šÆRegistrars should keep their institutesā statutes and ordinances regularly reviewed and updated. For example, first ordinance written at the time of an establishment of a university might have had just a few schools, departments and admin units. Now that the university has grown into many schools/departments/campuses/interdisciplinary academic units or have started OD/Online programs, it is utmost inescapable to incorporate the fundamental nā procedural changes from time to time-following due process. Similarly, major changes often take place in the basic structure/criterion/parameters of admissions, reservations, examination processes, duties nā responsibilities of officers of the university etc. NEP 2020 implementation throws up launching of major reforms requiring changes in the statutes and ordinances, and so on and so forth.
šÆRegistrar must remain fully abreast with the regulatory compliances expected from the university and meet them on time and with utmost correctness. Deputy Registrar (A) would be the most suitable person to keep a record of compliances being received and track their compliance.
šÆRegistrar must remain custodian of instituteās seal, documents, including but not limited to physical property records/blueprints, records of government/statutory approvals, collaborations, legal cases, students, faculty and staff data, record of degrees/diploma/certificates, record of purging of documents as per policy, discipline proceedings, punishments, dossier of character, qualifications, rewards/achievements.
šÆBeing a Chief Admin officer Registrar has a role in the operational functioning, annual stock taking and superintendence of the maintenance of physical and academic infra which includes but not limited to campus facilities, auditorium, seminar halls, classrooms, labs, library, IT infra and building, upkeep of green campus, hostels, eateries, sports and wellness infrastructure, safe and orderly conduct within the campus, security of personnel and documents from fire and theft and maintenance of discipline, to count a few.
šÆ Statutory Meetings Registrars are expected to hold no less than two statutory meetings of the GB, BOM, AC, FC, and any other additional statutory council, annually or as laid down in the umbrella Act/statutes? Some Registrars know their duties well and conduct timely meetings, but most make no effort to discharge this essential function. So, when the time arrives for the UGC 12 (b), NAAC or NBA etc. ā the non-serious onesā donāt even blink an eye and start cooking up the MoMs from the previous years. A good auditor or validator can easily spot out what is genuine and what stood gamed. However, an assessor if weak in the academic processes can be duped and fooled. So, if you as Registrar are not waiting to dupe or fool some assessor, be wise and do your duty as a good Registrar; not for any perceived fear of non-compliance of duty but fully convinced that these statutory meetings and meetings including BOS, IQAC and FC as also other non-statutory committees can certainly be a prime driver of any universityās academic nā administrative prowess for an efficient governance system.
A suggested pathway to conducting a meeting
1. Prepare month-wise annual calendar of meetings.
2. Take notes of all functions and frequency of each statutory body from the umbrella Act and the statutes on your dashboard. Then convert functions into potential agenda points of statutory meetings.
3. Develop a draft of what agenda point can essentially be addressed in the upcoming meeting and the next meeting after this.
4. Pick up additional agenda points from out of the NAAC metrics mandated by the NAAC and required as evidence. Include the same.
5. Compliance points of the Regulatory bodies required to be complied with are yet another source of Agenda points.
6. Develop points into the Agenda along with the Reference material which might run into scores of pages for members to read in advance of the proposed meeting. Do ask schools and departments if they have any point to be included in the Agenda circulated by you.
7. It is not necessary that a Registrar alone should present all points in a meeting. Let those responsible as per job description do it. A matter pertaining to curriculum can be presented by the Dean (A) and research by the Dean (R).
8. Ensure BOS is held first, followed by the AC, followed by the BOM and then the GB. The circle is repeated within the same year.
9. The institution policies should be developed by the concerned officer of the university as per the job description of the officer, vetted by the Dir IQAC for quality, put up to the Registrar for further value-addition and then moved on file by the Registrar to the VC. On perusal and in-principle approval, the same is put up to the AC/BOM/GB for final approval as warranted.
By : Prof JRS
