About NAAC
To
make quality the defining element of higher education in India through a
combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance
initiatives.
To arrange for periodic assessment and
accreditation of institutions of higher education or units thereof, or specific
academic programmes or projects;
To stimulate the academic environment for promotion
of quality of teaching-learning and research in higher education institutions;
To encourage self-evaluation, accountability,
autonomy and innovations in higher education;
To undertake quality-related research studies,
consultancy and training programmes, and
To collaborate with other stakeholders of higher
education for quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance.
To promote the following
core values among the HEIs of the country:
Ø Contributing to National Development
Ø Fostering Global Competencies among Students
Ø Inculcating a Value System among Students
Ø Promoting the Use of Technology
Ø Quest for Excellence
In
pursuance of its Action Plan for performance evaluation, assessment and
accreditation and quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore proposes that
every accredited institution should establish an Internal Quality Assurance
Cell (IQAC) as a post-accreditation quality sustenance measure. Since quality
enhancement is a continuous process, the IQAC will become a part of the
institution’s system and work towards realisation of the goals of quality
enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system
for conscious, consistent and catalytic improvement in the overall performance
of institutions. For this, during the post-accreditation period, it will
channelize all efforts and measures of the institution towards promoting its
holistic academic excellence.
The guidelines provided in the following pages will guide and facilitate the institution in the creation and operation of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The work of the IQAC is the first step towards internalization and institutionalization of quality enhancement initiatives. Its success depends upon the sense of belongingness and participation it can inculcate in all the constituents of the institution. It will not be yet another hierarchical structure or a record-keeping exercise in the institution. It will be a facilitative and participative voluntary system/unit/organ of the institution. It has the potential to become a vehicle for ushering in quality enhancement by working out planned interventionist strategies to remove deficiencies and enhance quality like the “Quality Circles†in industries.
The primary aim of IQAC is
· To promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.
IQAC
will facilitate / contribute :-
a)
Ensure heightened level of
clarity and focus in institutional functioning towards quality enhancement;
b)
Ensure internalization of the
quality culture;
b) Ensure enhancement and coordination among various activities of the institution and
institutionalize all good practices;
c) Provide a sound basis for decision-making to improve
institutional functioning;
d) Act as a dynamic system for quality changes in HEIs;
e) Build an organised methodology of documentation and internal
communication.
IQAC
may be constituted in every institution under the Chairmanship of the Head of
the institution with heads of important academic and administrative units and a
few teachers and a few distinguished educationists and representatives of local
management and stakeholders.
1. Chairperson: Head of the Institution
2. A few senior administrative officers
3. Three to eight teachers
4. One member from the Management
5. One/two nominees from local society, Students
and Alumni
6. One/two nominees from Employers
/Industrialists/stakeholders
7. One of the senior teachers as the
coordinator/Director of the IQAC
The
membership of such nominated members shall be for a period of two years. The
IQAC should meet at least once in every quarter. The quorum for the meeting
shall be two-third of the total number of members. The agenda, minutes and
Action Taken Reports are to be documented with official signatures and
maintained electronically in a retrievable format.
It is necessary for the
members of the IQAC to shoulder the responsibilities of generating and
promoting awareness in the institution and to devote time for working out the
procedural details. While selecting these members several precautions need to
be taken. A few of them are listed below:
¶ It is advisable to choose persons from various backgrounds who have
earned respect for integrity and excellence in their teaching and research.
Moreover, they should be aware of the ground realities of the institutional
environment. They should be known for their commitment to improving the quality
of teaching and learning.
¶ It would be appropriate to choose as senior administrators, persons
in charge of institutional services such as library, computer center, estate,
student welfare, administration, academic tasks, examination and planning and
development.
¶ The management representative should be a person who is aware of
the institution’s objectives, limitations and strengths and is committed to its
improvement. The local society representatives should be of high social
standing and should have made significant contributions to society and in
particular to education.
The role
of the coordinator of the IQAC is crucial in ensuring the effective functioning
of all the members. The coordinator of the IQAC may be a senior person with
expertise in quality aspects. She/he may be a full-time functionary or, to
start with, she/he may be a senior academic /administrator entrusted with the
IQAC as an additional responsibility. Secretarial assistance may be facilitated
by the administration. It is preferable that the coordinator may have sound
knowledge about the computer, its various functions and usage for effective
communication.
Operational
Features of the IQAC:-
Quality assurance is a by-product of ongoing efforts to define the objectives of an institution, to have a work plan to achieve them and to specify the checks and balances to evaluate the degree to which each of the tasks is fulfilled. Hence devotion and commitment to improvement rather than mere institutional control is the basis for devising procedures and instruments for assuring quality. The right balance between the health and growth of an institution needs to be struck. The IQAC has to ensure that whatever is done in the institution for “education†is done efficiently and effectively with high standards. In order to do this, the IQAC will have to first establish procedures and modalities to collect data and information on various aspects of institutional functioning.The coordinator of the IQAC and the secretary will have a major role in implementing these functions. The IQAC may derive major support from the already existing units and mechanisms that contribute to the functions listed above. The operational features and functions discussed so far are broad-based to facilitate institutions towards academic excellence and institutions may adapt them to their specific needs.
Mandatory Submission of AQAR by IQAC
So far submission of AQARs was not
a Mandatory requirement for Institutions applying to NAAC 2nd and
subsequent cycles of Assessment and Accreditation (A&A). It has now been decided by the Executive committee of NAAC
that regular submission of AQARs should be made mandatory for 2nd and
subsequent cycles of accreditation.
In view of the
decision of Executive Committee of NAAC the
following will be the pre-requisites for submission of LOI for all Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs) opting for 2nd and subsequent cycles
of A& A with effect from 16th September
2016:
Having a functional IQAC.
The minutes of IQAC meeting and compliance to the
decisions should be uploaded on the institutional website.
Mandatory submission of AQARs on a regular basis for
institutions undergoing the second and subsequent cycles of Assessment and Accreditation by NAAC.
Upload the AQAR’s on institutional website for access to
all stakeholders.