HiEd Log

  When a dental college student died by suicide recently, one of the voice recordings he left behind problematised the staff room. His stark comment was that it is a space where teachers “attack” in a group—a task in which each tries to outdo the other. Though we can't generalise, this is a statement that has understandably unsettled all right-thinking members of the academic community, irrespective of whether they see themselves reflected in that description. It carries disturbing implications about the nature of the staff room and compels us to ask how many of us may have, knowingly or unknowingly, contributed to such an experience. The unease lies not only in the explicit forms of misconduct that may occur in such spaces, but also in the larger web of interactions the student alludes to. One begins to wonder about the comments casually made, the nods, the silences, the half-smiles—small gestures that may have cumulatively shaped such a perception. The phrase “attacking as a grou...

  We know the capacity of market forces to rise to the occasion and cash in on emerging trends, and they do not spare academics either. The DTP industry, which has long minted money by offering customised undergraduate and postgraduate projects, proved early on that the market is always alert to opportunities opened up by academia. The same vigour was (and still is) displayed by firms offering what is euphemistically termed consultancy, ostensibly to help educational institutions ace accreditation. Now, to that list, we may add Internship Shops, as the FYUGP has made internships mandatory. These shops are already opening in Kerala. A recent example of the academisation of internships involved a group of students from an Arts and Science college spending a couple of days in a Management Institute attending soft-skills sessions. Interestingly, this short period of activity-oriented classroom training was labelled an internship, I later learned. Basic communication skills, presentatio...

The kind of proliferation of titles we come across today related to careers and designation are interesting as well as confusing. In fact, 'bemusing' is more likely a term which conveys the feel. Under the names of two 'Resource Persons', those who came deliver sessions, the following descriptions were found.  1. Leadership Coach Curriculum Designer Corporate & Academic Trainer Parenting Coach Counsellor & Therapist Teacher, Mentor 2. Higher Education Facilitator  International Career Analyst  Transformational Life Coach  Academic Strategist These are samples of many such one can come across and, when you are the old school, how ever present and future conscious, this is worth thinking on. Many of these titles sound overlapping. While it points to the reality that there has been an explosion of job roles of late, it becomes hard to come across many institutions which offer such roles. When this fact is read against the backdrop of the language inflation that...

It has been a long time since Quality Assurance Cells (QACs) were established in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country. The constitution of Internal Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs), mandated by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), was intended to provide a central mechanism to lead, coordinate, and sustain quality enhancement efforts within institutions. While some HEIs have turned their IQACs into cosmetic appendages—report-churning units that exist mainly to boost numbers for rankings and accreditation narratives—many have embraced the idea meaningfully, using it to nurture quality practices across teaching, learning, and governance. The outcomes are visible, though the excessive documentation that accompanies these efforts often attracts criticism, particularly when it becomes an end in itself, disconnected from real academic practices. A more recent offshoot of the IQAC framework is the growing number of QACs established at the college level. ...

How do we measure the growth of an institution? Traditionally, growth has been expressed in years, numbers, and size — the length of time an institution has existed, the expansion of its buildings, the increase in schools and departments, or the swelling numbers of faculty and students. These markers certainly add weight and aura, sometimes even prestige. Yet, the quality of growth of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) cannot be captured merely through its physical footprint or numerical strength. True growth lies in the quality it sustains, the reputation it builds, and the impact it creates for students, faculty, and society at large. Classical parameters such as academic yield, scholarly output, public reputation, and community engagement have long provided meaningful measures of institutional excellence. These remain essential, for they ground institutions in their academic credibility and social responsibility. At the same time, the landscape of higher education is undergoing pr...

Key Questions for Emerging Autonomous Colleges in Kerala (With What Not to Do!) 1. How will the institution ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of statutory bodies like the Academic Council, Governing Body, and Board of Studies? (Avoid populating these bodies with only insiders, yes-men, loyalists. Don’t reduce them to symbolic roles or friends’ clubs with no space for critical voices or dissent. Institutional health demands diversity, expertise, and challenge.) 2. What mechanisms will be established to ensure that curriculum development remains industry-relevant, academically sound, and socially responsive? (Do not go for superficial revamps with jargon-heavy, “trendy” topics just for cosmetic appeal. Avoid dumping real content in favour of what merely sounds futuristic. Curriculum must serve relevant learning outcomes, not marketing.) 3. How will assessment practices—including internal evaluations and end-semester exams—be made robust, unbiased, and resistant to...