IQAC 2019-20

An annual student satisfaction survey is conducted by every department. The department wise details for the year 2019-20 are as follows:

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• Title of the Practice:  Inclusivity in Education

Goal. A goal embedded within the educational philosophy of LSR is educational equity. This refers the achievement of fairness, justice and impartiality in education. Equity in this context means the ability of meeting the specific needs of specific individuals.

Context. Our society continues to suffer from sharp divides created on the basis of class, caste, gender and disability. It is thus the moral responsibility of each educational institution of rectify these divides and make learning available to each person in this country. Moreover affirmative action has led to increased diversity within HEIs. Classrooms are now am amalgamation of Indians from very different walks of life. This diversity must be respected rather than questioned. It must be  channelized to make the learning process more enriching for all stakeholders involved by creating a learning ambience wherein which a multitude of opinions are heard and respected.

The Practice and Success. LSR attempts of address questions of inclusivity by creating classroom spaces within which students from different segments of society get the opportunity to voice their opinions. Beyond the classrooms, the SC-ST Cell and REACH have remained active in their efforts to raise social awareness around societal divides. Swavalamban is a resource centre in college for differently-abled students, particularly for those with visual disabilities. It provides access to  assistive technology and equipment including the Everest–D Braille Embosser, Screen Reading Software, Lex-Talk Scanner, Book Scanners, DAISY Recorders and Players and OCR software for English and Hindi. The resource centre also has computer systems that facilitate the work of both English and Hindi discipline students.  REACH works with the Equal Opportunity Cell of the University of Delhi, to ensure that students have access to reading material, laptops and other recording devices provided by the University.
For the term 2019-20, the focus of REACH was on greater infrastructural accessibility coupled with awareness raising and sensitization in order to create and sustain an inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities. This was also coupled with an attempt to amplify the voices and experiences of students with disabilities in college through various informal events, online campaigns and their newsletter.

Infrastructural Accessibility

• Accessible ATM: The College ATM now has an audio output which would enable blind students to transact independently.
• Regular Functioning of elevators: Throughout the year, REACH maintained constant communication with the administration to ensure regular and smooth functioning of the elevator.
• Volunteers to map out inaccessibility: REACH assigned a few volunteers the task of noting down various forms of inaccessibility in and around college and also attend to things like improper arrangement of furniture in classrooms which make it difficult for wheelchair users to manoeuvre and blind students to find their way. 

Various events were organised throughout the year by REACH. A summary is presented below:

Other developments included:

• A  series of 12 workshops in collaboration with NSS affiliated NGOs for children from lower socio-economic strata on disability. These workshops were organized in the months of September, October, January and February. The idea was to sensitize children about disability, the proper terminology to refer to people with disabilities, accessible modes of communication and proper etiquettes.
• Publication of Newsletter of REACH titled The Purple Post- a platform for students with disabilities and non-disabled students to engage with various facets of disabilities and share their experiences.
• Online campaigns to raise awareness and sensitize people about disability. This included a weekly series called “Fun Fact Friday”, weekly series on various types of disabilities like dyslexia and deafness, posts on disability days like Down syndrome day, white cane safety day and so on. REACH also provided a platform for students with disabilities to share their experiences around issues like mental health and independence. This helped  create sustained online presence and enhance the engagement of students with the topic of disability and the discourses around it.

Title of the Practice: At Home in the World

Goal. An important goal of the college’s approach to education is  encouraging collaborations with other reputed institutions of higher learning across the world. Each international collaboration is viewed as a rich learning opportunity for host students as well as peers who visit the college from other nations. 

Context. The world is more interconnected than ever before. As geographical and political boundaries have become easier to cross, the benefits of development have begun to be considered by educationists as well. UNESCO (2006) defines the internationalization of education as “Higher education that takes place in situations where the teacher, student, program, institution or provider and course materials cross national jurisdictional borders”. Such education which is best transacted in classrooms with students of different nationalities offers a number of advantages to the teaching-learning process.

The Practice and success. The Office of International Programmes (OIP) continued to interact with academic institutions across the globe, building up new collaborations, while strengthening and enhancing existing partnerships. OIP hosted talks by eminent international academics and organized sessions with representatives of prestigious Universities to inform students about study abroad opportunities. It facilitated student exchanges, both from partner institutes abroad and from LSR to these institutions. Both inbound and outbound students were mentored and guided during every stage of the process. Numerous delegations visited the College in this period, and interacted with the Principal, to discuss possibilities for collaborative endeavours. In addition, LSR organized a short course on India, for a group of international students. Some developments of the year are summarised below:

• Orientation: The Office of International Programmes, LSR, conducted its annual orientation for 2019-20,on August 28, 2019to inform students about the different opportunities, in terms of exchange programmes, summer schools and master’s programmes that OIP has to offer. They were informed about the collaborations with different universities, namely, Sciences Po, Middlebury University, Macquarie University, NUS, La Trobe and several others. They were also informed about the specifications of each exchange programme and the scholarships available for the same. Three more sessions were conducted on 19th and 27th September 2019 and on 23rd January 2020, in which LSR alumna, who had gone on these exchange programmes, shared their experiences and guided students on how to prepare for these programmes.

• Short-term Course: A group of 15 students from the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University, Australia visited Lady Shri Ram College for a short-term course from 9th to 13th September, 2019. The group was led by Prof. Julian  Droogan,  Senior Lecturer, Dept of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University and Ms. Tina Stubenrauch, International Engagement Manager, Macquarie University. The week long course which wasconceptualized and transacted by LSR faculty members, provided an overview on diverse aspects of Indian History, Geopolitics, Sociology, Gandhi and his relevance and Sustainable Environmental Practices in India. In addition to the lectures, a Madhubani painting workshop was organized followed by an interactive session with the National Service Scheme, LSR. The Students’ Union took the initiative to organize cultural interactions between the visiting students and their LSR counterparts which proved very popular.

• Talks
• Prof. Julian  Droogan,  Senior Lecturer, Department of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University, and part of the delegation from Macquarie University, gave a lecture on the India-Australia Strategic Partnership to a group of 60 students on 10th September 2019.
• Mr. NileshGaikwad, India Representative of the EDHEC Business School, Paris conducted a session in Lady Shri Ram College on 13th September 2019. He explained about the process of admission to EDHEC, the fee concessions available to students from LSRand discussed possible help with accommodation for students from LSR who would like to study at the EDHEC Business School. The session was interactive in nature and the 50 students present had many queries. Mr. Gaikwad also organized a CV and SOP writing workshop for a small group of 10 students on 29th January 2020.
• Ms. AasthaVirk Singh, Senior Advisor, Education USA, United States India Education Foundationaddressed a group of 60 students on 24 October 2019. She explained the process of application and admission to Universities in USA and answered queries regarding the same.
• Ms. AktaSawhney visited LSR on 9th January 2020 and addressed a group of 40 students on the Cargill Global Scholars Programme. She encouraged LSR students to apply for this prestigious Programme, which not only provided a generous scholarship for two years, but also provided leadership development opportunities through seminars and mentoring programmes, both within India and globally.
• Mr. Danny Pan, Associate Manager, Academic Partnerships, the Summer Institute at OrielCollege, Oxford and the Cambridge Summer Institutevisited the campus on 21st January, 2020 to inform students about summer courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He explained about the enrolment process, scholarships and fee discounts offered at the SummerInstitutes.The talk was attended by 75 students.
• Dr. JalenaHavelka, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, University of Leeds gave a lecture to about 60 students and 6 faculty of the Psychology Departmenton “Communicating Emotions through Languages and Cultures” on  28th January 2020.
• Prof. Tom Buckley, Lecturer in International Business Strategies, University of Sheffield conducted a workshop on “Innovation and International Business” for a group of about 50 students on 7thFebruary 2020.

• International Visits
• A number of visitors, both from partner institutions and from institutions looking for partners in India, visited the college and met the Principal. These included Prof. Martina Mollering, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University who visited the College on 12 December 2019 and Prof. Laurie Patton, President, Middlebury College, Vermont USA who met Dr. Sharma on 10 January 2020.
• A delegation from the Cornell Law School, USA consisting of Prof. Monica Ingram, Associate Dean, Admissions, Prof. Markeisha Miner, Dean of Students, and Prof. SitalKalantry, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School visited LSR on 6th February 2020 and discussed the opportunities available for Indian students to study law in USA.
• A group from Lehigh University, USA led byProf. Whitney P. Witt, College of Health, Lehigh University discussed possibilities of collaboration with Dr. Suman Sharma.
• Prof. Raymond J. La Raja, Associate  Dean, College of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and KanikaParwal, Programme Manager, LakshmipatSinghania Education Foundation visited the college on 14th February 2020 to discuss international scholarship opportunities for LSR students to pursue a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst through the LSEF-UMass Scholarship 2020.

• Student Exchanges and Opportunities

• Simran Rawat, a final year Journalism student, was chosen as part of a 25 member Indian Youth Delegation to South Korea from 13th to 22ndNovember 2019, under the International Youth Exchange Programme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
• Pravina Khuraija, a first year student of the B.A. Programme Department, was selected as one of 10 Cargill Global Scholars 2020 from across the country.
• Juliet Flan Ross and Rebecca Brown who had been Exchange students from Middlebury at LSR in 2017, were awarded the Fulbright Research Award for India in 2019-20.
• LSR College hosted a number of exchange students in the academic year 2019-20 from institutions such as Middlebury College, USA and LaTrobe University, Australia. These students had to leave India as they were re-called by their home institution due to the pandemic. However, they continued online academic work and finished their course-work by 30th April 2020.
• A number of students from LSR were nominated for collaborative programmes in Universities abroad such as Fukuoka Women’s University, Japan, Sciences Po, Paris France, National University of Singapore, Singapore and Macquaire University, Australia

The college has a Building Committee which ensures that infrastructure pertaining to the college building is well maintained. All the college’s infrastructure is regularly checked and monitored.  Repairs are made to any aspect of the infrastructure that is found malfunctioning following due process. Prior to the pandemic most lectures took place in classrooms with projectors, mics and speakers to ensure usage of new audiovisual pedagogical techniques during the teaching process. After the pandemic, all classes have shifted online. The college also has access to a 24×7 WiFi facility as provided by the University of Delhi.  Although students are currently not coming to college for classes, it has been ensured that available infrastructure is accessible.  The college ensures timely maintenance and upkeep of ramps for wheel chair access, hand rails and elevators. Wash rooms for students with disability are available both in the college and the Hostel. Swavalamban is a resource centre in college for students with disabilities, particularly for those with visual disabilities. It provides access to assistive technology and equipment. The center is maintained in collaboration with KPMG. The campus also offers facilities such as cafeteria, medical room etc. The functioning of the cafe is looked into by the Cafe committee constituted by faculty members of college. Any complaints regarding cafe functioning are taken seriously and rectified. Important events of college are held in the college auditorium. The auditorium can seat about 700 people and has a very advanced light and sound system. It is equipped with a large stage (40 × 60 ft), two green rooms, comfortable seating, carpeting, wall paneling for acoustic effects, airconditioners, washrooms, locker and podium. The sound system includes a 12channel mixer and a studio master. The light room can operate almost100 lights at the same time with the help of its electronic dimmer. There are also 16mm and digital video projectors, for screening films. All of these facilities are regularly checked and maintained by the college staff. Staff are also available to assist students and teachers in case there is some issues with the mics and projectors. Both the library and administration section of LSR have undergone computerization.  The library is fully digitised. It has computer terminals with internet facility and reading cubicles. A regular update on new additions is provided by the library staff. A library committee oversees the functioning of the library and keeps it updated with the latest books needed by students. The library has space for students can use their own laptops in the college. Students also have access to the college computers in the Library once off line teaching resumes.

• Aletheia
  The philosophy department had its annual fest on the 27th and 28th of February. The theme for this year was The Good Place. A guest lecture was organised on the topic of Genetically Modified Seeds and their ethical implications. In collaboration with the Quizzing Society, the Philomela quiz was organised on the topic of mythology and history. An art exhibition was also held followed by a paper presentation event. Eikona, a photography competition and Expressions, a creative writing competition were organized. In addition, a collaboration with the Debating Society resulted in a debating competition based on philosophy
• Samagam
  The Department of B. A. Programme celebrated its annual fest Samagam on February 28^th  and 2nd March. The theme was “Swara: Unfurling Narratives”. The Inaugural Address of Samagam was “Women in STEM”. The objective was to illustrate how women are underrepresented, especially in the area of STEM, factors responsible for the same and ways to overcome them.  The department also organised “The Biz Bang Theory: The SciBizTech Quiz” that tested the participants’ knowledge of the often mingled worlds of business, technology and science. Another event, “On A Quest for Truth in a Post-Truth World”, was a panel of professionals working in communication and mass media.  Other events included “Partition Voices”, Business and Planning Competition- “Idea Brew and a Creative Writing Competition.
• Juxtapose
  The Journalism Department hosted its Annual Academic Meet—Juxtapose, on the 21^st and 22^nd of February in the college premises. This year, Juxtapose revolved around the theme—”Do We Dare: Will Media Change the Universe?” and the nine offline events spread over two days addressed the Changing aspects of media, Commercialization of news, Coverage and Press laws, and Future of media amongst others.
• Econovista
  On 17th and 18th January 2020, the Department of Economics organised its Annual International Students’ Symposium – Econvista 2020. The theme for this year’s symposium was “India in the globalised world: Which way now?”.  The symposium commenced with a Keynote Address by Dr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director for World Bank.  This was followed by several competitive events for which there was participation from all over the country and also abroad. One event was organised in collaboration with the World Bank and took place at the World Bank Office. The second day started off with a panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Deepshikha Sikarwar, Senior Editor at the Economic Times. insightful panelists were Dr. Partha Sen, Ex-Director and professor at the Delhi School of Economics; Dr. Bharat Ramaswami, Professor at Ashoka University; Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Professor at ICRIER (India’s leading think tank); Mr. Shobinder Duggal, Director Finance and Control and CFO of Nestle India.
• Comquest
  The Commerce Department organized its Annual International Academic Meet on the 26^th and 27^th of September’19. The theme was ‘Escalade’. It witnessed widespread participation of over 300 bright minds from colleges across India, reaching out online to over 1800 students along with the contribution of each of the 250 students of the Department.  Events included a panel discussion on “Abortion Rights.” The panel included Ms. Geeta Luthra (Senior Advocate, The Supreme Court of India), Mr. Devendra Kumar Gupta (Founder and CEO of the Ladli Foundation Trust), DrPuneetBedi (Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital) and Ms Haripriya Padmanabhan (Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court) among others. There were several other events including ‘Ignite: The E-Cell Event’,  ‘Phoenix: Rise from the Ashes’ ( testing risk management, strategic thinking, decision making and financial analysis) and  ‘Vanquisher: The Best Manager’.
• Workshop on Awareness of Urban Air Quality & Public Health
  Institution Innovation Council & IQAC, Lady Shri Ram College and Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi is organized a one day workshop on ‘Awareness of Urban Air Quality & Public Health‘ on November 2, 2019. This one day workshop was conducted by Dr Chirashree Ghosh, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi.
• Language courses in collaboration with LSR-IQAC
  LSR in collaboration with IQAC has initiated 4 language courses in the college: French, Spanish, German and Russian. The French and Russian classes are being conducted by the University of Delhi. Both these courses are one year long. The classes for German are being taken by a former student of LSR. Those who complete the German language course, write the A1 examination at the Gothe Institute. Students of LSR performed very well in this examination last year. The Spanish classes are being run by Mundo Latino. All four courses are certificate courses and have received a good response from the student body.
• 26.09.2019: IQAC-LSR and the Department of Mathematics presented a lecture by  Dr. Rita Malhotra Former Principal, Kamala Nehru college, University of Delhi  , titled PATH TO ENIGMATIC INFINITY
• 26. 09.2019: Philosophy department in association with IQAC-LSR presented a workshop by Mr. Vaibhav Devanathan , Founder and CEO of education startup “LaughGuru” on
  ‘Resume writing and career avenues’
• 4.09.2019: IQAC-LSR and the Department of Statistics presented a lecture by Mr. Vibhu Goenka, alumna of BITS Pilani and IIM-C on 4.09.19, titled ‘So statistically speaking’ on the future prospects of Statistics and data analytics.
• 21.08.2019: IQAC-LSR and the Department of Mathematics presented a lecture by Prof. M.N Hoda on 21 August, 2019 titled Education 4.0, 21st Century. please see poster
• 22.08.2019: IQAC & English Department LSR organised discussion on “Why we Need Libraries” with Purnima Rao, a trustee and volunteer at The Community Library Project that builds and operates free libraries across Delhi. An LSR alumna, she is also a creative director and screen-writer who most recently spoke about the library movement at Habitat’s Samanvay Literature festival.
• 22.08.19: IQAC & Psychology Department LSR launched a Research Club to promote research efforts in the student community. The club focuses on providing information and guidance on the conduction, presentation and writing of psychological research through formal and informal sessions