The UGC-Human Resource Development Centre of Bharathidasan University on Wednesday initiated the third and fourth faculty induction programmes (FIP) on virtual platform, for university and college teachers from across the country.
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The first and second FIP, which is equivalent to an orientation programme, were conducted last November-December.
The 40 participants from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal, besides Tamil Nadu, will be taking part in the month-long programme as a mandatory exercise for professional development.
The UGC's framework for FIP states that newly-recruited teachers will be trained within a year of their joining service to improve their teaching and management skills, adjust to the culture of higher educational institutions, and better understand their professional responsibilities.
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The pedagogy of the programme is based on a combination of peer-facilitated, expert-led and self-learning processes. The topics to be covered include personal-emotional development, life skills, counselling and motivation, values, ethics and environment consciousness.
Inaugurating the third and fourth FIP through video-conference, Archana Thakur, UGC Joint Secretary, stressed upon the need and significance of the continual professional development for the teachers to stay updated and up-skilled in the 21st century educational environment. She highlighted the salient features of the Gurudakshta, the UGC's curriculum framework for the FIPs, being organised by the UGC's Human Resource Development Centres across the country for the newly-recruited teachers.
Emphasising on ethics in research and publications, she said the University Grants Commission-Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) ensures ethical practices in academic research, Ms. Archana said integration of digital technologies into pedagogical practices has now become necessary for teachers to ensure ‘anytime anywhere’ learning opportunities to the learners of the present generation.
Presiding over, Srinivasa Raghavan, Controller of Examination, Bharathidasan University, explained the importance of e-resources and their utility for students to gain world-class learning experiences.
As part of the FIPs, the participants would present seminars, involve themselves in certain online / offline activities, take tests, present micro-teaching sessions and prepare a research proposal. Their performance will be evaluated and grades will be given, as per UGC’s norms, S. Senthilnathan, Director of the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, Bharathidasan University, said.
The HRDC of Bharathidasan University has, so far during this academic year, conducted six refresher courses and four-short term courses, facilitating career advancement of as many as six higher education teachers, Prof. Senthilnathan said.