satisfaction is regularly gauged through informal discussion in classes where students are always encouraged to speak their minds. In keeping in mind their preferences, in addition to class lectures, power-point presentations and other audio-visual means (like showing relevant films)are often used to make teaching and learning an enjoyable experience.