Code of Conduct Handbook

Government Degree College - Baruva

POLICY ON STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE

As members of the Government Degree College, Baruva, students have a substantial interest in the governance of the College. Their participation has increased significantly in the last decades, and the College has benefited from it. It is the intent of this Policy to reaffirm the College’s commitment to the principle of student involvement in governance in both administrative and academic areas and to state the primary purposes and goals of that involvement.

This commitment is based on the premise that student participation is vital to a vigorous intellectual exchange and the furtherance of the objectives of the College education. Appropriate, effective, and productive student involvement, consistent with the development of policies that reflect the total needs of the College, is the goal.

The governance of the College involves more than the process of making decisions. The process of governance provides a forum for group interaction, expression of concerns, exploration of feasible solutions, and reconciliation of diverse viewpoints. Within this context, student participation serves several functions.

First, it is important to the sound development of policy. Student views and advice, often from special perspectives, provide for more informed College decision making. Participation should be encouraged and strengthened through the involvement of all levels of student participation.

Second, there is recognition that students have a vital interest in decisions directly related to policies and programs affecting their academic and non-academic experience at the College. Clear procedures are required to ensure that students are afforded access to needed information, an opportunity to share ideas, and encouragement to express concerns, both formally and informally.

Finally, student participation is crucial to ensure that student viewpoints are considered on issues of importance to the College community. This communication provides opportunities for testing assumptions, for understanding the attitudes of others, for sharing information, and for developing understanding and mutual trust among constituencies. The special nature of the College requires a sense of community. While every decision may not be wholly satisfactory to all parties, the governance process should provide a forum for candid discussion.

Efforts should continue to be directed toward improving not only the extent but also the quality and effectiveness of student involvement. To these ends, the College must work to achieve several goals.

First, the processes central to student involvement, including the selection, training, and continuity of student participants, need to be clearly understood by all members of the College community and periodically reexamined. Care should be taken, in particular, that the process of reaching decisions in College governance is openly communicated and well understood. Second, building on existing mechanisms, means for student participation in administrative and academic areas should be developed and implemented on the campuses and in the Office of the President; it is important that a variety of ways be provided to ensure that the College gains full benefit from student participation in those areas. Third, areas where students are not now participating need to be examined. In this regard, ways should be sought to enhance student involvement in academic departments, where important decisions that affect students are made.

In order to achieve the goals of this Policy, each College has developed a plan for student participation. Essential to the success of such plans is a periodic review of the procedures used by College academic and administrative departments, student governments and other student organisations, and an evaluation of progress toward implementation of the plan. This review process should involve broad consultation with the campus community, including formal consultation with student governments and the Academic Senate. Campus plans for student participation in institutional governance should be made readily available for review.