HEIs undertake ‘AAA’ periodically, not only to meet some formality of a specific accreditation norm but more importantly to find gaps in their academic n’ administrative system so as to initiate effective and timely actions and use it as a ready-reckoner to continuously monitor progress and stay on a sustainable progressive course.
IQAC of a HEI has a clear mandate to develop an effective AAA format for the institution as well as for its constituent schools, departments and admin units. A care must be taken not to ignore designing and developing a separate AAA Annexure as applicable to each of your School/Department/Admin Unit. These constituent academic and admin units are the most critical body-parts of an institute, and must perform at their optimum best.
Regulatory or Accreditation bodies don’t stipulate a standard AAA format to be followed by institutes. At least, 99% HEIs in India, rely on the NAAC criteria and metrics-based format. They perhaps think, it is complete, comprehensive and end-all. NAAC peer team evaluators also don’t bother to question HEIs because their own HEIs follow the same format. In my personal assessment, the current AAA format would meet no more than 60% of all desirable academic, research and admin performance, and that is not enough. If you deeply analyse, NAAC is primarily into the number game, least in the quality of numbers and their impact. For example, ‘how many new courses, programs, computers, students projects, FDPs, MDPs, placements, publications, books etc. without getting into their level of quality, relevance and impact. So, briefly put, no one is truly auditing us on our quality or on our set goals. Hence, our gaps remain as they were. It upends the very aim of AAA.
You can develop a AAA format based on the NAAC, NBA, NIRF, Global Accreditations n’ Global ranking metrics, including, Regulations issued by our respective regulatory bodies. Well, such a AAA would still fall short. However, when you develop a high worth IDP of your HEI and include its set goals and initiatives into AAA and audit these, at least once in 3 years, you can easily bridge gaps in what you had wisely conceived.
It is often experienced that a number of Dir IQACs turn their backs to drafting of IDP. I don’t blame them. It is indeed complex. It requires thought-leaders to put their collective wisdom to hammer out a good IDP. Please make sure that your IDP maps your institution’s exclusive purpose, vision, mission and deep personal and professional aspirations of its stakeholders. The UGC IDP framework is an excellent document to guide your effort. Make it truly profound, worth taking pride in its relevance and impact.
I recommend that a few critical aspects as under may be considered by you to find a prime place in your IDP-based AAA format:-
(a) Audit of the incremental progress on the goals/milestones/initiatives stipulated in your IDP and their impact, leading to accomplishment of institute’s vision and mission.
(b) incremental progress made on Institutional future growth and expansion plan, namely, adding significant academic, physical infra, intellectual capital, building merited admissions and opening new campuses etc.
(c) incremental action-taken on implementing regulations applicable, relating to the NEP 2020.
(d) progress on hiring of experts/faculty to meet the research needs, delivery of AI, Data and other contemporary courses including skilling of students in the NextGen advances.
(e) progress on setting up of new and contemporary labs identified in the IDP and audit of the existing labs by experts for their relevance and need for updating.
(f) impact assessment of IDP planned activities/initiatives on collaborations with foreign universities recently set up in India and those abroad.
(g) industry-supported labs planned and progress attained, including impact of same on students and faculty
(h) Progress on enrolling foreign students and hiring foreign faculty, if included in the IDP
(i) effectiveness of students and faculty foreign immersion, exchange, dual degree etc. if such an initiative was planned.
(j) specific innovation and research-outcomes out of any innovation/incubation centre, collaborative research, particularly leading to prototypes, transfer of technology, IPR and benefits accrued to the society etc.
Summing up Upon developing IDP, IQACs of institutions should design a new AAA format encompassing besides other inputs, critical aspects of IDP goals, initiatives, standards and their benchmarks. It needs no emphasis that such a AAA be done by people having ample credibility and authority on ‘best academic and admin practices’. Action-taken on AAA by conducting,annual reviews’ are the most critical aspects of such audits to sustain progress.
