The University has set up the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance for the execution of programmes in Open and Distance Learning mode and/or Online mode and predominantly for maintaining the quality of the courses.
The center is headed by a Director and a team comprising academic and other staff members.
The Centre shoulders the responsibilities for fostering quality assurance and working out the procedural duties.
To encourage cross disciplinary collaboration to facilitate the integration of diverse scientific and technological discipline.
Regular academic and administrative audits.
Self-evaluation, accountability, autonomy and transparency through quality circles in all processes.
Effective use of the latest technical know-how for automation of activities.
Protocols for all activities and refine them based on stakeholders’ feedback.
Human resources (Academic & Non-academic) for overall quality delivery of online resources.
Develop and establish a comprehensive and dynamic internal quality assurance system ensuring higher education programmes in the Online mode are of acceptable quality and constantly discerning further improvements.
To maintain quality in the services provided to the learners.
To undertake self-evaluative and reflective exercises for continual quality improvement in all the systems and processes of the Higher Educational Institution.
To contribute in the identification of the key areas in which Higher Educational Institutions should maintain quality.
To devise mechanisms to ensure that the quality of Open and Distance Learning programmes and Online programmes matches with the quality of relevant programmes in conventional mode.
To devise mechanisms for interaction with and obtaining feedback from all stakeholders namely, learners, teachers, staff, parents, society, employers, and Government for quality improvement.
To suggest measures to the authorities of Higher Educational Institutions for qualitative improvement.
To facilitate the implementation of its recommendations through periodic reviews.
To organize workshops/ seminars/ symposium on quality related themes, ensure participation of all stakeholders, and disseminate the reports of such activities among all the stakeholders in Higher Educational Institutions.
To develop and collate best practices in all areas leading to quality enhancement in services to the learners and disseminate the same all concerned in Higher Educational Institution.
To collect, collate and disseminate accurate, complete and reliable statistics about the quality of the programme(s).
To ensure that Programme Project Report for each programme is according to the norms and guidelines prescribed by the Commission and wherever necessary by the appropriate regulatory authority having control over the programme.
To put in place a mechanism to ensure the proper implementation of Programme Project Reports.
To maintain a cord of Annual Plans and Annual Reports of Higher Educational Institutions, review them periodically and generate actionable reports.
To provide inputs to the Higher Educational Institution for restructuring of programmes in order to make them relevant to the job market.
To facilitate system based research on ways of creating a learner centric environment and to bring about qualitative change in the entire system.
To act as a nodal coordinating unit for seeking assessment and accreditation from a designated body for accreditation such as NAAC etc.
To adopt measures to ensure internalisation and institutionalisation of quality enhancement practices through periodic accreditation and audit.
To coordinate between Higher Educational Institutions and the Commission for various quality related initiatives or guidelines.
To obtain information from other Higher Educational Institutions on various quality benchmarks or parameters and best practices.
To record activities undertaken on quality assurance in the form of an annual report of Centre for Internal Quality Assurance.
It will be mandatory for the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance to submit Annual Reports to the Statutory Authorities or Bodies of the Higher Educational Institution about its activities at the end of each academic session. A copy of report in the format as specified by the Commission, duly approved by the statutory authorities of the Higher Educational Institution shall be submitted annually to the Commission.
The functions of the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance includes:
| Name | Position |
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Chairperson |
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Members |
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External Experts |
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Member Secretary |
The members of the committee are nominated by the Vice-Chancellor of the Higher Educational Institution.
The membership of such nominated members is for a period of two years. The Committee of Centre for Internal Quality Assurance meets at least once in a semester. The quorum for the meeting is two-third of the total number of members with mandatory presence of one external expert. The agenda, minutes and Action Taken Reports are documented with official signatures and maintained electronically in a retrievable format.
Center for Internal Quality Assurance Committee performs the following functions, namely:-
Overseeing the functioning of Centre for Internal Quality Assurance and approving the reports generated by Centre for Internal Quality Assurance on the effectiveness of quality assurance systems and processes.
Facilitating adoption of instructional design requirements as per the philosophy of the Open and Distance Learning and/or Online learning decided by the statutory bodies of the HEI for its different academic programmes.
Promoting automation of learner support services of the Higher Educational Institution.
Coordinating with external subject experts or agencies or organizations, the activities pertaining to validation and annual review of its in-house processes.
Coordinating with third party auditing bodies for quality audit of programme(s).
Overseeing the preparation of Self-Appraisal Report to be submitted to the Assessment and Accreditation agencies on behalf of Higher Educational Institution.
Promoting collaboration and association for quality enhancement of Open and Distance Learning and Online modes of education and research therein.
Facilitating industry-institution linkage for providing exposure to the learners and enhancing their employability.
The guidelines on quality monitoring mechanism is adopted by the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance for conducting institutional quality audits, to promote quality assurance and enhance as well as spread best-in- class practices of quality assurance.
Quality monitoring is addressed under the following broad areas, namely:-
(A) Governance, Leadership And Management
Organisation Structure and Governance: This relates to the policies and practices of Higher Educational Institution in the matter of planning, human resources, recruitment, training, performance appraisal, financial management and the overall role of leadership, with a focus on the following key aspects
Management: The leadership and management of the Institution strives to assess and review the organizational culture to achieve its vision, mission and goals.
Strategic Planning: The Higher Educational Institution undertakes strategic planning of its activities and implements the same by aligning those with academic and administrative aspects to improve the overall quality.
Operational Plan, Goals and Policies: The Higher Educational Institution has well defined goals which are realistic and measurable, well defined policies that are in sync with its strategic plan and are realistic and achievable, clearly stated guidelines for the implementation of its policies and plans, and transparent and accountable system for its policies and planning that are well communicated to its stakeholders.
(B) Articulation Of Higher Educational Institution Objectives
The Higher Educational Institution has articulated a clear vision, mission, ethos and broad strategy consistent with the goals for offering programmes in Open and Distance Learning and Online mode.
(C) Programme Development And Approval Processes
This area of concern relates to programme development and approval mechanism for the programme(s) to be launched, covering the following key aspects, namely:-
Curriculum Planning, Design and Development: The curriculum planning, design and development of academic programmes is a major academic activity of the Higher Educational Institution. Therefore, it has processes, systems and structures in place to carry out these responsibilities.
Curriculum Implementation: The Higher Educational Institution has specific implementation plans for identifying the time to be spent on specific components of the implementation phase. It is the basis for the effectiveness of the programme(s) and their usefulness as a whole.
Academic Flexibility: The Higher Educational Institution has adopted proper strategies for imparting academic flexibility, which refers to freedom in the use of the time-frame of courses, vertical mobility, and inter-disciplinary options facilitated by curricular transactions for learners.
Learning Resource: The Higher Educational Institution has ensured quality learning resources in the form of Self Learning Materials (SLMs) for Open and Distance Learning mode and e-learning material for Online mode of education as defined in these regulations. While deciding on the instructional packages, the Higher Educational Institution has taken into consideration various factors – the media and technology utilised matches the course content in order to enhance and expand learning, and to match to the learners‘ needs; that these are accessible, practical and equitable, and cost effective to the learners.
Feedback System: The process of revision and re-design of curricula is based on feedback from all stakeholders in terms of its relevance and appropriateness in catering to the needs of the society, economy and environment.
(D) Programme Monitoring And Review
The Higher Educational Institution plans and executes a programme monitoring and review system to conduct periodic internal reviews and maintain the quality of academic programmes. For such reviews, the Institution has also considered the attainments of learning outcomes that are assessed through the various tools for direct and indirect assessment.
(E) Infrastructure Resources
The Higher Educational Institution has a system to elicit data on the adequacy and optimal use of the facilities - physical facilities, library (or e-library), Information and Communication Technology infrastructure, etc. - available in a Higher Educational Institution to maintain the quality of academic programmes and ensure qualitative support to each of the stakeholders.
(F) Learning Environment And Learner Support
The learner support services including academic counseling and library services has a major preoccupation of Higher Educational Institution for its Open and Distance Learning mode and Online mode learners. Additionally, Higher Educational Institution has established Information and Communication Technology facilities as components of the learning environment which is focused around the pedagogical use of modern educational practices to support blended learning. Learner Support Services are provided through the campus-wide portal and e-Learning platform. The Higher Educational Institution has taken a more sophisticated approach to the use of Information and Communication Technology and expertise in e-learning. The approach provides a seamless learner-centred environment.
(G) Assessment And Evaluation
All the stated Learning Outcomes of a Programme is a part of its evaluation protocol. The Higher Educational Institution executes the evaluation through varied assessment tools including multiple choice questions, projects, reports, case-studies, presentations, and term-end examinations, to suit the different learning outcomes expected of the course elements. The Higher Educational Institution has a proper assessment and moderation system for assessing the learning outcomes of learners.
(H) Teaching Quality And Staff Development
The Higher Educational Institution has a well established structure for promoting quality counseling, capacity building workshops, programmes, interactive teaching-learning and provides staff development programmes and activities to encourage academic staff to improve teaching and learning on a continuous basis.
Process of Quality Audit
(A) Academic Planning
The Higher Educational Institution has robust and appropriate academic planning procedures to ensure that the programmes offered by it are relevant to the national economy, reflects the Institution ‘s strategic direction and offers a high quality ‘value-added ‘learner experience. The Institution has adequate and appropriate teaching and other support staff along with infrastructure and technology support to ensure that the curriculum remains up to date and the institutional goals are achieved.
(B) Validation
The Higher Educational Institution has a mechanism in place for validation to ensure that its programmes are academically viable, that academic standards have been appropriately defined and that these offer learners the best opportunity to learn.
(C) Monitoring, Evaluation And Enhancement Plans
Quality deliverance of the Open and Distance Learning programmes and Online programmes and the outcomes attainment and continual quality improvements are ensured by the Higher Educational Institution, shall be broadly as follows, namely: -
Reports from Examination Centres: Report of conduct of examinations in both Open and Distance Learning Mode and Online mode, along with report of observers/proctors for all examinations is collected periodically from Examination Centres. The Higher Educational Institution has adopted technological solutions for easy receipt of these reports.
External Auditor or other External Agencies report: The Higher Educational Institution considers the comments made by External auditors, experts and third party of quality audit and implementation as appropriate.
Systematic Consideration of Performance Data at Programme, Faculty and Higher Educational Institution levels: For effective evaluation and audit, the Higher Educational Institution ensures easy access to performance monitoring information such as course pass rates, learner entry profiles and progression and achievement reports, which is available through web-based application and be used for report making by the Higher Educational institution.
Reporting and Analytics by the Higher Educational Institution: The Higher Educational Institution shall generate the required reports out of such web-based applications and analyze learner and academic analytics for deciding the improvements to be executed for better performance.
Periodic Review: The Higher Educational Institution has an effective system for collecting feedback from the stakeholders regularly to improve its programmes. The Higher Educational Institution conducts self-assessments regularly and uses the results to improve its systems, processes etc. and finally quality of programmes.