Course Hand-Out and Use of Power Point Presentations

The hand-out has a tentative delivery schedule in which every session is detailed with a hyper-link to the power-point of that session. The method of evaluation is also mentioned. Academic events such as mid-term, end-term and revision classes are also clearly marked and budgeted for time. The evaluation scheme and academic integrity policy makes this a comprehensive course delivery document. Use of LCD projectors and Power Point presentations in teaching has sharply improved the quality of teaching and learning. Benefits of this are clearly visible in improved class management, time management and transfer of knowledge.

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Attendance Monitoring System

Attendance and class participation is an important indicator of a students discipline and commitment to academic excellence. It is also a component of internal evaluation of the student. Keeping this in mind, Presidency College has developed an effective attendance monitoring system which is timely, up-to-date and generates the required report as required.

As a practice, all faculty record student attendance in the given course registers, manually on a session to session basis. The manual recording in transferred to the attendance software within 48 hours by the concerned faculty. The faculty at this stage has an option of alerting the parents of defaulting student through a command which activates a short message service (sms) to the mobile phone of the defaulting student. At the department level, the software generates attendance reports class wise and provides an analysis of the student's attendance. The department provides attendance feed back of students who have been absent for a higher percentage of classes to the concerned parents and invites them for discussions to ameliorate the situation.

The monitoring system is also sensitive to student exemptions which the college may have permitted such as exemption for sports persons, student and extracurricular activities and other such events.

Parent - Teacher Meetings

Parent - Teacher interaction is a very important component in the student's life at Presidency College, Bangalore. The college has always kept its communication lines open to parent and guardians of the student studying at this college. The frequency of Parent – Teacher meetings is normally twice a semester. These meetings provide a two fold benefit:

i. Presidency College gains significantly form a parent's perspective of the college and the progress of their ward. The suggestions which come from the parent is used to meaningfully construct the academic life of the student. Suggestions have also been received on areas of personality development, public speaking, extracurricular activities and sports. Presidency College has at all instances worked towards fulfilling such worthy aspirations.

ii.Parents and their wards also greatly benefit through such meetings. Many a times the Parent is not able to keep a complete track of his or her wards progress. Sometimes, important college news or information does not reach the parent. Such meetings become important in creating a reality check of the situation with parents. Department head, teachers and other officials who are involved the progress of the student provides important feedback to Parents on the Strengths and areas of improvement of their wards. The college also informs parents on academic opportunities which may arise such as educational trips, industrial visits, Scholarships, overseas opportunities and other such areas of interest.

It has been the experience of Presidency College that as a result of Parent - Teacher meetings several students have been reformed into becoming academically responsible.

Mentorship Program

The mentorship program was instituted with the intension of ensuring that every student has a faculty to fall back upon in times of need. Students have felt this need at different stages during their stay at Presidency College.

At their early stage in college, students have had to make a transition from a 10+2 /pre-university environment to a degree college environment. Often faculty have assisted in settling students to their new environment. Presidency College is a destination for several students from the Hindi speaking states in India like Bihar, Jarkhand and Chattisgarh. These students have found it culturally quite different and in some cases difficulty to settle into an English speaking environment in a southern state. It is in such situations the skilled and talented faculty of the college have been sensitive to some of these differences and have assisted students and encouraged them.

Mentorship has also been directly aimed at academic performance, sports, extra-curricular activities and a balance between the three.

In later stages of their college life mentors have helped students select their major subject of specialization, projects and sometimes have even guided the projects.

Normally a designated number of students are allotted to a mentor. The mentor meets the students over a period of the semester and gives the mentee an opportunity to talk on any aspect pertaining to life on the campus. Grievances raised are also recorded in the process. This program has been very useful in helping students settle into college life and make informed choices in the later stages. It has greatly helped strengthen student – teacher relationship.

Seminars, Guest lectures, Industrial Visits

Compliance with basic academic requirements and standards is important. However, good institutions go beyond the ordinary. Seminars, Guest Lecture and Industrial visits are opportunities from which students come in touch with eminent academicians, speakers and industry persons. In interface of this nature adds to the students’ perspective of class room knowledge. Students begin to appreciate practical experiences of guest speakers and academicians. During industrial visits students are exposed to manufacturing processes, management practices and on-site problem solutions.

Resources invested in the above activities have paid rich dividends. External interface has direct and positive impact in enriching class discussions. An example to support the above: Final year undergraduate management students were taken on an industrial visit to the Coca-Cola bottling plant. In the class on strategic management the class was vividly able to relate their visit experience to elements of management theory. In another example the first semester management students at undergraduate level were taken on a visit to Parle Biscuit factory. The visit had such a powerful effect that even some of the weaker students in the class, who other wise may have found it difficulty to explain the manufacturing process, were clearly able to explain what they saw!

Certification Courses and Value Added Programs

Value added programs and certification courses have been an integral part of the academic package which Presidency College offers to it’s students. Certification courses provide students with the additional edge required to compete and excel in the external world. For example Presidency College has recognised that it is not enough to teach students accounting. When a graduate enters a job s/he will be faced with a computerized environment. Students from Presidency College are provided the opportunity of learning the latest version of the most popular and widely used computer software such as Tally. Other examples of Certification course that is widely excepted in industry is the entrepreneur resource planning (ERP) software SAP having applications in Finance, Human Resource, Marketing, Production Planning and Control and several other management areas.

Students in Presidency come from diverse backgrounds-socio, economic and geographic. Several students complete their early education middle-high school in a local language. They need to adapt to English which becomes the main language at the Graduate level. Presidency College has recognized this deficiency and stepped in to upgrade English language skills among its students. Becks, Toast Masters are some examples for value added courses which Presidency College offers its students. A systematic process is followed wherein students are first are assessed for their competency in the language. They are next screened for the suitable level of course. In addition Presidency also offers opportunities to improve public speaking skills and interpersonal communications. All these play a very significant role in work-life success.

Scholarships

(Economically Weaker Sections, Sports Persons, Meritorious Students and Physically Challenged)

Encouragement becomes a way of life when those who truly deserve it are encouraged. The student profile in Presidency College consists of a significant number of students coming from an economically backward background. Presidency College has identified this section of the student community and provides financial assistance by way of scholarships. Students are encouraged to excel in sports such as Cricket and Basket Ball. Apart from some nominal provision made to enable them to practice, the college provides free hostel facilities and financial aid.

Students performing well academically are rewarded with international exposure trips to other locations in Asia and Europe.

Feedback

Feedback is taken on a daily basis. This enables the management, senior staff and faculty to monitor the climate in Presidency College. Feedback is recorded through multiple channels.

1. Director and Principal meets students everyday and enquires of their difficulties if any. This provides an excellent forum for interaction where students too feel uninhabited to bring forward their problems. Should there be a problem concerning any particular faculty or department.

2. The concerned faculty/department head is also called and a joint hearing of the problem is done. When both sides have had an opportunity to state their side of the story, the Director and Principal moves towards working out a solution to the problem.

3. An independent consultant meets students in confidence and spends time understanding their difficulties.

4. All of the above are reported to the management of Presidency College for information and necessary action.