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CONCEPT OF CLUSTER OF COLLEGES FOR
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

 

Higher Education has been undergoing radical changes the world over in order to meet the changing social needs and aspirations. It is becoming organically flexible in diversity of programmes, in its structure, in its curricula and in its delivery systems. It is making extensive use of information and communication technologies.

The convergence of communication and computer technologies has opened new avenues for the quantitative as well as qualitative improvement of education. It has strength enough to give cost effective solution to the ever expanding demand for higher education. Indeed this new revolution greatly facilitates the acquisition and assimilation of knowledge, and offers unprecedented opportunities to countries like India for qualitative and quantitative improvement of educational systems.

The World Conference on Higher Education held in Paris early in October 1998 under the auspices of the UNESCO provided a forum for extensive debates and exchange of views for the representatives of 182 Governments on the higher education we need for the 21st century. The Declaration of the World Conference  said that since society is “increasingly knowledge based, higher education and research now act as essential components of culture, socio-economic and environmentally sustainable development of individuals, communities and nations�. The development of higher education must therefore feature among the highest national priorities particularly in the context of globalization.

Access to higher education and concern for equity have been reaffirmed in the World Conference. Dwelling on the mission of higher education, the Conference has resolved that beyond its traditional functions of teaching, training, research and study, higher education should promote development of the whole person and train responsible and informed citizens committed to working for a better society.

The Task Force on Higher Education and Society convened by the World Bank and the UNESCO to bring together some of the world’s foremost education and development experts has said in its report “Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise� that higher education is no longer a luxury; it is essential for survival.

Coming to the scenario of higher education in India, it may be said that there has been remarkable progress both qualitative and quantitative in the field of higher education. There are 300 Universities and 15000 affiliated Colleges with 4.5 lakhs of teachers imparting higher education to about one crore young boys and girls. India is recognised at the international level as a nation providing value based training. Indian experts are considered as bones in many science and technology revolutions taking place at global level. Indian youth have distinguished themselves in the fields of Computers, Information Technology, Electronics, Biotechnology, Pure Science, Economics, Finance Management and Social Sciences. The world now believes that trained Indian human power is of much superior quality and is of great significance. The Universalisation of job market and acceptance of Indian skills at the global level have opened opportunities for creation of new jobs internally. Further, the service sector and social sector in India are also expanding, calling for trained human power at various levels to meet our own demands.

In order to meet the growing demand for well trained graduates and post graduates equipped with knowledge and skills, there is imperative need for revamping higher education in the country.

Quality teaching at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels is the need of the hour. Quality teaching is possible only when the colleges have well qualified faculty, capable of adopting innovative methods of teaching and promoting original thinking; research and work culture among the students; well equipped laboratories and well stocked libraries providing the latest knowledge and Information. Notwithstanding the developmental assistance extended by the UGC under different heads to the colleges, many colleges, particularly those in rural areas are lagging behind in providing the necessary infrastructure and other facilities as enumerated above.

Some colleges may have well equipped Labs and rich libraries but they may not have well qualified faculty. Some colleges may have well qualified faculty and may be lacking in other facilities. It is in this context that the concept of cluster of colleges mooted by the UGC for academic cooperation and achieving excellence gains in importance. The aim of cluster of colleges is to maximise the potential of each college by mutual cooperation and net working intellectually and physically. The different colleges coming under the cluster, work in cooperation with one another. It is quite possible that the best facilities made available in one college can be utilized to the maximum by the other colleges in the cluster. To be more specific the services of faculty members in one college who are exceptionally meritorious can be utilized by the other colleges for delivering guest lectures and for conducting seminars, symposia, workshops etc., Another college may provide the best library in two or three disciplines and another in two or three other disciplines so that the best standard books and journals in different disciplines are available in the cluster for the benefit of the students and staff of all the constituent colleges both for acquisition of the latest knowledge and information and for carrying out research. In the same way some other colleges in the cluster may provide the best Laboratory facilities keeping an eye on avoiding duplication of equipment. So also in the case of sports facilities and extension activities. It is something like division of labour so as to enable all the colleges in the cluster to derive the maximum benefit out of such arrangement based on mutual consent. This arrangement helps all the colleges in the cluster achieve the goal i.e. academic excellence.

The optimum number of colleges in the cluster may be six. Colleges which are geographically close to one another may be brought under the cluster for the sake of convenience. The co-operation covers the services of the faculty, Lab and Library facilities, Sports facilities and also extension activities.

In order to implement the scheme effectively a steering committee with the Principals and Faculty Heads of the different colleges may be constituted with one of the colleges in the cluster identified as Lead College to coordinate the academic and other activities of the cluster. The committee meets periodically and discusses the areas where mutual cooperation and help can be rendered. For this purpose, each college in the cluster may initially assess its own strengths and weaknesses to chalk out the future needs for collective sustenance and excellence.

The areas for cluster cooperation may be for joint research activities, sharing of laboratory, library and sports facilities, organising joint seminars, workshops and symposia, establishing career counseling and Employment Cell, arranging common Extension Lectures by reputed academicians and sharing of hostel facilities. It would be the responsibility of the committee to chalk out and finalise the programme of activities to be carried out by each college in the cluster.

It is common knowledge that most of the youth at under graduate, post graduate and professional levels are found to be woefully lacking in communication skills, particularly oral skills, which tells upon the prospects of decent employment. It is necessary for every college to train its students in communication skills. Language Laboratories play a vital role in this regard and colleges which do not have this facility can avail themselves of the facility provided in some of the colleges in the cluster or they can jointly establish Language Labs in two or three colleges for the benefit of the students of all colleges in the cluster.

In order that due attention is paid to each of the different areas of cooperative endeavour, there may be sub committees such as:
-Research Sub Committee, Library Sub committee, Laboratory Sub Committee, Extension Activities Sub Committee and so on.

Each sub committee monitors the activities in the relevant area of cooperation.

Besides cooperative endeavour for academic excellence, the colleges in the cluster may jointly adopt villages for rural development programmes. They may jointly organize extension and out reach programmes in rural areas on an extensive scale. With the combined efforts of the students and staff of the different colleges, the cluster can achieve things which individual colleges with their limited resources and man power cannot achieve. These extension programmes may include Adult Education and Eradication of Iliteracy, AIDS Awareness, Conservation of Water, Control of Environmental Pollution, Prevention of Communicable Diseases, Pre Natal and Post Natal Care, Nutrition and Health. These activities go a long way in inculcating the spirit of service among the students and in establishing a healthy rapport between the colleges and the rural population.

In conclusion I may say that the novel concept of cluster of colleges for academic cooperation and achieving excellence is a significant step forward in our endeavour to promote the cause of higher education. It is my earnest hope that the concept will take concrete shape and achieve the desired goals.

Just now I am living as the guest of an old lady in a village near Boston. I accidentally made her acquaintance in the railway station and she invited me to come over and live with her. I have an advantage in living with her, in saving for some time my expenditure of dollar a day and she has the advantage of inviting her friends and showing them a curio from India.

And all these must be borne - starvation, cold, hooting in the streets on account of my quaint dress. These are what I have to fight against. But my dear boy, no great things were ever done without labour.
- Swami Vivekananda in a letter to a disciple.