At a time when many of the higher educational institutions are mired in controversies relating to academic development, Odisha's Department of Higher Education (DHE) has, for the first time, sought feedback from each and every student of public colleges and universities on the quality of teaching and learning on their campuses, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
What is the process for giving feedback?
Through a Google Form, available on its Twitter handle (@DHE_Odisha), the department has asked students to point out all shortcomings in their institutions, be it academics, placements or infrastructure. The form, which has a total of 18 questions, asks students to list out names of five poor faculty members, whether the faculty members spend seven hours on campuses or not and if they consume alcohol during college/university hours.
Further, the department also asks students to point out specific areas where they feel improvements are required in terms of facilities, infrastructure or faculty. Besides, the feedback form also seeks to know from female students if they face gender discrimination and if the campuses are safe for them.
With research and placements also being an important part of academic development, there are questions related to these two areas as well. Higher Education Secretary Arvind Agarwal said the negative feedback being received from students is being verified by the department officials through spot visits.
Additionally, if any allegations or shortcomings are found to be true, action will be taken against the institution head or faculty member concerned, he added. "This drive is a part of our monitoring process to ensure the quality of higher education in institutions is not compromised under any circumstances," he said.
Earlier, students used to only submit their feedback through 'student satisfaction survey' reports to their institutions prior to the NAAC peer team visits for accreditation, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
