Best Practices

Best Practice 1

Title of the Practice

Mentor-Mentee System (MMS)

Objectives of the Practice

Holistic and Multidisciplinary education through mentoring can profoundly impact students' learning and personal development. The focus of MMS is

• To facilitate Academic and Personal Development
• To assist students in exploring career paths
• To introduce students to professional networks, opportunities and connections within the Engineering field.
• To nurture students and foster their holistic development to become globally competent professionals.

The Context

AVS Engineering College recognizes the challenges faced by students from rural areas in understanding the scope of Engineering and navigating the complexities of the employment process. Thismakes crucial for the college to provide substantial support and a personalized touch to ease their transition into the new academic environment and the future corporate arena. Since many students are First-Generation graduates and come from regional linguistic background, adapting to the English medium of instruction can pose a considerable obstacle.Mentoring provides these students emotional and instrumental support, guidance, encouragement and better environment in college.

The Practice

Taking into account the aforementioned context, the college has implemented a Mentoring system which establishesstrong bond between Faculties and Students, allows for a customized approach to handle any concerns or difficulties that a particular student may encounter.Students are given an overview of the mentorship program, which maintains a Mentor-Mentee ratio of 1:20, as well as information about the college's operating system, facilities and policies.

Mentor-Mentee meeting (One to One) is scheduled thrice in a semester, during which the personal backgrounds, academic progress, and any challenges faced by the students are discussed. A Separate Mentoring Handbook is issued to each mentor to maintain the entire database of their respective mentees. The meetingsserves as a platform for analyzing students’ performances, enabling mentors to provide personalized guidance and counseling. Mentoring also ensures the identification of slow and advanced learners to provide tailored support. In addition, mentorshipfocuses on encouraging students to develop technical expertise and soft skills to get jobs inreputed firms by taking online courses such as NPTEL and MOOC etc.

Personal issues in discipline, behavior, health or family are addressed during the conversation with the mentee and suggestions on how to resolve them are offered to the students and even parents if needed. This is a holistic support system which significantly contributes to fostering a positive and nurturing learning environment for all students.

Evidence of Success

• It has been noted that students with low cut-off scores in school level are able to achieve high scores in University exams and thereby have received their graduation on time.
• Students are able to develop self-esteem by receiving confidence from the Mentor’s perspective and insight.
• Students from rural backgrounds are able to understand and speak in English and are hired in reputed companies.
• Parents who are also stakeholders have found great satisfaction in the mentorship program.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required

• Additional workload for faculty members
• Extra buses are operated at 6.00 P.M. daily

BEST PRACTICE 2

Title of the Practice

Youth Power Activities

Objectives of the Practice

‘Youth Power Activities” is a best practice which enables the students to serve the Society and Environment to realize their responsibilities towards creating a better future. Our college has instigated this practice to infuse in the students the following characteristics:

• To assist in learning about real time challenges and issues
• To embody humanity by helping the underprivileged members of the society
• To foster a sense of civic and social responsibility among one another and put social harmony and national integration into practice
• To establish a pollution-free Green Environment
• To encourage involvement in environmental issues
• To be recognized by the local community

Context

Involving students who have regular study schedule along withsocial service works can lead to face challenges in the below parameters:

• Time management for balancing academic work with social service commitments
• Limited resource constraints to fulfil all activities planned

Practice

In honor of National Youth Day, 15 days will be set aside each semesterfor youth power activities where our students may make a positive impact on society.They are inspired to behave as socially environment conscious citizens in order to live up to our tagline, "We Create Responsible Engineers".

Contribution to Society

• In the aforementioned 15 days, Students will carry out Cleaning activity in their neighbourhoods, Planting saplings, donating educational aids to the school children, donating food and groceries to old age and orphanage homes, Literacy campaign (Each one Teach one), Feeding helpless street dogs, Cleaning the temples, Spreading knowledge about healthy living, disease prevention, blood donation, creating save water awareness, adoption of villages (D.Perumapalayam and Kuppanur are the rural areas identified under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan for the development of environment and education)

• Siruthuli, a student initiative which means "Contributing a small drop," through which our students donate at least Rs.5 per month to support the less fortunate. On special occasions such as Founder's Day and Capstone (Annual Day), a yearly donation of Rs.50,000 is given to old age homes and orphanages. Additonally, Siruthuli has given the Flood Relief Funds.

The college regularly organizes Rallies and awareness programs like the following to foster a sense of social responsibilities in our students.

• The awareness Rally on "Say No to Plastics” and donating cloth bags to Public, banned the Single use plastics on campus and nearby villages.
• Sapling plantationat various places, Seed balls preparationand throwingin the neighbouringareas
• Awareness campaigns like "Save Soil," "No Smoking Rally" and "Use of Electric Vehicles"

Evidence of Success

• Appreciation Letter from Kerala Chief Minister
• Certificate of Appreciation from D.Perumapalayam Village
• Certificate of Appreciation for Siruthuli from Nesakarangal, NiraiVazhvu, Salem.

Problems Encountered and Resource Required

• During literacy campaignsin villages, assisting the elderly to gain basic literacy and Follow up activities cannot be done regularly in a restricted timeframe
• Constraints in the resources and Transportation to remote areas.