Academic Audit

The continuous progress of the College is monitored through an annual external academic audit conducted by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).

Objectives of the practice:
  • To encourage the faculty to aim constantly at quality sustenance activities.
  • To help the teachers, in all departments to use innovative methods in their classroom teaching and learning process.
  • To encourage faculty to improve their professional expertise.  
  • To develop research culture at the grass root level.
  • To review the functioning of departments, associations and facilities.
  • To identify the strengths and limitations of the department.
The Context:

Annual Academic Audit   is introduced by the college to reinforce the healthy practices of the college with suitable mechanisms to identify and reform whether the goals and objectives of the college are being implemented successfully. The notion of conducting academic audit is to assess the academic performance of staff in particular and departments as whole. Specifically, the audit is conducted on the basis of criterion wise as suggested by the NAAC.  Issues identified were curricular designing and development, teacher quality and profile, performances of students, innovative methods in teaching and learning process, academic progress of the department, professional development of staff, research and extension activities conducted by the department, students support activities, best practice of the department and so on. In view of this exercise, the strength and limitations of the department can be identified and suitable measures are suggested. This practice develops a healthy competition among the members of faculty of each department and also among the departments.  It is to be ensured that students graduating from the college are groomed to master any set of skills or knowledge. They are trained to maintain a high standard with their counterparts in urban areas. 

The Practice:
  • Academic audit committee is being constituted with external expert, Principal and coordinator of IQAC.
  • Once the committee is constituted, the date and time of the academic audit will be informed to the respective departments well in advance. 
  • A department evaluative report in duplicate has to be kept ready based on the format evolved for audit - one being the self-study report of the department and the other being  the individual teacher profile.
  • The departments are expected to be prepared with the following documents and display them before the Academic Audit Committee.
  • a. Curricular aspects
  • b. Teaching, learning and evaluation methodology adopted in the department
  • c. Research and extension details
  • d. Student support activities
  • e. Best practice of the department
  • First Head of department or coordinator of Micro Quality Assurance Cell(MQAC) presents the activities of the department. Then the members of academic audit interact with each member of faculty with regard to programmes and courses; various concepts of the courses taught and also go through all their records and credentials.
  • At the end, the committee evaluates the whole departments’ academic performance. A report is prepared with the significant contribution of the members of faculty. Hard copies of the reports duly signed are being sent to the IQAC. After due verification IQAC sends the report to the Principal. The reports of the audit team will be finally sent to the Heads of the Departments concerned for their perusal and further course of action.

    Evidence of Success:

    After conducting the academic audit regularly, it has been found that a significant improvement of the individual faculty with regard to attending seminars, publishing papers, undertaking consultancy, organizing seminars / workshops, maintaining records etc. Further the performance of departments is remarkably accomplished. Student support activities, student progressions and placement activities are considerably increased.

    Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

    In view of continuous internal assessment of students, teaching schedule, research and extension activities and examinations related duties make the teacher unable to collate the data and write the self-study report. Clerical assistance was not available. The teachers have to adopt/familiarize new technology/gadgets to get their work done easily.

    Resource required:

  • Human Resources - collect information to process and collate.
  • Financial assistance - for stationary and other miscellaneous items for preparing reports.
  • nological resource - Use of computers and other modes of data processing.
  • Material Resources - Paper and stationery items for preparation of audit.

    Notes:

    The IQAC develops standards for the various administrative and academic functions of the college. It also orients and trains staff members existing and new entrants on various issues and changes in higher education. The IQAC sheds responsibilities and works in a team at all levels of the hierarchical structure. In particular IQAC has introduced quality circles in department level by forming Micro quality assurance cell (MQAC).