IQAC
As per the UGC guidelines, Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) is to be established in higher Educational Institutions. The UGC has established National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) to monitor the standards of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under section 12 (ccc) of its Act I in Sept 1994. NAAC has been instilling a momentum of quality consciousness amongst Higher Educational Institutions aiming for continuous improvement in quality of education and enhancing awareness of Institutional Quality Assurance with all stakeholders. Assessment is a performance evaluation of an HEI and / or its units’ defined criteria. Accreditation refers to the certification given by NAAC which is valid for a period of five years. Many Higher Educational Institutions have established the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), a post accreditation quality sustenance activity. NAAC reveals that the IQAC is a healthy way. The UGC has recognized this initiative and it has taken a policy decision to direct all HEIs (Universities) to establish IQACs for which, it has decided to provide seed financial assistance of Rs.5.00 lakh to each university as one time grant.
NAAC proposes that every accredited Institution should establish an IQAC as a post accreditation quality sustenance measure. Since quality enhancement is a continuous process, the IQAC will become a part of an Institution’s system and work towards realizing the goals of quality enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic improvement in the performance of institutions.
The IQAC will make a significant and meaningful contribution in the post accreditation phase of Institutions. During the post accreditation period, the IQAC will channelize the efforts and measures of an institution towards academic excellence.
Considering the fact that Central University of Tamil Nadu is a New University and most of its faculty & staff will be new to this activity, it has been decided to set up the IQAC & integrate it in the pre-accreditation phase itself so that all stakeholders in the University are involved in the accreditation process from the initial stage itself. The Internal Quality Assurance Mechanism of the Institution may be called “Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)”, which is meant for planning, guiding and monitoring Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Enhancement (QE) activities of the University.
I believe the role of the IQAC is a continuous and dynamic one for the university seeks not only to maintain the quality but to also enhance it. My vision for the IQAC is for it to not serve as a data centre but as a means to bring together the administrators, teachers, students, supporting staff and all other stakeholders and let each one of them contribute to the betterment of the university in all of its aspects. For it is the individuals who ultimately make up the university and its quality, with the IQAC being an instrument to aid them in achieving that goal.
STRATEGIES OF IQAC
GOALS OF THE IQAC
- To develop a quality system for conscious, consistent and catalytic programmed action to improve the academic and administrative performances.
- To promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality enhancement through internalization of the quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.
- To take steps for periodic internal academic audit of the teaching learning and research activities of all departments / faculty members and Institutes.
- To collaborate with other academic institutions and agencies globally for improvement of quality and brand image of the University.
FUNCTIONS OF IQAC
- 1. Development and application of quality benchmarks/parameters for the various academic and administrative activities of the institution.
- 2. Facilitating the creation of a learner centric environment conducive for quality education and faculty maturation to adopt the required knowledge and technology for participatory teaching and learning process.
- 3. Arrangement of feedback responses from students, parents and other stakeholders on quality related institutional processes.
- 4. Dissemination of information on the various quality parameters of higher education.
- 5. Organization of inter and intra institutional workshops, seminars on quality related themes and promotion of quality circles.
- 6. Documentation of the various programmes / activities leading to quality improvement.
- 7. Acting as a nodal agency of the institution for quality-related activities.
- 8. Development and maintenance of Institutional database through MIS for the purpose of maintaining / enhancing the Institutional quality.
- 9. Development of quality culture in the University.
- 10. Preparation of the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) to be submitted to NAAC based on the quality parameter.
IQAC-MEMBERS
Prof. A. P. Dash, Vice Chancellor
DIRECTOR / COORDINATOR:
Prof. Sulochana Shekhar, HOD, Dept. of Geography
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS:
Dr. S. Bhuvaneswari, Registrar
Dr. A. Ragupathy, Controller of Examinations
MEMBERS:
Prof. S. Nagarajan, HOD, Dept. of Chemistry
Prof. S. Ravi, HOD, Dept. of Library and Information Sciences
Dr. P. Srinivasan, Associate Professor, Dept. of Education
Dr.Sigamani P, Associate Professor, Dept. of Social Work
Dr. E.M. Shankar, Associate Professor, Dept. of Life Sciences
Dr. V. Premalatha, Associate Professor, Dept. of Music & Fine Arts
Dr. N. BaraniBalan, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mathematics
Dr. V. Gunasekaran, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Material Science
EXTERNAL MEMBERS:
Prof. N. Panchanathan, Professor of Business Administration, Annamalai University
Shri. A. Vikram Suthakar, CEO, AuraphyllInnoventures India P. Ltd.
Prof . S. Venkatarajulu, Chairman, Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose Group of Institutions, Thiruvarur.
STUDENT MEMBER:
Ms. Anjali Ashokan, 2nd year Int MSc Chemistry
ALUMNI MEMBER
Ms. S. Priyanga, Program producer, Madhimugam Channel, Chennai