In pursuance of its Action Plan for performance evaluation, assessment & accreditation & quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, NAAC 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 & work towards realisation of the goals of quality enhancement & sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent & catalytic improvement in the overall performance of institutions. For this, during the post-accreditation period, it will channelize all efforts & measures of the institution towards promoting its holistic academic excellence.

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 functioning of the support structure and services
  • Research sharing 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

FUNCTIONS

IQAC may be constituted in every institution under the Chairmanship of the Head of the institution with heads of important academic and administrative units and a few teachers and a few distinguished educationists and representatives of local management and stakeholders

The composition of the IQAC may be as follows:::

  1. Chairperson: Head of the Institution
  2. A few senior administrative officers
  3. Three to eight teachers
  4. One member from the Management
  5. One/two nominees from local society, Students and Alumni
  6. One/two nominees from Employers /Industrialists/stakeholders
  7. One of the senior teachers as the coordinator/Director of the IQAC