STUDENT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

In accordance with the vision and mission, Naipunnya aims to be value based, inclusive and holistic in education and research, moulding students into highly proficient and responsible global citizens. Here, the majority of the students belong to the minority and are economically backwards. For the past five years the overall percentage of students belonging to Economically Weaker and Minority Communities are almost 70 to 85%. A great deal of effort and special care are put in the to the academic and personal development which is reflected in their performance in academic and co-curricular activities - creating a well-rounded individual.

Objectives:
The college is situated in Cherthala exclusively for middle and lower-class section. This innovative programme aims to help students especially those from coastal and rural locales to develop their knowledge as well as interpersonal skills, social commitment and behavioural traits such as attitude, grooming and time management. The aim is to help them face the professional and personal challenges in today's competitive world. It facilitates students' development through a unique series of yearly programs that augment their skills especially from the backward community. Apart from these basic skills acquired through social learning, direct life experiences enrich students with values that make them competent humans.

Alappuzha is a coastal district and thus the students from these areas are living in a very low-level economic situation. Naipunnya is built on a vision of developing the backward area by providing world-class educational facilities. Students get polished to compete with modern requisites. As the university curriculum focuses primarily on academics and after careful consideration, Naipunnya started this practice to enrich the students in various ways, such as Language and Communication Skill Development, Personality - Grooming, General knowledge and mould them in such a way that they contribute to society both in a group and in their personal capacities. This continuous augmentation system may lead students to being academically ready for higher education and placed in reputed organisations. Naipunnya understood the need to train students so that they are comprehensively trained in various aspects; be ready to attend campus interviews or direct them towards higher education or future with the right attitude and vision.

The Student Augmentation Programme is an action of making or becoming greater and designed to add qualitative value to the educational process and comes under the Executive Grooming Committee. It starts by identifying the students especially from the coastal areas and evaluating their present academic and personal level. These students are then provided with adequate step by step, year by year unique programs that give them an opportunity to develop themselves.It consists of a Morning Expo, Grooming and Dress Code, Communication and Language Skills Programme, Placement and Career Development and Mentoring and Counselling Session.

Morning Expo (Morning Assembly Programme): Every class takes up the challenge of the conduct, coordination and evaluation of this programme. It is held as a habitual action of every class from 9:15 to 9:30 am and consists of Anchoring, Morning Thought, Morning News and Morning/Special Talk, which is spread across the academic year, across batches and departments. As a part of this Programme, a common assembly is conducted once a month per course and is done in the college auditorium. This helps students become more effective at stage presentation and language skills and it may lead to enrichment of the skills and personality of the students’. Under the aegis of this Programme, various clubs of the college organise common assemblies and presentations as observation of special days.

Grooming and Dress Code Session: - It is important for students to develop dress code and grooming habits that will be of value to them after graduation as it promotes discipline. The area is directly handled by the Executive Grooming Committee with the help of Class Coordinators and other Subject Teachers. It develops their attitude as well as their behavioural skills. Communication and Language Skills Programme: - Communication skills are essential for the successful future of a student. In today’s competitive world, communication skills are the most sought-after quality of an educated person. Students become more fluent and confident in terms of handling language, presentation and communication by socialising with each other. Naipunnya has introduced various student support programmes and other innovative support systems, like Student Orientation Programme, Communication & Language Skill Development Programme, News Paper Reading etc… This core part of student augmentation is handled by the Language Department.

Placement & Career Development Programme:- The Placement Cell operates around the year to facilitate contacts between companies and graduates. The Cell organises career guidance programmes for all students starting from first year. They arrange training programmes like Mock Interviews, Group Discussions, Communication Skills Workshop and it also organises various competitive exam coachings. Mentoring & Counselling Session: - The practice is aimed at fostering a better rapport between the students and teachers at a personal level and the purpose of counselling is to provide valuable life-lessons to the students so that they may become professionals in their career. Students with counselling are able to choose between different careers and can prepare themselves for a particular field according to their education and interests and it also helps us to understand the problems of students, if any.

Evidence of Success:
The gradual outcome of all these programmes help students become more productive as well as learn how to behave professionally and ethically. It helps students to attend an interview confidently, especially in terms of language skill and grooming. Having such a practice, a student can attend the interviews easily as they are able to handle the language very fluently and attend the interview very freely. The evidence of this Augmentation program is analysed by the level of placement and in the eagerness to join for a higher study. The increase in placements in reputed organisations and the rate of students who opted for higher education in premium institutions is a clear indicator of the success of this program. The students are placed in reputed organisations such as TCS, Infosys, Deloitte, Taj, Oberoi, IHG, Osaka Groups, LPTI, Riya Internationals, Pricol Gourmet Pvt. Ltd, IBNII Coorg, Marriot Courtyard Kochi, Wipro Limited, TATA Consultancy Services, Chariot Beach Resort Mahabaipuram, Radission Blu Coimbatore, One & Only Dubai etc. to name a few. The feedback from the students at the end of a recruiting season clearly throws light on the efficacy of this programme. Some of the UG students show interest to join PG courses and other professionals courses like MBA, MTTM, MSW etc…