History of the Department of Education in Christ University

                                                                                                                               Mary Thomas

                                                                                                                               Reg.No:  1444602                     

Write the history of your Discipline in Your Institution

    

  Christ University, formerly Christ College (Autonomous) affiliated to Bangalore University was established in 1969.  It became the most preferred educational institution in the city of Bangalore within the first three decades.  From 1990 onwards it has scaled greater heights.  Due to the introduction of innovative and modern curricula, insistence of academic discipline, imparting of Holistic Education, a team of creative and dedicated staff, the institution has been continually rated amongst top 10 educational institutions in the country.  It has the rare distinction of being the first institution in Karnataka to be accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) UGC for quality education. In 2004, UGC conferred Autonomy on the institution.  In 2005, it became the first College in South India to reaccredit with A+ by NAAC.   UGC identified it as an institution with Potential for Excellence in 2006.  In 2008 the institution was declared as Deemed University by the Ministry of Human Resources Development Union Government of India, under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, with notification No. F. 9-34/2007-U.3 (A).  The university has departments like Faculty of Engineering, School of Law, Institute of Management, Commerce and Management, Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Education and few general departments. The   School of Education, Christ University is originated in 2006 was first affiliated to Bangalore University.   The institution is dedicated to Jesus Christ, the supreme teacher, and draws inspiration from its educational visionary, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, founder of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI).  The University is rooted in gospel values, mutual respect, personal maturity and integrity, teamwork and social concern.   This article focuses on beginning and growth of the institution, addition of multiple programmes , features and activities of the Department of School of Education. 

     School of Education, Christ University is set up as a premier department for teacher training institute with multiple programmes like  B.Ed(2006), M.A (Education)(2009-11), M.Phil and PhD (2009).  Bachelor of Education (Bed) is a programme which extends over a period of two academic years consisting of 4 semesters.    It offers subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English.  It follows three main systems.   The institution has a well equipped with Art Library with wide range of books and electronic resources, Technology Lab, Psychology Lab, Science Labs and common facilities like Playground, Cafeteria and Kiosk, Prayer Hall, University Bus for field trips and photocopying facilities etc.   The other distinguished features are Value Addition Programmes through Centre for Education beyond Curriculum, Rural and social exposure through the Centre for Social Action, Theatre in Education, Holistic Education, Personality Development Programme and Training in Computer Assisted Instruction etc.  Master of Arts (MA) in Education has started in 2009-2011 academic year.  Its curriculum is designed to prepare competent and professional educationists, who will be able to take up diverse role in the field of education.  The two year programme aims at developing competency in research methodology, management and leadership in Educational Institutions.  Further the course aims at preparing Educationists who will innovate and deliver effective learning recourses, developing proficiency in curriculum development.  On completion of M.A Education Programme, students will understand the nature, purpose and Philosophy of Education, develop and understanding of the psychology of the learner.  The Master of Philosophy in Education programme is designed primarily for teacher educators, policy makers, researchers, and other educational personnel involved in school education, higher education, and professional education.  The M.Phil programme in Education will be conducted based on a credit system of one year and consisting of two semesters.  The candidate has to submit the Dissertation by the end of second semester, after completion of the course work.  The programme consists of four theory papers and two research papers namely: General Research Methodology and Research Methodology and Statistical Techniques in Education.  Besides this two electives can be selected from the four topics such as: Educational Leadership, Management and Organizational Development, Educational Psychology, Educational and Instructional Technology and Educational Administration and Policy Analysis.  The course aims at enhancing the capacity of professing, prospective and practicing teacher educators, education specialists, administrators and experts to conduct investigations, studies and researches that contribute to the betterment of the education system in general and teacher education in particular.  The M.Phil course is envisaged to contribute to the growth and development of the education sector of the country.  The course will create opportunities to share and disseminate educational researches and innovations by bringing about debates and discussions of topical importance to address critical educational issues.  The focus of the course is to produce high-level research manpower such as M.Phil and PhD scholars in the education sector.  PhD in Education is a magnificent endeavour of department of education.  Education is a dynamic concept and it is ever changing with the needs of the society.  This course has a wider scope for the doctoral students to undertake descriptive and experimental studies, and investigate some crucial problems in the field of education.  It suggests suitable remedies and makes significant contribution towards academic and administrative practices.  It also initiates various innovative strategies and methods to improve teaching-learning practices.   Within few years the university and the Education Department in particular have gained popularity for its technology based teacher training and its generation of knowledge through good research works.    Another attraction is its student friendly infrastructure and greenery campus that welcome students from multiple countries and cultures.  The head of the Education Department is Dr. Jose Cherian.   

     Thus we can see that the institution which has begun just 9 years ago with a single programme has proved its excellence and efficiency through multiple programmes added on course of time.  Every faculty of Christ University is highly motivated to offer their best to the growth of the institution under the great transformational leadership of the Vice Chancellor,Dr. (Fr) Thomas Chathenprambil.    No great works can be achieved by a single head whereas through clarity of vision, integrity, mutual respect and team work humans can achieve wonders.    By observing the present status of the university and the Education department in particular we can expect that Christ University will surely grow to the status of a world class university similar to Cambridge and Oxford Universities within few years.                                                              

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HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT IN CHRIST UNIVERSITY.

Psychology as a discipline made a new beginning in India in the first decade.  It was during the British era through education much emphasis was given, however the roots of psychology has been in the roots back in the philosophical and religious literature. Psychology was an important part of his voluminous writings. With all these influences and the basic emphasis on education: Psychology as a subject gained a lot of momentum (Mishra  and Paranjape,2012).

Psychology as a disciplined has existed in christ university since the college started ib 1969. The christ college was affliated to bangalore university, The purpose of starting the college for the purpose of giving a secular education for the students of dharmaram college. The students was allowed to study both spiritual and secular education. Since there is a strong  need to study psychology for dharmaram students was to handle with the people in their congregation.

The Psychology department was the smallest department in Christ College when it was started. The student's strength was about fifteen students and one teacher. The B.A. course was offered with two combinations widely known as PSENG (Psychology, Sociology and English) and PSECO (Psychology, sociology and economics). Till 1990 there were only male students. After 1990 there was change in trend in the society and there was acceptance in the society. In 1998 there was two more new combination started. FEP (functional English, English and psychology) and JPENG (Journalism, psychology and English). The significance behind these programmes was to extend the application of psychology. When these two courses were started it became a competition between these two sets of combination. This in turn led to lots of initiative and events in the department of psychology.  

In 1998 practical lab was started in main block (now called as block 1). The department started having a lot of activities and competitions. This is where silhouette was born. The department had adopted a student centric approach. Teachers supervised activities enable the students to learn better, and brought the unity in class. Later in 2008 the department was unified as one department. Till that point of time teachers had a option to work in the undergraduate or postgraduate department. Teachers supervised the activities to enable an experiential learning process and also to inculcate the spirit of unity in the class. The activities of the department are usually conducted by the elected members (final year UG & later on even PG) of psychology association in collaboration with faculty members. The texts were the Munn and Morris book on psychology were used. From the beginning in abnormal psychology DSM was used in teaching students.

In 2004 was an important year in the history of Christ College as it was given an autonomous status by the UGC. Hence the department had a freedom to change the syllabus. All this while the department was referring to the university syllabus and had limitation in trying out new disciplines of psychology. In 2005 a master programme in clinical psychology was started. In that time it was new in the locality. The necessity in starting the programme was based on the growing demands in the field of psychology and the autonomous status gave the liberty to start this programme. At that time there was division in the department. It was called as the post graduate studies in psychology.

In 2007, there was a master programme in counseling psychology was started. The reason for starting this programme was based on the student needs. In 2007 department of psychology started to have its first nation al conference on women psychology and from that it has been a tradition to hold a conference every year.  In 2008 it was big achievement and a mile stone for this institution took place. On July 22 Christ College was given deemed to be university status by the MHRD.  This has helped the department of psychology to grow higher. Meanwhile the scope of psychology was growing in Bangalore and many students preferred to study psychology in Christ University.  This point there was a revision in the syllabus of psychology courses. Courses on qualitative research, skill based training courses, supervised practicum/ research labs and many electives like addiction counseling, workplace counseling, disability and challenge were introduced at the PG level.  The post graduate students were now given an option to choose the clinical track (internship) or research track (dissertation) as students felt they wanted to focus more on applied areas.

In 2010 there was a new combination in the UG programme was started. PEP (Performing arts, English and Psychology). In the same year the BA psychology Honours started. This programme offered papers such as biological foundations, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, industrial psychology, research methods, health psychology and statistics, among others along with electives. A new PG programme M.Sc. in Human resource development and management was also started in the same academic year. This was unique programme. This programme has professionalization seminars every week where experts from the field come and interact with students. They also conduct events such as HR conclave which aims at academic-industry interface. These changes were incorporated to reflect the demands of the industry.

The department evolved over a period of time and changes in the discipline and has made necessary changes in the pedagogy and syllabus. The expertise in the field was highlighted and more faculties were recruited. This department has grown to be one of the largest departments in India both students and faculties.  This department has always been innovative and a trend setter for the various reasons. Service learning and cognitive labs are the new ideas drawn in for the understanding of the students.

 

The Vision of the Department of Psychology is to promote high academic standards and scholarship in psychology, by creating an optimal and enriching learning environment, fostering on going professional and personal development and contributing effectively to societal needs.

The Department runs a range of programmes that include Certificate courses, Undergraduate programmes, Post Graduate programmes with three specializations and Research degrees in psychology (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). Through these programmes we encourage students to consider careers and life missions that integrate psychological understanding to life. Our programmes integrate scholarship with professional practice and we offer courses that are cutting edge in the field of psychology. Students who complete programmes in Psychology from the University demonstrate high degrees of self awareness are service oriented and are encouraged to embrace humane values in their vocation.

The Department realizes its vision to promote high academic standards through a continuous and dynamic curriculum review process based on feedback from peers, professionals, potential employers and students. A variety of student-centered teaching and training pedagogies are practiced by the faculty members. Prominent among them are the use of seminars, experiential methodologies, laboratory training, conferences, workshops, field based studies, and film based discussions and interactions with field experts.

1444204

History of Computer Science Discipline in Christ University

History of Computer Science Discipline in Christ University

       (Article written by Jibrael Jos)

 Computer Science discipline has changed at a very rapid rate. To get an idea the Apollo Mission to moon had a RAM capacity of just 4 KiloBytes and today in India we have mobile phones with 2 GigaBytes of RAM. Today computer science and technology has transformed almost all aspects of human life. From the early time sharing machines in the 70's to the PC's of the 80's and distributed cloud servers of the 21^st century,  the computer lab has seen changes in leaps and bounds. We become archaic in 3 years and obsolete in 5.  Computer's control transcends from the vegetable to the share markets, from birth in a hospital to claiming life insurance. Whether to make friends, for entertainment or travel, technology is touching our lives in ways we never even imagined in our wildest dreams.

How does the discipline in universities keep pace?

Before we get bogged by the immenseness of our task let us take a step back and see what makes a good IT Professional. What traits and skills a successful computer science graduate possess?

Personal Traits	Technical Traits
Ability to take Decision Accepts Change Accepts Direction Accepts Responsibility Time Management Attitude Cooperation & Team Player Effective Under Stress Initiative Leadership Planning and Organizing Quality of Work Quantity of Acceptable Work Growth & Learning Innovation Presentation Skill	Core Concepts (35%) Programming Language Database Design Operating System Computer Architecture Computer Network Data Structures Technical Skills (30%) Designing Database Analyzing Requirements Project Estimation Code Understanding Debugging Thinking/Problem Solving Explore New Tools	Application Software(20%) RDBMS (like Oracle) Web Based Software High End Languages(like C#) (…) Domain Expertise (10%) Customer Interaction Requirement Gathering Emerging Areas (5%) Cloud Computing Data Mining AI Android App Dev (…)

 

The table above I have listed out is not based on a literature survey but purely based on my Industry Experience and hence may not be very exhaustive.

How has the discipline evolved over time?

Course Started in Christ University related to Computer Science Discipline:

·         1990: CMS (Computer Science, Maths, Statistics)

·         1994: MCA

·         1996: CME (Computer Science, Maths, Electronics)

·         2000: BCA

·         2007: M.Sc. Computer Science

·         2009: M.Sc. (Working Professionals)

·         M.Phil. and Ph.D were added recently

Computers is now taught in B.Com, MBA, Law, Chemistry, Maths, Physics and is spreading its wings and intersects most disciplines.

 Syllabus constantly underwent changes and many courses were added over time.

1990's

o   Software Architecture

o   C/ UNIX/ COBOL

o   OOAD

o   Embedded Systems

2000

o   DBA

o   Data Warehousing and Data Mining

2010

o   Cloud Computing

o   Mobile Application

o   ADBMS

o   NO SQL

 Department has used different strategies to make Teaching and Learning become effective with changing times. Following is a short summary of the last 25 years.

o   1997 Project based learning

o   1997 Started Magazine/ Cultural and Technical Fest to foster innovation, teamwork, all round development and leadership

o   2000 Seminars and Soft Skill Workshops

o   2001 Internship part of Curriculum

o   2005 Domain based lab

o   2009 Research Focus

o   2010 Corporate Connect Programs

o   2012 Online Courses

 Students have been placed consistently each year, though there may have been ups and down in the CTC the corporates have always returned for placement back to Christ University. There have been challenges specially when the recessions occurred in 2001 and 2010, but fortunately did not affect placement at Christ to a great extent. The alumni has been a key source of strength for the department and whether it was for special lectures, syllabus review, conducting sessions or exams the Alumni has been very active. In the last Alumni Meet conducted on January 2015 more than 130 Alumni had come down to the campus.

 Is there a gap between the traits table and the students who pass out from our courses?

The answer is a "yes", we strive every day to bridge the gap. I as a teacher with 6 years of teaching experience and 12 years of industry experience realize that gap is inevitable.  I take heart that it's after all our students out there in the real world who are making the technological advances to widen the gap and are also the ones inspiring us to keep dancing to change.

 

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."  ― Mahatma Gandhi

                                                    Sunita Menezes

                                                    1444205

History of Psychological Counselling at Sampurna Montfort College

Sampurna Montfort College is managed by the Institute of the Brothers of St Gabriel. The Vision is mental and emotional well-being in society and is expressed in its logo 'Liberation with Enlightenment.' The Mission is to train psychologists and counsellors with personal integration and professional competence; to provide contextually relevant, socially inclusive and acceptable mental health care support to all in need.

The college began in 1995 with a one year Post Graduate Diploma course in Holistic Counselling. In 1998 the college started a Master's degree in Holistic Psychological Counselling, affiliated to Bangalore University. This was the first University course in Psychological Counselling in India. A few years later the Master's degree was changed to Psychological Counselling. The aim is to prepare counselling psychologists with academic, professional and personal credentials. The students are trained in couples and family counselling and work-place counselling. The students are also taught research methods and were required to submit a dissertation. In 2006, there was a revision in syllabus and the focus was more on specialized areas of counselling. They were taught research methods, but did not have to submit a dissertation. In 2014, there was yet another syllabus revision and along with the counselling subjects the students are also required to submit a dissertation. The college now offers specializations in school counselling, couples and family counselling and work-place counselling.

Masters in Psychology was started in 2005 and offers specialization in Clinical, Industrial and Child Psychology. It aims at preparing students to work in clinical, child-guidance, and industrial settings. Emphasis is placed on developing competencies in research and assessments through internships and project work.

In 2007 the Honours Programme was introduced. This programme encourages students to go beyond the textbook and the curriculum. It challenges them to think out of the box, form their own opinions and keeps them updated with current developments in the field.

In 2007 the Sampurna Institute of Advanced Studies began and offers Masters in Counselling Psychology and Diploma in Counselling. It is affiliated to Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong.

In 2010 a part time certificate course in Basic Counselling Skills was introduced for those in the helping and caring professions which offer guidance and support. It is a 100 hour practical oriented certificate programme. In 2011 a part time certificate course in Advanced Counselling Skills was introduced for those who have already completed the basic counselling skills training. It provides them further training in understanding the theoretical perspectives as well as applying the skills to life situations.

The faculty are encouraged to be innovative in their teaching and use different methodologies of knowing such as class room teaching, student presentations, group discussions, practical demonstrations, field trips, videos, workshops and case conferences. The students have to complete an internship and are guided through individual and group supervision.

The college also has a Family Counselling Centre which is partly supported by the State Social Welfare Board and provides free counselling services to the poor, especially women and children. This centre also engages in community counselling, family mediations and community-based research. The Sampurna Clinic was founded in January, 2009 with the aim of providing psychological assessments and therapeutic services to individuals, couples, families and various other clientele.

 

 

Evolution of the Department of English, Christ University

The department of English has existed since the time of inception of Christ College in 1969. The department was set up with six teachers. In the initial years, the number of students was very limited. The entire campus had about 1000 students. The Pre-University and degree programmes subsisted together. General English and Additional English existed from the beginning. Additional English was introduced mainly to help foreign students who were mainly from the Gulf countries. The BA programme was not really sought after.

Originally, optional English was available for  PSEng; Psychology, Sociology and English which was an aided combination. Most of the students were from Christian convents from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram. Since the college was under Bangalore University, the syllabus was highly traditional and consisted of mostly genre based divisions. Unaided combinations were introduced in 1991- Journalism, Psychology and English (JPE) and in 1996- Functional English, English and Psychology.

After the college received autonomy in 2006, 20% freedom was given for syllabus and evaluation change. For General English, a textbook was compiled by the teachers of the department, titled 'Perspectives'. Complete freedom on curriculum development was given since 2008 after the deemed University status was conferred. 'Mindscapes' and 'Life Scripts' were later publications for the General English course. Until autonomy, the annual system of evaluation was practised. After 2008, semester system was introduced. MA, M.Phil and PhD, were all introduced after 2008. New papers like Popular Culture, Ecological Discourse, Film Studies, English Language Teaching, Gender Studies, Theatre Studies, Translation Studies, etc, were introduced thereafter.

Now the department has newer combinations and the numbers of students have also significantly increased. Unlike the earlier ratio of 6 teachers and about 30 students, today there are more than 25 teachers in the department and close to 100 students in each of the department's programmes.

Currently, the department aims to promote an intellectual climate through artistic creation, critical mediation and innovative ideation in a  culture of  reciprocal transformation thus empowering the individual to read  oneself , the social context and the imagined.

 

By

Bhavani S (1444101)

&

Pritha Biswas (1444102)

History of Mount Carmel Institution of Management, Bangalore                                                                                                              Registration Number: 1440004

While India was celebrating its new-found independence, the Carmelite Sisters of St. Teresa sought to fill a lacuna in women's education. Mount Carmel College for women, owned and run by the congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Teresa, in the year 1944 in Trichur (under the title of Carmel College in the State of Cochin) affiliated to Madras University, was transferred to Bangalore in 1948 to meet the increasing demand for women's education. Thus began the story of Mount Carmel College, Bangalore on the 7th of July 1948 with just fifty students on its rolls.

Initially affiliated to Mysore University later it became an affiliated college of Bangalore University in 1964. MCC is a minority institution run primarily for Catholic Students but in the spirit of service, it opens its doors to those of all castes and creeds. It draws its inspiration from the person and teaching of Jesus Christ, Universal Master and Model of Education.

The college was granted the autonomy status in September 2005, affiliated to Bangalore University. Mount Carmel College was re-accredited with an A+ by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2006. It is one of the Colleges in India selected by UGC under the scheme, College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) in 2006. In the year 2012 the college was rewarded A grade by NAAC in its 2nd round of re-accreditation.

The College offers Under Graduate and Post Graduate Courses in Commerce and Management, Humanities, Science, Applied Science and Design. The student strength of the college in 1944 was 274; today it has strength of over 4,000 students pursuing both Under Graduate and Post Graduate Programmes.

The College has well established research facilities, State of the Art laboratories and facilitates research culture both among staff and students. The Commerce Department has been recognized as a Research centre by Bangalore University in 2006. Further IGNOU has recognized many of the Departments as Research Centers from the year 2010 - 2011. The College has been registered with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (Act 1988) in the year 2011.

Under the Under Graduate stream the college offers ten Programmes in the Faculty of Arts, eighteen in the Faculty of Science and four in the Faculty of Commerce and Management. Number of Post Graduate programmes has increased from three under the affiliated system to thirteen under the autonomous system. The College through the Centre for Extended Education offers skill based credit programs.

In the course of it's over 6 decades of history Mount Carmel College has worked successfully at its primary objective of women empowerment through education and it continues to be committed to the same.

As a major step, the College established an Institute for Management Studies (MCIM) in 1992, with a view to provide women students an opportunity to pursue Management Education. MCIM which is an autonomous institute approved by the All India Council for Technical Education. The Institute offers Two Years Full-time Post Graduate Programme in Business Management. MCIM has been awarded the "Business School with Best Academic Input (Syllabus) in Human Resources" at the 17^th Business School Affaire & Dewang Mehta Business School Awards on 5^th  November, 2009.

Course details:

The Institute offers Two Year Full-time Post Graduate Programme in  Business Management to educate Women in the field of Management. The program is spread over Six Trimesters to be covered in two years. The first three trimesters are common for all. All students is required to choose two elective  groups (in the IV Trimester), which allows her to specialize in two different areas. The student has to compulsorily undergo Summer Internship for 8 Weeks at Bangalore after the III Trimester. 
 

Specialization offered:

The specializations offered are  Finance, International Business, Marketing, Banking & Insurance, Human Resources, Systems, Retail Management, Actuaries & Risk Management, and Hospital Management and Entrepreneurial development. The course is designed & structured to enable students to adapt to the changing requirements, challenges & opportunity of the global business industry.

 

 

 

Ph.D. Assignment 1440005

Dear Sir

Kindly find the attached file for assignment.

Thanks & Regards,

Varsha Agarwal

Ph.D. Research Scholar & Research Assistant (Major Research Project)

Institute of Management, Christ University

Hosur Road, Bangalore

Extension 9545

History of Computer Science and Engineering-Christ University Faculty of Engineering, Kengeri, Bangalore-74.

Register No:1447101

"Computer Science and Engineering is the study of the design and operation of computer hardware and software, and of the application of computer technology to science, business, and the arts."

The Discipline of Computer Science and Engineering(CSE), a 4 year Under Graduate Programme in Christ University was started in the year 2009 with 5 students and 4 faculty members. Now Computer Science and Engineering Department has 18 Faculties and 500 students in graduate and Post graduate programme. Department Having different research areas: Machine Learning, Data Mining, Mobile computing,Network Security, Software Engineering, Image Processing,etc.. After completing Graduation in CSE, the students are eligible to get the jobs in private and government sectors. Job titles like Software Engineer (Applications or System), System Programmer, System Engineer, System Analyst/Programmer, Database Administrator, Network Systems and Data Communication Analyst, Network Programmer/Administrator, Web Developer/Administrator, Computer Scientist, and Information Technology Specialist.

Recent Activities in Department:

Seminars/Workshops/Conferences

• National Conference on Data Mining & Pattern Recognition - Department of Computer Science, CUFE,5th & 6th of December 2014.
• Corporate Connect-Report on Techno talk - 05 July 2014
• ASCII 2014-15 organized a technical talk on 5th July.
• Novators freshers day, Kengeri Campus 22nd Aug-2014
• QIP conducted by Department of CSE October 17th -19th 2014.
• Technical Talk / Workshop on IPv6 on 14th June 2014

 Extra Curricular and Co-curricular Activities:

• CSA Visit at Leprosy care Centre at Sumanahalli, Bangalore
• Industrial Visit conducted by Department of CSE - CUFE
• Inauguration of ASCII-27
• Poster presentation on Cyber security awareness

·     Name: B Rudra Prathap

       Register No:1447101

History of Psychology as a discipline in Christ University 1444202

History of Psychology as a discipline in Christ University                        1444202

Psychology as a discipline has existed in Christ University since the beginning of this institution in 1969 as an affiliated college under Bangalore University. It was the smallest department then, with just one teacher and about fifteen students. The department offered just two undergraduate programmes with psychology as one of the subjects in the triple major system, PSEng (Psychology, Sociology, English) and PSEco (Psychology, Sociology, Economics). The reason why psychology has been one of the first departments is that as a discipline it was able to collaborate with both secular and spiritual aspects. One of the objectives was also to help students from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram to obtain a degree, therefore a subject like psychology was useful.

Until the 1990s there were mostly male students, with very few female students. By the late 1990s more number of girls enrolled, which could be because of changing trends in society and a greater acceptance of psychology as a helping profession. In 1998, two more new undergraduate programmes were started – FEP (Functional, English, Psychology) and JPEng (Journalism, Psychology, English). By this time there was a shift in focus towards the interdisciplinary nature of psychology in terms of its application in other disciplines. The pedagogical practices were mostly lectures, and projects for students. Teachers would even make notes for students and the references were mostly textbooks in psychology such as those by Munn or Morgan for the syllabus prescribed by Bangalore University.

Around the same time (1998) a practical lab was started with various psychological tests and experiments. Students from the first to final semester had practicals and would be trained in administering, scoring and writing reports of the assessments. The department started having a lot of activities which were student centric, to help them learn/ imbibe the spirit of healthy competition and to further their understanding of the discipline itself. This was when Silhouette (intra-department fest) began – an initiative that included activities like street play, exhibitions, and research paper presentations for students of all psychology classes to compete with each other and celebrate psychology through both academic and creative endeavours. Teachers supervised the activities to enable an experiential learning process and also to inculcate the spirit of unity in the class. The activities of the department are usually conducted by the elected members (final year UG & later on even PG) of psychology association in collaboration with faculty members. This association is the largest student body in the deanery which is managed by the president, vice president, secretary, joint secretaries and class representatives. The association also conducts Young Psychologist Competition (since 2008) for UG students across the country to participate and discuss their research work.

2004 was an important year in the history of Christ University as it was conferred Autonomy by UGC. Some changes in syllabus were made across many departments, psychology included. Many reference books and text books were added, along with more interactive teaching methods like seminars for students. In 2005, a Master's programme in Psychology (clinical) was started. Back then even Bangalore University wasn't offering this, and the department felt that there was a need in society with a growing demand for clinical psychologists. This led to the establishment of the Department of Post Graduate Studies in Psychology. Existing faculty and some new faculty members constituted this department under a PG department Coordinator and the Head of Department (UG & PG). By this time psychology as a profession and discipline was gaining more and more popularity as a useful subject that informs most other disciplines. The number of students kept growing and so did the department. Psychology books in the library increased enormously, and department started film clubs and internships for PG students to enhance learning. A dissertation was also a requirement for this degree. 

In 2007, a second Master's programme in Counseling Psychology began, again due to the felt need in society. There were only about four other colleges offering this in Bangalore at that time. In 2008, it was another milestone and turning point for the university when it was declared as a Deemed to be University. This was a catalyst for major changes in the university after which it has grown by leaps and bounds, and so has the discipline of Psychology. It was at this point that the UG and PG departments were combined as one, a move that was made by university across all departments. At this point in time major revisions in curriculum were made in UG and PG courses to bring them up to date. Courses on qualitative research, skill based training courses, supervised practicum/ research labs and many electives like addiction counseling, workplace counseling, disability and challenge were introduced at the PG level. There was a shift in pedagogy with an emphasis on research based teaching and learning, a lot of assignments were focused on reading and reviewing research articles. By this time the department had started conducting national level conferences (since 2007), and this was a way of meeting and interacting with professionals from various fields of psychology (academic- industry interface) which reflected a change in the way psychology was perceived. In fact the post graduate students were now given an option to choose the clinical track (internship) or research track (dissertation) as students felt they wanted to focus more on applied areas. In 2008, M Phil and PhD programmes were started in psychology.  The importance of research for any discipline is indisputable and so was it with psychology. Hence the department decided to make dissertations compulsory for all PG students. In 2009 a certified course on Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) was introduced for final year PG students and offered by professionals from UK. The response has been very encouraging and it still continues to be offered.

A course on History and Philosophy of Psychology was added for clinical psychology students in 2009. This was also the year when BA Honours in Psychology was introduced as an option for triple major students to choose psychology in the final year. This programme offers papers such as biological foundations, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, industrial psychology, research methods, health psychology and statistics, among others along with electives. A dissertation and internships are included, which makes it a suitable course for those aspiring to continue in the field of psychology. In 2010 another addition was a new combination at the BA level – PEP (Performing arts, English, Psychology). This new course brought about a new perspective and emphasis on applied aspects of psychology. In the same year, a PG programme in Human Resource Development and Management begun. After the first year of its introduction, major revisions were made to give students the best possible range of theory and practical skills. This programme has professionalization seminars every week where experts from the field come and interact with students. They also conduct events such as HR conclave which aims at academic-industry interface. These changes were incorporated to reflect the demands of the industry. Around this time department also started conducting programmes more actively for awareness on Mental Health Day, Disability Day etc. This not only creates more awareness among students but also provides an opportunity to interact with people from the industry- which is another way students learn about practical issues.

The department has evolved over time to suit the changes happening in the discipline and incorporated various revisions in curricula and pedagogy. The faculty members (over 30 full time & guest faculty) are people with different areas of expertise. This dynamic nature of the department has enabled various perspectives and collaborative teamwork to help them emerge as one of the strongest departments in the university. By the way, this department has grown to become one of the best and largest psychology departments (students and faculty) in India. This is possible because they are open to new ideas and consistently keep working on evolving better ways of teaching and learning. Some of the recent developments help to substantiate this. In 2013, a cognitive lab was started as this is an upcoming area in the discipline. It has also introduced an elective in clinical neuro-psychology. Service learning is another aspect that indicates a shift in pedagogy. Students of both UG and PG participate in the community and discuss their experiential learning in the class. This is also a way of sensitizing students, engaging with and serving the community. A clinic was also started in the department for consultation. In 2013 two new papers – health psychology and positive psychology were introduced for the regular BA programme in the final year. This change was clearly a revision made based on the evolving scope of the discipline in different areas of specialization. For BA practicals, students (in a group) usually conduct a small research study and use statistics to analyze their data. This year (2014-15) SPSS was introduced for them to keep them up to date with changing trends.  In 2014 a psychoanalytic reading group was started by few faculty members and students. A seminar (first of its kind) was organized on the work of a renowned psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakkar, about culture and psyche. This was made possible by the interest of this group which meets every week to read and discuss classical texts in psychoanalysis and has interactions with leading psychoanalysts in India through video conferencing. The response to this seminar was encouraging.

Throughout the academic year experts in different areas of psychology (regional, national & international) visit for guest lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences. National conferences are held every year since 2007 on themes such as changing fabric of intimate relationships, positive psychology, psychology and cinema, psychology of women, cognitive neuro-psychology and clinical hypnotherapy to name a few. An international conference was organized in 2012 and the next one to be organized in 2016. The department (as also the University) is now moving towards improving standards of teaching learning and becoming a world class institution, one of the goals being enhancing the research culture through interaction between faculty, UG, PG students and research scholars in projects. The faculty in the department have begun to take up more research such as monographs, major research projects and working papers. An outcome of these activities is that teaching has become more informed by research experiences. It also provides students with an opportunity to work with faculty at various stages of research. This kind of an environment is sure to take the department to greater heights as is true of the vision of this department – to promote high academic standards and scholarship in psychology, by creating an optimal and enriching learning environment, fostering ongoing professional and personal development and contributing effectively to societal needs.

History of Management Education at Christ University, Bengaluru - Vinu Wilson (1440006)

Christ University, formerly Christ College affiliated to Bangalore University was established in July 1969. In the following three decades it became the most preferred educational institution in the city of Bengaluru. It also holds the rare distinction of being the first institution in Karnataka to be accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC for quality education). In 2004, University Grants Commission (UGC) conferred Autonomy on the Institution. In 2005, it became the first College in South India to be re-accredited with A+ by NAAC. UGC identified it as an Institution with Potential for Excellence in 2006. On July 22, 2008, the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Union Government of India, under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, vide Notification No. F. 9-34/2007-U.3 (A), declared it a Deemed to be University, in the name and style of Christ University.

Christ University established Department of Management Studies, in 1991 with a clearly defined approach for creating quality managers and entrepreneurs required to face the challenges of the corporate sector. The department offers undergraduate courses in Business Management and Administration, Masters Programme in Management and Finance and PhD programme that involves in-depth research works in different functional areas of management. The department offers following undergraduate programmes

1)    Bachelor in Business Administration (Honors) – Is a 3 year, 6 semesters programme currently offered in the Hosur road campus and is planned to be moved into the new Bannerghatta road campus shortly.

2)     Bachelor in Business Administration (Finance and International Business) – Is a 3 year, 6 semesters programme currently offered in the Hosur road campus and is planned to be moved into the new Bannerghatta road campus shortly.

Department of Management Studies offers the following Post-Graduate Programmes

1)    Master of Business Administration (Financial Management) - Is a 2 year (4 Semesters) program, specializing on various aspects of finance, including financial analysis and control. Formerly this programme was known as Master in Financial Management (MFM). From academic year 2014-15 the MFM programme was renamed as MBA (Financial Management). The programme lays emphasis on relevant areas of accounting, taxation, commercial law, investment, and general management. The program involves theoretical and case study modules and an internship of 45 days in financial analysis and financial management. The program is designed to meet the global demand for financial engineers who can understand sophisticated new financial products, model their cash-flows, price them accurately, using rigorous mathematical and computational tools, and trade and manage the risk arising from such products. The course is held in the Hosur road campus.

2)    Master of Business Administration (Executive) – Is a 2 years, 4 semester programme for working professionals that focuses on the development of conceptual, analytical and management skills in the fields of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Management, Marketing, Operations and Behavioral sciences. The classes are held on weekends at the Hosur road campus.

 

Two year full time Post Graduate Management Program (MBA) are also offered under the department – Christ University Institute of Management (CUIM). The Institute of Management was started in 1994 with a view to promote quality education, research and consultancy in Management. Christ University Institute of Management functions in two campuses within Bangalore City. Main Campus is attached to the central administrative buildings of the University. Kengeri Campus started in 2009 is located on a 75- acre plot which has a picture perfect natural ambiance complete with an herbal garden as well.

Institute of Management offers the following courses

   1) MBA programme – A 2 Year, 6 Trimester MBA programme with the following specializations viz. Finance, Marketing, Lean Operations and Human Resource at the city and Kengeri campus.

    2) MBA (Christ University) and MS (Virginia Commonwealth University) dual degree programme – Is a 2 year programme wherein the student spend initial 12 months at the Christ University main campus and complete the entire first year MBA curriculum including internship. Thereafter, students will spend another 3 months at Christ University main campus taught by faculty from the Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. Then students will go to USA and study in the VCU campus for a duration of 9 months. The students upon successful completion will obtain two degrees from two universities in two years with an international exposure of 9 months in USA. At VCU campus, students can opt for any one of the following three concentration available in MS program:
1. Master of Science in Business with a Global Marketing Management concentration
2. Master of Science in Business with concentration in Finance
3. Master of Science in Management Information system with Information Risk, Security and Assurance concentration

3)  MBA - International Business (FHWS - Germany) and PGDM - Finance/ Marketing (Christ University) dual degree programme – Is a 2 year programme, wherein students obtain Post Graduate Diploma in Management with either Marketing or Finance specialization from Christ University and Masters in Business Administration in International Business  from  University of Applied Sciences, Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Germany (FHWS) through credit transfer system.

Upcoming MBA programmes at Christ University

MBA Leadership and Management(with specialization in Education, Health and Social Care ) - Is a two-year MBA programme in Leadership and Management offered by Department of Professional studies with an objective of empowering middle and senior level employees in the education, health and social care sectors to transform them into professional managers. The programme attempts to equip the candidates with key competencies to understand, initiate and implement changes in the work settings

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Sunniest Regards,

Vinu Wilson

​1440006​

The Saga of Mathematical Culture in St. Mary’s College, Thrissur

Reg.No: 1445301                                                                                           

Introduction

Knowledge is processed into its content and form largely through educational institutions. The dissemination of the accumulated knowledge is carried out through eminent personalities of the universities, especially concerned with the mathematical discipline. St. Mary's College, Thrissur is a well reputed college in Kerala, under the affiliation of University of Calicut, Kozhikode. This narration aims to unveil the process of development of the department of Mathematics as a branch of knowledge within the institutional framework of St. Mary's College.

History of Mathematics Education

The legacy of Mathematical education in St. Mary's College goes to a period before independence. The Alma mater and with it, the department of Mathematics, opened its doors in 1946 with under graduate and pre -university courses. The first chair of the department was Sr. Chrisantha CMC, who had been an associate professor in Calicut University. With a motto so high to unravel the unexplored, the faculty geared the development of the department to its heights.

After 20 years due to the bifurcation of the college in 1967, the under graduate courses were shifted to Vimala College, Cheroor, which was under the same management. Although left out only with pre -university courses, the department was famous all through the state and as a result, students from all over Kerala, found it a matter of prestige to enroll in this institution, especially for Science streams. Those days were blessed with showers of ranks from Calicut University and entrance examination for medical and engineering programmes.

Again in 1980 under graduate courses were re-established under the headship of Smt. A. O. Celine. Even in those olden days the department gained reputation as one of the best department under the affiliation to Calicut University. Giving impetus towards excellence the post graduate programme was started in 1995, and the department becomes pioneer to post graduate in St. Mary's College. Faculty progression and curriculum transitions paved way to victorious achievements in university results and student placement campaigns. The process of gradual intellectual growth was continued by a vibrant progress of intellectual engagement.

Landmarks in this process of growth include the emergence of a research culture and as a result, establishment of a well equipped Marian Research Center for Mathematics in 2011, with two guides from the department. The start of the doctoral programme is generally recognized as the first step that a department takes towards academic respectability. At present the areas of Graph Theory, Functional Analysis, Fuzzy Set Theory and Convexity Theory are opened for intensive research. Around 10 zealous research scholars are enrolled for the PhD programme from all over Kerala.

 

Curriculum and Pedagogy

As the institution is an affiliated college, the content of Mathematics is prescribed by Calicut University and innovative approach was possible only by means of creative pedagogy. Rather than brooding over the helplessness in modification of curriculum, the faculty focused upon novel methods of effective communication of Mathematical content. It includes the methods of seminars, assignments, peer teaching and remedial classes in the atmosphere of smart classrooms and departmental library. Also students were encouraged to ask relevant mathematical questions and doubts. Tutorials, counseling sessions and departmental activities promoted all rounded integration of staff and students. Deserved students were always aided with academic scholarships. National Seminars and inter-collegiate competitions added pace to the intellectual development and research orientation. A good collection of Mathematical content is being made available through books and research journals by the librarian.

Outlook to the Future

Looking forward to develop the alma mater into a nationally recognized centre of excellence in education training and research, the present head of the department, Dr. Magie Jose, shared her plans for the future mission. The mission is to build up and improve student's logical skills as well as subject content nurturing a research culture. The main strategies included the realization of departmental renovation, equipment efficiency, undertaking of major and minor projects and the publishing of research journals.

Over the last 70 years the department has grown slowly but steadily and has become more and more research oriented in its staff and students. We hope and expect that these trends will continue…

(Note:These essay is prepared by Smitha Rose C. G. [Research Scholar, Christ University, Bangalore] a former student of St. Mary's College, Thrissur. For more details please visit the website: http://www.stmaryscollegethrissur.edu.in/department.php?department=13)