Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)

Introduction:

In pursuance of its Action Plan for performance evaluation, assessment and accreditation and quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore proposes that every accredited institution should establish an Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) as a post-accreditation quality sustenance measure. Since quality enhancement is a continuous process, the IQAC will become a part of the institution's system and work towards realisation of the goals of quality enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic improvement in the overall performance of institutions. For this, during the post-accreditation period, it will channelize all efforts and measures of the institution towards promoting its holistic academic excellence.

The IQAC works as per the guidelines provided by NAAC, UGC & Higher Education Department Haryana. First step of the IQAC to enhance the quality initiatives of the institution by planned interventionist strategies to remove deficiencies. It is a facilitative and participative voluntary system of the institution.

Vision:

To ensure quality culture as the prime concern for the Higher Education Institutions through institutionalizing and internalizing all the initiatives taken with internal and external support.

Objective:

The primary aim of IQAC is

· To develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic action to improve the academic and administrative performance of the institution.

· To promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.

Strategies:

IQAC shall evolve mechanisms and procedures for

• Ensuring timely, efficient and progressive performance of academic, administrative and financial tasks;
• The relevance and quality of academic and research programmes;
• Equitable access to and affordability of academic programmes for various sections of society;
• Optimization and integration of modern methods of teaching and learning;
• The credibility of evaluation procedures;
• Ensuring the adequacy, maintenance and proper allocation of support structure and services;
• Sharing of research findings and networking with other institutions in India and abroad. 

Functions:

Some of the functions expected of the IQAC are:

• Development and application of quality benchmarks/parameters for various academic and administrative activities of the institution;
• Facilitating the creation of a learner-centric environment conducive to quality education and faculty maturation to adopt the required knowledge and technology for participatory teaching and learning process;
• Arrangement for feedback response from students, parents and other stakeholders on quality-related institutional processes;
• Dissemination of information on various quality parameters of higher education;
• Organization of inter and intra institutional workshops, seminars on quality related themes and promotion of quality circles;
• Documentation of the various programmes/activities leading to quality improvement;
• Acting as a nodal agency of the Institution for coordinating quality-related activities, including adoption and dissemination of best practices;
• Development and maintenance of institutional database through MIS for the purpose of maintaining /enhancing the institutional quality;
• Development of Quality Culture in the institution;
• Preparation of the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) as per guidelines and parameters of NAAC, to be submitted to NAAC.

Benefits:

IQAC will facilitate/contribute:

• Ensure heightened level of clarity and focus in institutional functioning towards quality enhancement;
• Ensure internalization of the quality culture;
• Ensure enhancement and coordination among various activities of the institution and institutionalize all good practices;
• Provide a sound basis for decision-making to improve institutional functioning;
• Act as a dynamic system for quality changes in HEIs;
• Build an organised methodology of documentation and internal communication.