Let me cover one practice of laying a quality foundation for an academic governance of your institute
Academic governance, we know, is like a partly explored deep, dark and huge jungle of Amazon. You barely succeed in cutting through some way into it, but continuously need to keep looking at your back and clearing the undergrowth and overgrowth so that it doesn’t block the trail so painstakingly cleared by you. To organise and accomplish a process smoothly, you need to set a mechanism of PROTOCOL
Say, you conceived a process and you wish to set a mechanism to implement it. One of my most tried out tools that can help you too in accomplishing your mission is to lay down a ‘policy’ and more importantly, its ‘protocols’. Here, I discuss with you “Protocols” today.
Let us take an example of Board of Studies (BOS) in your university. How would you set a protocol to make sure that you implement a policy designed on the functioning of the BOS including, discharging its statutory functions:-
“BOS PROTOCOL”
1. Which are the recognised Boards of Studies in the university mandated by a notification? -Registrar to notify.
2. Who shall comprise of internal and external members and invitees. What would be its functions? -Registrar to implement statute.
3. How many meetings would it hold in a year and in which months (specify)? – Registrar (the final meeting of AY be so timed and conducted so as to enable AC of a university to meet and arrive at the decisions on cases so proposed and having an impact or requiring implementation in the upcoming AY).
4. How will the BOS initiate research into the suitability or otherwise of existing and prospective courses, programs and other academic and research initiatives? Who will carry it out Research and produce a white paper on the draft proposal? – Hony Secretary to nominate.
5. To get a wider and deeper insight and views on academic and research initiatives, how BOS will involve internal, external stakeholders for their valued inputs? Who will approach them and send invitations, manage logistics and lead a brainstorming session and document their views? -Hony Secretary to specify
6. What would be an agenda and issues within an agenda to come up for discussion in the first meeting (suggested in July) and what would get transacted in a meeting (suggested in (Nov) just prior to the next AC meeting with implications on the upcoming AY ? -Hony Secretary to work out Agenda at least 30 days prior to each meeting with the name of presenter and background paper.
7. Who would take follow up actions after meeting? – Hony Secretary
(You are welcome to add more to the above)
This would form a BRICK of quality deliverable. Similarly, set bricks of foundation in multiple processes. It is one sure way you can develop your institute. If you do that you will not be intimidated by any accreditation or ranking challenges.
