List of Former Directors of the A.S.C.

Objective of the Academic Staff College

The objectives of Academic Staff Colleges (ASC) are to enable (newly appointed) lecturers to:

• Understand the significance of education in general, and higher education in particular, in the global and Indian contexts.
• Understand the linkage between education and economic, socio-economic and cultural development, with particular references to the Indian policy where democracy secularism and social equality are basic tenets of society.
• Aquire and improve basic skills of teaching at college /university level to achive goals of higher education.
• Keep abreast of latest developments in their specific subjects;
• Understand the organisation and management of a College/ University and to perceive the role of teachers in the whole system,
• Utilize opportunities for development of personality, initiative and creativity; and
• Promote computer literacy as well as internet knowledge.

Functions of ASC

The functions of an academic staff college will be to plan, organize, implement, monitor and evaluate orientation courses for newly appointed college/ University lectures within the jurisdiction of one or more universities in a state. An ASC will also organize refresher courses for serving teachers and orientation programs for serving teachers, and orientation programs for senior administrators and heads of department, principles, officers, etc. Specifically, an ASC will:

• Formulate a programme of orientation along the broad guidelines given below.
• Identify resource persons in various field of specialization for running the orientation courses and refresher courses, and familiarize such resource persons with the philosophy and guidelines for the courses. The list of recourse persons should be approved by the chairman of the advisory committee of ASC.
• Setup a documentation-centre-cum-library for reference and source materials necessary for the courses.
• Produce specially design material required for effective implementation of the courses .
• Organize monitor and evaluate courses for teacher.
• Create a culture of learning and self-improvement among teachers so that it becomes an integral part of the education system at the tertiary level.
• Organize orientation programs for heads of departments, principals, deans and other decision-makers to familiarize them with the philosophy of orientation to facilitate reform in higher education through appropriate modification of the management systems at various levels.
• The refresher courses run by the ASC will provide opportunities for teachers in service to exchange experience with their peers and to mutually learn from each other.
• Provide a forum for serving teachers to keep themselves abreast of the latest advances in various subjects.
• Provide opportunities to further widen their knowledge and to pursue research studies.
• Provide an introduction to new methods and innovations in higher education so that the participants can in turn develop their own innovative methods of instructions.

Principal’s Meeting / Workshop for Academic Administrators

Each ASC may organize one or two meetings of principal/ heads/deans/ officers in a year to:

• familiarize them with the philosophy and importance of orientation Programmes and refresher courses, and persuade them to depute teachers;
• enable them to understand their new roles as supervisors; and
• facilitate reform in higher education through appropriate modification of management systems at various levels.

Registration fees

Every participant is required to pay an admission fee of Rs. 500/- at the time of admission to a Orientation course/ refresher Course. This registration fees of Rs. 500/- is non-refundable and is to be paid in the form of an A/c payee DD payable to “The Director, UGC-Academic Staff College, B.R.A.Bihar University Muzaffarpur.”

Administrative structure of the ASC

The catchments area of this ASC extends over all the institution falling under the territorial jurisdiction of J.P. University, Chhapra; L.N.Mithila University, Darbhanga; K.S.D. Sanskrit University, Darbhanga; B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura in addition to the host B.R.A.Bihar University Muzaffarpur.

Details of courses during 2011-2012:

• Refresher courses in the following subjects will be conducted:
  1. Chemistry(31/3/12 to 20/4/12)
  2. Commerce
  3. Economics(28/3/12 to 17/4/12)
  4. English
  5. History(23/3/12 to 12/4/12)
  6. Mathematics(29/11/2011 to 19/12/2011)
  7. Philosophy(31/3/12 to 20/4/12)
  8. Political Science(30/3/12 to 19/4/12)
  9. Sanskrit
  10. Urdu and Persian(27/3/12 to 16/4/12)
  11. Zoology
• Four Orientation Programmes will be conducted.
  The schedule of 71^st Orientation Programme is from 23/11/2011 to 20/12/2011.
  The schedule of 72^nd Orientation Programme is from 8/2/2012 to 6/3/2012.
  The schedule of 73^rd Orientation Programme is from 27/3/2012 to 23/4/2012.
• Two Short Term Programmes will be conducted.

Syllabus of Orientation Course:

This component should aim at helping the teachers to realize the larger context of education and the role of a teacher in a society. Some illustrative topics to be covered are:

Secularism, Egalitarian society, National integration, Multilingualism, multiple Cultures, Equality, Status of Women and Children, Casteism, Environmental pollution and Biodiversity poverty, Unemployment, Urbanization, Modernization, Rural development, Youth indiscipline, Role and responsibility of a teacher, Value based education, Indian tradition. Creation of an Indian identity, Human rights, Sustainable development, Globalization and higher education, Public interest movements (PIL, Consumer protection, Judicial activism, etc.).

This component should aim at imparting basic skills and sensitivities that a teacher needs for effective classroom teaching. Some of the illustrative topics are:

(i) Philosophy of education- Aims, value based education, Role of social and educational institution, comparative educational systems, internationalization of education, (ii) Indian education system, policies, Programmes and planning, Organizational structure, University autonomy, (iii) Economics of education, Human resource development and Resource mobilization, (iv) Quality assurance in higher education, Indicators of quality assurance, assessment and accreditation, (v) Learner and the learning process, understanding the adolescent learner, motivation, interests, Human development, Memory, Aptitudes, Intelligence, learning styles, (vi) Methods and materials of teaching, Prescribed texts, Effective class room teaching techniques, Assignments, (vii) Technology in teaching, Concept of teaching, levels of teaching and phases of teaching, Audio, Video, Educational Films, Computers, etc., (viii) Curriculum design- Approaches, Curriculum development, Need based courses, Remedial courses, (ix) Evaluation and feedback- Measurement and Examination reforms including setting question papers, (x) Alternate methods of learning- Distance and open learning, self-learning and informal learning.

This component should aim at helping the teachers to be self sufficient in keeping themselves continuously abreast of new knowledge and techniques, processes methods and sources of knowledge:

(i) Information technology (IT)- New modes of information storage and Retrieval, computer applications, Communication Multimedia, Computer aided learning, internet, (ii) Documentation centres- Information networks, Super highways, National and International Databases, (iii) Libraries- Reference Material, Bibliographies, Encyclopedia, Periodicals, (iv) Institutions- Apex and specialized Institutions, Museums, Laboratories, Centres of Excellence, (v) Research- Research projects, Sponsoring Agencies, Academic writing and Publication, etc. and (vi) Industry - University linkages.

This component should aim at helping the teachers to be familiarized with the organization and management of the College / University. They should be made aware of the ways in which they may develop their own personality.

(i) Communication skills- Verbal and Non-verbal, (ii) Thinking skills and Scientific temper, (iii) Leadership, Team building and Work culture, (iv) Educational management- Institutional management, Management of Committees, Examinations, Hobby clubs, Sports and Co-curricular activities, (v) Student Guidance and counseling, (vi) Mental health-Attitudes and Values, (viii) Career planning and time management, (viii) Teacher effectiveness- Qualities of effective teacher, Code of conduct, Accountability and empowerment.