Evaluation Process and Reforms

2.5.1 How does the institution ensure that the stakeholders of the institution especially students and faculty are aware of the evaluation processes?

Freshers are briefed about the evaluation procedures right from the very beginning and so are their guardians too, during parent-teacher meets. The college prospectus and websites too carry guidelines outlining the same. In case of the appointments of new faculty members, their seniors in the departments make the same known to them.

Furthermore, answer scripts of all students (both honours and general) are properly evaluated during internal examinations and their marks are then duly recorded in the registers, following which their progress reports are prepared and handed out by the faculty members themselves. The students are also given the opportunity to scrutinize their corrected answer scripts so that all doubts regarding marking may be sorted out amicably. University mark sheets and relevant pass certificates are distributed to the pupils on completion of their university examinations.

2.5.2 What are the major evaluation reforms of the university that the institution has adopted and what are the reforms initiated by the institution on its own?

The important evaluation reforms that have lately been undertaken by the university and which are mandatorily being followed by all under-graduate institutions (including ours) is that apart from the usual 1+1+1-09 New Regulations, any candidate who has been unable to clear the General Papers would not have to repeat one whole year again.

Instead he or she would be allowed to continue their academic studies uninterruptedly,

only that they would have to clear their supplementary exams in the following year.

The recent RTI Acts, (whereupon candidates can now lay claim to seek fairness and justice as far as rightful evaluation is concerned), have also led the various departments of our institution to comply with and abide by similar evaluation procedures, specially when they are earmarked as zonal centres for both regular (honours and general) examinations as well as for supplementary ones. Our institution on its part, encourages its faculty to distribute the answer scripts in class so that the students can go through them themselves. Not only does this impart a greater amount of transparency to the whole process of evaluation, it also benefits the students in the long run as they get an opportunity to learn from whatever mistakes they might have committed.

2.5.3 How does the institution ensure effective implementation of the evaluation reforms of the university and those initiated by the institution on its own?

The institution holds regular mid-term and (selection) test examinations, in keeping with the evaluation norms laid down by the university, following which, progress reports for all three years (for both honours and general students) are prepared by the faculty members and are handed over to the students, who return the same after their parents have signed in on them. Regular parent-teacher meets for all the three years are also religiously held by all the departments with a view to strengthen the bond between the educator and the educatee and to clarify any queries or doubts which the guardians might be harbouring vis-à-vis the institution, staff or the department.

The office staffers moreover are encouraged to cooperate with the students and help them in filling up review forms or brief them about evaluation norms. The former, together with the faculty, impart proper advise as well as look into the grievances of the students, specifically on matters relating to evaluation procedures.

The institution on its part, holds regular staff meetings, (either with all faculty members joining them or with departmental heads alone, as the case may be) where the effective implementation of the evaluation reforms of the university as well as those initiated by the institution on its own, are almost always discussed.

2.5.4 Provide details on the formative and summative evaluation approaches adopted to measure student achievement. Cite a few examples which have positively impacted the system.

The achievement of the students, right at the preliminary level are at times determined by some departments who hold qualifying examinations. While this enables only the ones who are adequately - equipped to pursue a particular discipline, the ones faring poorly are advised to take up general streams. This is then gradually followed by a host of other evaluations both at the honours and at the general levels so as to keep the students abreast of their academic curricula. The Mid- Term examinations and the Selection Test at the end of each academic year are two crucial components in the evaluation process followed by the institution.

2.5.5 Enumerate on how the institution monitors and communicates the progress and performance of students through the duration of the course/programme? Provide an analysis of the students results/achievements (Programme/course wise for last four years) and explain the differences if any and patterns of achievement across the programmes/courses offered.

This institution believes in imparting a holistic education to those passing through its portals. One of the ways it thinks this can best be ensured, is by pursuing a proper course of student evaluation. The students are evaluated practically at the middle or at the end of each term, following which they receive their progress reports that are meant to be shown at home to their parents. While arrangements are made to felicitate the prize-winners from amongst them, those found to be derelict in their academic duties are equally reprimanded. The parents of the latter too are called to apprise them of their wards‘ poor performance.

The various departments also take a lot of initiative in preparing students to face inter- and intra-college debates, quizzes and paper presentations, which in turn help them to enhance their overall performance both in academics as well as in extra-curricular disciplines.

Results of last 4 years:

Year BA ( Pass % ) BSc ( Pass % )

2012 95.2% 86.17%

2011 89.1% 87.42%

2010 84.6% 86.24%

2009 96.38% 97.7%

The Pass percentage is quite satisfactory. Each year, our students fare better than the average recorded result of the University. As such, the result pattern of the past four years does not display any marked variation or decline.

PRIZE DAY

2.5.6 Detail on the significant improvements made in ensuring rigor and transparency in the internal assessment during the last four years and weightages assigned for the overall development of students (weightage for behavioral aspects, independent learning, communication skills etc.

Examinations conducted by the University of Calcutta have hardly any provision for internal assessment.

However an overall assessment of the student is made through examinations conducted routinely at the middle and end of each term in adherence to the norms laid down by Calcutta University. This ensures periodical assessment of the students‘

performance by dint of which the students too are able to measure their strengths and weaknesses before their final examinations. When answer scripts are shown to them, students become aware of the fact that a standard of marking, higher than that set by the university is maintained to ensure optimal performance by them.

Students are formally inducted into approved behavioral norms during the orientation session at the beginning of their course by the principal. From then onwards the faculty members too, ensure that codes of conduct are not violated by the students who are duly reprimanded when any such lapses occur. Use of mobile phones during class hours remains strictly prohibited while non conformist behavior of any sort is censured.

Independent learning is encouraged through participation in students‘ seminars, student projects and the like which are again meticulously supervised by the faculty members.

Communication skills are honed through student paper presentations, participation in inter-college seminars and debates.

2.5.7 Does the institution and individual teachers use assessment/evaluation as an indicator for evaluating student performance, achievement of learning objectives and planning?

If ‗yes‘ provide details on the process and cite a few examples.

The teachers have all been making consistent efforts at improving the parameters of learning in our institute. As far as internal assessments are concerned, in most cases each answer script is individually evaluated by practically all teachers belonging to a respective department. This more than anything ensures 100% transparency and fair play so far as student-evaluation is concerned.

The students too are encouraged to present papers, give oral answers in class and appear for written class assessments on chosen topics that are a part of their curricula.

They also prepare answers on their own and get them corrected from the concerned teachers.

2.5.8 What are the mechanisms for redressal of grievances with reference to evaluation both at the college and University level?

As far as the institutional level is concerned, any student bearing a genuine grievance regarding the evaluation techniques is treated with due consideration, preferably on a one-to–one basis with the respective teacher/s until the matter is amicably settled.

Despite the fact that we strictly adhere to having a full-proof and fair evaluation technique, yet there have been a couple of instances in the past, where genuinely aggrieved candidates have been allowed a re-evaluation of their answer scripts. In instances such as these (which are however indeed a rarity), the genuineness and merit of the case alone is of course the only determinant.

The students are also free to put in whatever grievances that they may be having in the Students‘ Grievance Box, which are looked into from time to time and necessary redressal measures too are implemented accordingly.

At the level of the university, the present-day student is perhaps spoilt by choice, in that they can not only seek re-evaluation of their answer scripts but the more dissatisfied ones amongst them, can even challenge the evaluation system by approaching the court of law. There have been innumerable cases in the recent past which amply prove the fact how the students have been seeking (read legal) justice by taking recourse to the RTI Act.