Innovations in teaching and learning
(Department of Commerce & Management)
In keeping with its Vision & Mission, Faculty of Commerce and Management Rama University, Kanpur to promote Research in Commerce and Management, create and sustain a research culture, foster research activities among Faculty and students. The purpose is to encourage, guide and coordinate the initiatives of the Faculty and students towards doctoral research in Commerce and Management faculty, towards major and minor research projects, towards organizing of national and international conferences, towards presentation of research papers and their publication in reputed journals, and similar other research-related matters.\
The research Cell provides a broad framework to guide scholarly research with the following objectives:
- To create and promote a research culture among the faculty and research students.
- To identify research areas and specify research topics of relevant academic significance
- To organize workshops/FDP’s on research topics and training programmes on research methodology.
- To ensure quality, integrity and ethics in research.
- To publish research material in appropriate media and to make available such published information to the end users.
- To facilitate the publication of reports submitted by the research scholars
- To serve as a facilitator providing research guidance to the research students of FCM, RU.
- To formulate Research Advisory committee for conducting six monthly progress reports.
Innovations in teaching and learning
Teachers are an indispensable part of any educational institution, owing to the crucial role they play in imparting knowledge and honing the minds of students for a variety of challenges. St Joseph’s College of Commerce prides itself on having highly proficient teaching faculty who strive relentlessly towards upholding the values and beliefs of the institution. The faculty work towards creating an environment that is conducive to learning, by adeptly disciplining students and guiding them towards the right path for a brighter future.
The faculty members of Faculty of Commerce and Management Rama University have consistently proven their excellence and outstanding merit through their academic achievements and endeavors. Their research performance, teaching abilities and our valuable contribution to higher education have set an example for all. Apart from this, their earnest curiosity, determination and academic interests have driven them to achieve new milestones.
It is the institution’s constant endeavour to enhance and improve the teaching-learning process, by adopting innovative pedagogical methods. Every teacher is encouraged to combine traditional and innovative methods of teaching and learning. Although the teacher’s role is central in controlling and directing the activity involved in a pedagogical method, emphasis is laid on the experiences and experiments of the learners too. Subject specific research for students, simulation games, role plays, case study analysis, rural camps, rural exposure programmes, social visits, internship programmes, articleship programmes and industrial visits are some of the many innovative pedagogical methods adopted.
Curriculum Development
The faculty members of the faculty, in collaboration with industry experts and academicians of repute, are involved in development and revision of the curriculum for the programmes. The faculty bring in their teaching and research experience to develop and revise the curriculum,, and frame the syllabus. It is ensured that the curriculum matches the global standards and also satisfies the requirement of the industry. A holistic approach is taken in developing the curriculum which involves the three main objectives of the college: academic excellence, character formation and social concern.
Inter-disciplinary Approach
The objective of the Faculty is to find ways to extend the horizons of knowledge. As knowledge becomes specialized, it also becomes interdisciplinary in nature due the influence that disciplines have over each other in furthering research. The curriculum for all the commerce and Management courses require students to do core papers in their respective fields of study. Apart from the core papers, students are offered open elective papers from other fields of study, including Technology and others. This allows students to learn from different fields and blend them, to develop an understanding of the world we live in. Some of the core papers are also redesigned as interdisciplinary papers to enrich the understanding of the subjects. The Business Ethics paper is exemplary, as here literature is used to understand ethical concepts and applied in the context of business and commerce.
Practice Orientation
The industry demands skilled professionals who can adapt easily to the dynamic work environment. Classroom teaching equips the students with the necessary conceptual skills. The procedural skills required, especially in the field of commerce and Management, require students to get an exposure to the industry practice. In this regard, the practice orientation for industry is introduced into the curriculum and brought to the students in a phased manner, across the span of their entire programme. In the first and second academic year, students are taken on industrial visits to familiarize them with the work processes. In the summer vacation after the second year, students are expected to do an internship of six weeks which are evaluated and graded by the college. The Masters programme has an internship semester in the second year where students work for an entire semester. They are guided, mentored and monitored by the faculty members. Such a practice orientation grounds the students to the work atmosphere and equips them with the necessary skills.
Student Research Engagement
Research orientation is included in the curriculum for the bachelor and master degrees. The Research Centre of the college, along with the subject teachers, guide and mentor the undergraduate and postgraduate students in research work. Research methodology paper is taught and as part of the curriculum, students are motivated to take up independent research projects. Student research in the form of case study and research papers are compiled, edited and published by the college. Students are encouraged to take up research in the field of commerce and business administration with an orientation to benefit the society at large.
Examination & Comprehensive Evaluation
At FCM RU, student performance is evaluated in a comprehensive way. The end-semester examinations form sixty percent of the marks for a paper. The remaining forty percent of the marks is awarded in the form of continuous internal assessment. The subject teachers conduct regular tests and allow students to make presentations in class, in order to evaluate student learning. The continuous internal evaluation allows teachers to go beyond traditional methods and adopt creative and innovative forms of testing the student performance. The exam code of ethics which consists of confidentiality in setting the question paper, prevention of any kind of malpractice during the examination, complete anonymity in the evaluation process, barcoding of answer scripts, is adhered to very strictly, in the institution. The integrity of the examination and evaluation process is maintained with great sanctity.
Technology in Teaching
An effective teaching-learning strategy has to involve the use of technology in all its forms. All classrooms are equipped with LCD projectors and the teachers make effective use of it to blend audio-visual content in classroom teaching. The academic performance of students, attendance records and engagement in co-curricular and sporting activities, can all be tracked by students, parents and the faculty using an online institutional portal.
Learning Management System
Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide a platform to the teachers and students to integrate various aspects of learning. Such a platform allows the students to track their learning levels, and the faculty to innovate in the teaching strategy. LMS like Moodle, Google Classroom and Edmodo are used by the teachers to provide instruction, conduct tests, supply reading materials and links to online content. Technology is used in an efficient manner to enrich the learning experience for students.
Development of online courses
The faculty members of the college are not just committed to classroom teaching but are also involved in developing online courses for the students of the college and outside. Online courses are designed by integrating video lectures delivered by our own faculty members, reading materials, daily and weekly tasks, examination and evaluation in a single online platform. This novel initiative of the college has garnered great appreciation from our own students and other colleges as well.
Alumuni
More than 500 alumni are the torch bearer of Faculty of Commerce & Management in the Corporate World. Some of the pass out students of MBA and BBA are working with reputed business organizations like Justdial.com, Indiasuppliers.com, SBI Mutual Funds, Reliance Industries, Royal Bank of Scotland to name a few.