ANNUAL QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORT (AQAR) 2009-10
OF THE IQAC
[All accredited institutions shall submit the AQAR to the NAAC by the end of every academic year with emphasis on the following key result areas]
Name of the Institution Year of Report
ALAGAPPA UNIVERSITY, KARAIKUDI, 2009-10
TAMIL NADU, INDIA- 630 003
(Accredited with ‘A’ Grade by the NAAC)
PART - A
PLAN AND OUTCOMEThe plan of action chalked out by the IQAC in the beginning of the year towards quality enhancement and the outcome achieved by the end of the year.
Plan of Action: The Plan of action aims to attain the goal of the University as enunciated in its motto, “Excellence in Action”. The IQAC reiterates that the University keeps before it the vision of excellence in all spheres of education, aptly captured in the acronym, ‘PEARL’- standing for ‘Pedagogy, Extension, Administration, Research & Learning’.
The University is committed to provide a High Quality Higher Education to the people of this region so that the human resources are groomed well and could be put to best use in uplift of the nation to Educational, Social, Technological, Environmental and Economic Magnificence (ESTEEM).
The IQAC worked out plans for the University, for the Academic Year 2009-10.
1 / Enhancing the quality of academic inputs in terms of ‘Pedagogical’design and delivery.2 / Giving a great push forward in the ‘scale, scope and style of ‘Extension’ activities so that the stakeholders give their best and get the best.
3 / Streamlining the ‘Administration’ so that responsiveness, accountability, swiftness and effectiveness of actions are benchmarked.
4 / Increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of ‘Research’ activities to make the University on par with advanced Research Institutes in the country.
5 / Making every effort to ensure that maximum ‘Learning’ experience is provided to the learners, faculty included.
6 / Take measures to get the University re-accredited by the beginning of the academic year 2010-11.
7 / Make a quantum addition in the infrastructure facilities of the University so that every School/Faculty is provided with independent Seminar hall, one/two smart class-rooms and state of art ICT / Laboratory equipment
8 / Institute Chairs in the name of epoch-making leaders of Tamilnadu, marking the birth centenary of Peraringnar Anna and the Silver Jubilee of the University.
9 / Thrust quality culture in the affiliated colleges with emphasis on Annual Academic Audit
10 / Gear up the Extra-curricular, Campus beautificationand Asset creation activities during the Silver Jubilee Year of the University
11 / Launching of e-leaning mode MBA through the Directorate of Distance Education in 2009-10 with every interaction with the learner in the e-format.
12 / To ensure that the Stamp of Quality- Fineness, Attentiveness, Suppleness and Thoroughness(FAST), is made default in every sphere of activity.
Outcome of Actions: The outcome depicts the achievements of the University in tandem with the plan of Action and influences the future of the University. The University is made Educationally, Socially, Technologically, Environmentally and Economically Magnificent (ESTEEM) institution.
The IQAC feels happy to report the achievements, of the University, as follows, for the Academic Year 2009-10.
Sl. No. / Outcome of Planned Actions – DetailsGrowth / Details / Units / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / Change
Faculty Strength / Numbers / 145 / 162 / 17
Student Strength (Dept. only) / Numbers / 1543 / 1701 / 158
Projects / Numbers / 43 / 62 / 19
Programs Offered / Numbers / 223 / 247 / 24
Papers Published/Presented / Numbers / 585 / 777 / 192
Books/Course Materials / Numbers / 56 / 60 / 4
Ntl. Seminars/Workshops Held / Numbers / 85 / 120 / 35
Syndicate/ FC/. SSC Meetings / Numbers / 56 / 72 / 16
Finances / University Revenue (Gen. Fund) / Rs. Crs. / 7.81 / 9.24 / 1.43
Net Revenue from DDE / Rs. Crs. / 32.83 / 28.42 / (4.41)
University Expenses / Rs. Crs. / 13.42 / 17.57 / 4.15
Equipments each > Rs.5 lakhs / Rs. Crs. / 1.39 / 3.65 / 2.26
Scholarship Amount Disbursed / Rs. Crs. / 0.77 / 0.80 / 0.03
Projects / Rs. Crs. / 6.71 / 10.34 / 2.63
Administrative Initiatives
24 Cells/Clubs Newly created / Two chairs for Studies on Epoch Making Leaders - ‘Perarignar’ Anna Chair and Chair for ‘Kalaignar’( Govt. consent awaited) are created.
13 service clubs namely, Consumer Awareness Club, ‘QUICK’ Club, Performing Arts Club, E-Literacy Club, Invention and Innovation Club, ‘DEEP’ Club, Health Club, Literary Club, Staff Recreation Club, Environmental Awareness Club, Sports Club, Ladies Club and Campus Landscape Club formed and they did special kind of activities.
8 Extension Cells, Intellectual Property Rights Cell, Personality Development Cell, Social Responsibility & Citizenship Cell, Women Empowerment Cell, Placement Cell, Competitive Exam Coaching Cell, Entrepreneurship Development Cell and Faculty Development Cell are formed.
3 more mandatory Cells, namely, Career Guidance & Counseling Cell, Equal Opportunities Cell and Women Harassment Prevention Cell newly formed along with the Special Coaching Cell (SC/ST/OBC, etc) and the Legal and RTI Cell.
Faculty Induction 17 New posts / In addition to the 43 new faculty members inducted into service in 2008-09, 17 more further recruited during this year, 2009-10. There were a few relocations, from surplus to needy Departments, of faculty members to ensure maximum performance.
Academic Quality / The syllabi are of national standard, global in some cases.
Remedial coaching, Bridge Coaching, Slow-learner Pick-up Coaching, Fast Learner Further Inducement Coaching, etc are practiced.
ICT oriented coaching followed with all programs having ICT courses. The class room and laboratory pedagogy is tuned with use of IT induction.
Placement arranged for all. Higher placement ratio of the graduates, which varies between 60% and 100%, for different programs, evidences Quality Enhancement.
Research Quality / All-India level Common Entrance Exam for admission to select Ph.D scholars held twice. MinimumPassMarks in the Entrance Examination fixedat 50% for SC/ST candidates and 55% for others.
Ph.D Pre-registration is streamlined to ensure quality proposals in the first place. Periodic presentations for quality assessment strengthened.
Common Entrance Exam for M.Phil students conducted in all Departmentsfor the first time.
Post-docs have become an entity for the first time in the University.
80 Projects
Under the newly created
AURF / Interest from the corpus fund of Alagappa University Research Fund (AURF) granted to faculty members to take up projects.
5 Overseas Collaborative Projects valued at Rs. 22.4 lakhs are sanctioned. The overseas projects come with matching support from the collaborating foreign institution.
75 Small Projects(comprising 39valued at Rs. 24.36 lakhs and another 36 with allocation of Rs. 7.2 lakhs) are awarded to faculty members in 2009-10after project scrutiny and evaluation by specially constituted expert committees.
Thus the culture of every faculty with a project is inculcated and achieved to a great extent. Wide ranging socially relevant, economically significant and scientifically important issues are taken for probe by these projects.
Student Exchange with Queens University of Belfast, London effected with 2 students pursuing overseas study.
Extension / Faculty members permitted to go for Project Presentations, Overseas short-duration projects, conferences and invited lectures, etc. Faculty members have attended 937 conferences, an average of 6 per faculty member.
Seven International Conferences and Seminars, 114 national Conferences, 84 International/National Guest/Endowment Lectures, were organized by different Schools of learning bringing intellectual confluence to enhance, enlighten and enrich knowledge quotient ascendance and to provide stimulus for learning through interactive activities reaping the benefit of synergy.
Experts from, USA, UK, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Canada, France, Muscat, Dubai, Bulgaria and Malaysia, and almost every part of India addressed and presented papers.
113 Extension Works like Quizzes, VPP, Cultural programs, SHG activities, etc conducted.
Net-
working / Foreign delegates who attended the seminars/guest lectures ran to about 25.
At least 20 Vice-chancellors (present and past) participated in University Campus activities sharing rich thoughts on planning, administration and scientific and management pursuits.
Faculty members have established more global/national linkages for sourcing collaborative opportunities for joint research, Post-doctoral fellowships and overseas placements for students/scholars and so on.
Curriculum and Extension / Students’ Participation in Seminars/Conferences given thrust. Student run programs given prominence like the ‘Sadhana’, FINFEST, etc.
Alumni meets were organized periodically. AIBA Meet, Alagappa Sports Education Alumni (ASEA) Meet, AIMA Meet, etc were quite frequent were quite grand. There resulted more interactive discourses with active student participation as well.
Cultural fete was also given great fillip with reputed artists giving performances. Students also contributed richly to the cultural events.
ALUTES 2010 was a big hit bringing to the fore the best of potentials of students on the fine-art, martial-art, folk-art and other
Space Infra-
structure / During 2009-10 alone,250,000 sq. ft built area added to the infrastructure of the University
Construction of the New LanguageBlock, Umayal Creche, Management Block Conference Hall, Ramanujan Centre for Higher Mathematics, New Science Block, Compound Walls running to length of 2 KM completed.
Besides addition of 2 floor to the office of the Controller, 1 floor to the Guest House, New Management Block, New Block for DDE, compound wall for 1 KM are under way.
Lab
Infra-structure / Special class equipments like Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (LSM 710) and Real Time –PCR (ABI Bio Systems), costing close to Rs. 2 crores are installed and training given in the application of the same.
Further Rs. 2 crores worth of equipment added to various Departments/University to equip labs and buildings with state-of-art modern scientific and research equipment. Right now the university can boast of some unique equipment.
Programs / 247 programs are offered by the University through its 4 major wings.
ACE
Award / First award under the Alagappa Centenary Excellence (ACE) Awards instituted for outstanding contribution to Pure And Applied Sciences (PAAS) given to Prof. P.Gunasekaran, Madurai Kamaraj university
Silver Jubilee Celebrations
330 Activities took place / Beginning June 2009, the yearlong Silver Jubilee Celebrations reverberated in the campus.
Many developmental activities are undertaken, some finished, some continuing and a few to be begun very soon. Buildings, Awards and Chairs instituted. 121 Seminars/Conferences, 95 Guest Lectures, 114 Extension Works of sort, adding to a total of 330 events took place.
The Ninth Tamil Science Conference under the aegis of the Tamil Science Congress hosted by the University.
All the Staff members were honoured with a memento on the Teachers Day for the third consecutive year on 7th Sep. 2009.
Alagappa Centenary Excellence (ACE) Arch in front of the Administrative building is completed.
JawaharParkrejuvenated and re-dedicated
UGC XI Plan Allocation 320% More than the
X-Plan Allocation / The University Grants Commission has been a great source of grants to AlagappaUniversity since VII Plan onwards. For the XI Plan the UGC has sanctioned Rs.13.45 Crores to AlagappaUniversity comprising of Rs.8 crores for General Development and Rs.5.44 Crores for implementing various schemes. Rs.5 lakhs allotted for Internal Quality Assurance Cell.
The allocation is 3.2 times more than the allocation made by the UGC in the previous X Plan Period. The grant had been sanctioned based on the performance of the University during the X Plan Period (April 2002- March 2007) as reported by the XI plan UGC Committee which inspected the University in August 2008.
UGC is convinced of the splendid achievements and developmental requirements of AlagappaUniversity situated in a rural setting. A steep rise in allocation during the current XI Plan period is evident.AlagappaUniversity is pleased to record its appreciation to the generous UGC.
DEC Approval for DDE Programs / The Distance Education Council (DEC), New Delhi earlier granted provisional recognition to the programs of the DDE on 4th February 2009.
The DEC Peer Team, under the leadership of Dr.Latha Pillai, Pro-Vice Chancellor, IGNOU, New Delhiand Experts from AICTE, New Delhiand UGC, New Delhi, Program Experts from different Universitiesand Officiating Member of the DEC, New Delhi, visited and assessed the AlagappaUniversity on 4-5th October, 2009.
Convinced of the of the soundness of the DDE program offerings, the DEC has accorded ex-post-facto recognition (vide letter, DEC/AU/KKDI/TN/2008/4425 dt. 24th Nov. 2009) to 108 programs offered by the DDE since its inception and prospective recognition (vide letter, DEC/AU/KKDI/TN/2008/19309 dt. 4th Feb. 2009) for 3 years for all programs currently being offered by the DDE. This is a great achievement and is of great help to the Distance Education learners and also the University.
ABCD > FAST > ESTEEM / Attitude, Behaviour, Capacity and Dedication (ABCD) are perhaps the tools to ensure that the Stamp of Quality- Fineness, Attentiveness, Suppleness and Thoroughness(FAST) is achieved. This ‘ABCD’ is made default in every sphere of activity so that the quality ‘FAST’ flowed naturally leading to the realization of super-ordinate goal, ‘ESTEEM’.
PART B
- ACTIVITIES REFLECTING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE INSTITUTION
To ensure that high quality higher education is imparted and superior knowledge is disseminated in an excellent manner, all the three major activities of University education, namely Academic programs, Research projects and Extension activities must be carried out extensively and intensively reflecting the nuances and needs of the society. AlagappaUniversity does this well. Besides, the University adds to its infrastructure facility immensely. More buildings, Equipment, etc are being constructed/installed. There is campus vibrancy. Certain major initiatives taken to achieve the goals and objectives are as below.
(i) / Introduce many frontier level programs of Study in Science, Management and Humanity areas(ii) / Create new Departments and upgrade Centres to the status of Departments.
(iii) / Upscale faculty strength with new inductions and filling up of vacant positions
(iv) / Upgrade administrative staff skills with motivational, ICT and professional training
(v) / Establish certain quality-drives so that quality and credibility of programs are enhanced enhancing placement opportunities to the graduates
(vi) / Enhance building infrastructure with new buildings for faculty departments, hostels, laboratories, parks, crèche, offices and so on
(vii) / Accelerate extension activities so that the bonding between University and the Community is ever-green and enriching
(viii) / Induce accelerated project-culture among the faculty so that funded research programs take a spirited growth
(ix) / Equip laboratories with modern equipment to make the University on par with advanced Research Institutes in the country
(x) / Step up security arrangements for the safety of University Property including pursuing of legal cases against those who have encroached into unfenced University lands
(xi) / Reengineer administrative tasks to speed up and enhance accountability and so on.
(xii) / Tap more resources from UGC and Central/State Institutions through many schemes of research/project/development.
1.1 Academic Entities and their Achievements
Significant Academic Achievements of the academic entities are touched upon.
i. Faculty - Schools of Learning - Departments/Constituent Colleges/ Centres-
The 4 Faculties of the University split in-turn into 15 Schools of Learning branching out into 22 Departments, 2 Constituent Colleges and 10 Centres have done exceedingly well on most parameters. The 25 Cells and Clubs dealing with almost every kind of social activity, student support activities, etc have made the campus a year full of activities.
New Departments: Two new Departments namely, Dept. of Rural Development (upgrading the Centre for Rural Development) and Dept. of Life Long Learning (Upgrading the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education) got added during the year 2009-10.
BTISnet program: DST – FIST grant for the Department: The DST, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India has sanctioned a sum of Rs. 50 Lakhs to the Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University under the DST-FIST (Level I) Program for 5 years duration to strengthen the Post-Graduate Teaching and Research Facilities in the Department, beginning July 2009.The DBT, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India sanctioned Rs.14 lakhs as 4th installment for the Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility (BIF) for the promotion of Biology Teaching through Bioinformatics (BTBI) at AlagappaUniversity, Karaikudi under the Biotechnology Information Network (BTISnet) program.
ii. 247 Programs of Studies and Research
The University offers 247 programsas detailed below in table, all under Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). Of these 46 programs were introduced in last 2 years.
No. of programs by the University Departments / AffiliatedColleges / DDE / DCP
University Sub-Systems / Ph.D. / M.Phil. / PG / PG Dip / UG / Diploma / Certificate / TOTAL21 Depts. / Two Constt. Colleges / 28 / 16 / 27 / -- / 3 / 2 / 1 / 77
24 Affiliated 4 Evening Colleges / (2)* 1 / (1)* 1 / 17 / 5 / 35 / 7 / 2 / 68
Distance Education / -- / -- / 29 / 7 / 20 / -- / 2 / 58
Collaborative Programs / -- / -- / 4 / 8 / 10 / 9 / 13 / 44
TOTAL / 28 / 17 / 77 / 20 / 68 / 18 / 18 / 247
* Programs not considered for Total
The University Departments offer 77 programs. Most programs are quite modern and novel and have great contemporary relevance.
Programs offered by the University Departments / Constituent Colleges / Centres
Faculty / School / S.No. / Departments / Constituent Colleges / Centres / No. of ProgramsScience / 1. Mathematics / 01 / 1. Mathematics / 3
02 / 2. Ramanujan Centre for Higher Mathematics / -
2. Physics / 03 / 1. Physics / 3
04 / 2. Crystal Growth Research Centre / -
05 / 3. Instrumentation Maintenance Centre / -
3. Computer Science / 06 / 1. Computer Science and Engineering / 6
07 / 2. Computer Centre / -
4. Chemistry / 08 / 1. Chemistry / 4
5. Marine Sciences / 09 / 1. Oceanography and Coastal Area studies / 4
6. Biotechnology / 10 / 1. Biotechnology / 3
11 / 2. Bio-informatics / 3
12 / 3. Biosensors and Bio-electronics / 3
7. Nano Sci.&Tech. / 13 / 1. Nano Science and Technology / 3
8. Animal Health & Magt. / 14 / 1. Animal Health and Management / 3
9. Library &Info. Sci. / 15 / 1.Library and Information Science / 5
Arts / 10. Language Studies / 16 / 1. Tamil / 3
17 / 2. English & Foreign Languages / 3
11. Women’s Studies / 18 / 1. Women’s Studies / 3
19 / 2. Centre for Women’s Studies / -
12. Rural Studies / 20 / 1. Department of Rural Development / 3
Education / 13. Education / 21 / 1. Education / 4
22 / 2. College of Education / 1
23 / 3. Centre for Adult and Continuing Education* / -
24 / 4. Dept. of Lifelong Learning* / -
25 / 4. Centre for Gandhian Studies / -
26 / 5. Centre for Nehru Studies / -
27 / 6. Crèche Centre / -
28 / 7. Centre for Curriculum Development (CCD) / -
14. Physical Education / 29 / 1. Physical Education and Health Sciences / 2
30 / 2. Yoga Centre
31 / 3. College of Physical Education / 3
Management / 15. Business Management / 32 / 1. Commerce and International Business / 6
33 / 2. Corporate Secretaryship / 3
34 / 3. Bank Management / 3
35 / 4. Alagappa Institute of Management / 3
Total Number of Programs offered by the University Departments/CCs/Centres / 77
- The Centre is elevated as Dept. of Life-long Learning
On its own quality initiative and as per the guidelines of the UGC &TANSCHE the University conducted Common Entrance Examinations for the first time for all M.Phil Programs during 2009-10. For Ph.D programs, the second Entrance Exam had been conducted. The response was tremendous.