Open Forum
Fostering Students' Voices: The University Student Council Meets The Vice Chancellor
At CHRIST (Deemed to be University), the cornerstone of fostering student engagement is the biannual meeting between The University Student Council and the Vice-Chancellor, along with other stakeholders of the university. This crucial platform for communication allows student representatives to directly voice their suggestions and concerns regarding academic matters to the university's highest leadership.
Convening a Collaborative Forum
Participation extends beyond the USC members. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Deans, Heads of Departments, Student Council Coordinators, and all USC members attend without fail. This comprehensive representation ensures a holistic perspective on student concerns and facilitates cross-functional collaboration to address them.
A Platform for Student-Led Dialogue
The core purpose of the meeting revolves around the USC members, acting as the voice of the student body, and presenting their well-considered suggestions and feedback on academic and institutional matters. Student Council Coordinators, who act as liaisons between student representatives and university administration, likely play a crucial role in preparing these suggestions and ensuring they represent the collective voice of the student body.
Focus on Academic Excellence
The thematic focus of these meetings is specifically on academics. This targeted approach allows for in-depth discussions and brainstorming sessions on ways to improve the learning experience for students. This could encompass a wide range of topics, such as curriculum development, teaching methodologies, student support services, and fostering a vibrant academic environment.
Beyond the Meeting: Impact and Outcomes
The open forum serves as a springboard for positive change within the university. The suggestions and feedback presented by the student representatives are carefully considered by the VC and university leadership. This leads to the implementation of new initiatives, adjustments to existing policies, or a renewed focus on specific areas of academic development.
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
The biannual open forum exemplifies CHRIST University's commitment to student engagement and continuous improvement. By offering students a direct line of communication with the highest level of university leadership, the university fosters a collaborative environment where student voices are valued and contribute to shaping the academic landscape for the benefit of all.
School-Level Open Forum
Different council representatives across campuses hosted Open Forum Meetings within their schools. These meetings are conducted at a departmental or school level, and attended by the stakeholders of the schools, along with the council representatives and students. The Dean, Heads of Departments, University Student Council representatives, School-level Student Council representatives, and students all come together to reflect and suggest changes that can be brought upon for the welfare of the student community.
The forums are moderated by University Student Council representatives followed by School Student Council representatives stating different concerns, feedback, and grievances from their respective departments. This feedback is collected by SSCs through monthly meetings conducted in each class once a month, where students get a platform to voice out their classroom suggestions. All meetings conducted by The Student Council have comprehensive documentation that helps in making sure these suggestions are not unheard of and appropriate action takes place.
The Open Forums are open for students to attend as well. This allows them to direct their suggestions and doubts to stakeholders of the department directly. School-level open forums are conducted once every semester. The unresolved concerns and University-level feedback are brought to the notice of higher management in the University Open Forum with The Vice-Chancellor.