Education system should build student-centric strategy

But the administrative staff cited some vague rules claiming that he was an alumni and he could come and get their certificates only during predetermined time slots. 

The young man tried to reason, saying he needed the credentials the next day, but to no avail. He really had to struggle, reason, argue, cajole, threaten and seek help to get the certificates. 

This scene repeats in most colleges in Tamil Nadu, where fee-paying students are treated strictly and live under the mercy of the college administrators for everything – from learning, travel, food, amenities and even academic activities.

The larger points we should look at are as follows:  In the long run, unless the colleges improve the experience of their students, they can hardly sustain their success or hope to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Students who excel in their school, are ambitious to study in a reputable institution and make a great career for themselves. 

But to keep such ambitious students engaged, it is time Anna University, the MHRD and the Higher Education department build a clear framework that can provide an excellent educational experience and thus pave way for the students’ personal and professional success.  

This framework includes a rich learning environment, and robust teaching learning system that gets enhanced by a clearly thought-out use of technology alternatives. Not to mention greater coherence between curricular and co-curricular aspects of students’ life. 

Upon this system is built a holistic student centred strategy: encompassing the students experience from the time of entry into campus, classroom support services, to campus operations, and relationships between the student and the college. 

And all these need to be measured for continuous improvements, right up to the time the student graduates out of the programme. A committed campus is one where the leadership is committed to all these with clear measures for continuous assessment of systems. 

And this system comprises four distinct features: The teaching and learning systems and people behind are all committed to make learning very impactful for the student. 

“Can I make the student better today that he/she was yesterday: is a question asked everyday by the campus leaders. A set of qualified academic and support staff who can keep student welfare and experience high on their mind, and use a range of tools and technology services to ensure students receive the best of support to enjoy their college tenure.  

The next system naturally means the entire campus operations remain student focussed. From infrastructure to amenities, food and entertainment provisions and medicare – all aspects are based on what students would require, backed by staff always ready to chip in.  

The final piece is connecting strategically with providers of good value adding courses and training systems that enhances the students’ learning, classroom experience and makes them valuable for the next stage – job or higher education. 

Once this structure is set in place, the students would not hate their campus experience and instead would participate in contributing to improving academic standards and quality of the college.