Capability Enhancement


Capability Enhancement and Development Schemes
Guidance for competitive examinations

Aim

The main objective of Entry Level Services is to motivate and guide the students to write competitive examinations.

Every year nearly 50 students are selected and they are motivated and guided by experts in this field. Moreover, special programmes are also arranged.

Soft Skill Training Programme

The following topics are covered in soft skill training programme

  • Discovering Self
  • Goal Setting
  • Leadership Qualities
  • Career Action Plan
  • Public Speaking Skill
  • Time Management
  • Decision Making Skill
  • Stress Management

Orientation on Competitive Examinations

            The orientation on eligibility criteria, syllabi and the examination pattern for different competitive examinations are provided to the students.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION, CAREER GUIDANCE AND PLACEMENT CELL

Objectives

  • To prepare students through motivational talks to face the challenges in career life.
  • To organize Orientation programs on various career opportunities.
  • To organize two wheeler and four wheeler driving programs and dual degree programs as a part of empowering the students.
  • To provide service through campus interviews and job placements.
  • To empower women with leadership skills.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CELL

“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world” – Hilary Clinton.

The Entrepreneurship Development Cell of our institution aims to develop an entrepreneurial temperament and impart career skills to the students’ educational setting. This is to ensure that the students are well equipped while they take up entrepreneurial ventures and careers which will result in economic independence and stability.

History

During the initial years, Entrepreneurship Cell, being merged with Career Guidance Cell functioned as a single unit under the name “’Career Guidance and Entrepreneurship Cell’. The activities of this cell included campus drives; coaching classes; motivational talks etc. To enhance thrust on entrepreneurial activities, the above cell was bifurcated and the Entrepreneurship Development Cell began to function as an individual unit from the academic year 2016-17.

Objectives

  • To conduct survey for identifying the entrepreneurial aptitude/skills of our students.
  • To organize skill based courses to facilitate earn while you learn scheme.
  • To train students to extract wealth from waste and market them.
  • To train the students in entrepreneurial skills through workshops and camps.
  • To organize sales exhibition within the campus in order to improve marketing skills of students.
  • To introduce the students to fund availability in the forms of subsidies and loans.
  • To facilitate interaction with experts, professionals and businessmen to enrich the students knowledge on business opportunities and management skills.
  • To effect product promotion through collaboration with NGOs and business personalities of our locality.

Proposed Entrepreneurial Ventures

  • Organic farming (organic garden and organic manure)
  • Tailoring in collaboration with textiles
  • YouTube channel
  • Jewel making
  • Doll making
  • Artificial flower making
  • Pickle making

Soft skills enhance the possibilities of employability in students and make them resilient, adaptable and effective in work spots.  In Holy Cross College, Soft skills are imparted though a number of development programmes, awareness talks, spoken English classes, foundation courses, skill enhancement courses, and certificate courses.                 

Personality development programmes are organized by Entrepreneurship and Career Guidance Cell to enhance the leadership qualities in students.

            Spoken English classes are offered to all the students from 11.45 am to 12.30 pm, three days a week.  Students are trained in pronunciation, reading, conversation and common speech.

            The II U.G and all the P.G students are trained to have cutting edge skills through curriculum, academic activities and training programme.

            All the U.G students are given a foundation course that addresses topics like motivation, goal setting, developing positive attitude, success, time management, coping with fear, anger, stress management etc.

            At the entry level the I U.G students are given soft skill check list and their progress is monitored throughout, assessed every year and matched with the exit level attainment.

            Through all these efforts the institution offers the students a plethora of opportunities to improve their self esteem, creativity, personality and leadership qualities, transferable skills and above all their people skills.

Remedial Programme

Remedial programme is offered to the low achievers twice a week. Peer teaching, tutorials, group work and demonstration of practical are some of the means of conducting the remedial programme.  

 

Objectives

  • To provide learning support to slow learners by individualised learning programmes to strengthen their confidence and enhance the effectiveness of learning.
  • To enable the slow learners to score higher marks.
  • Improving academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students’ in various subjects.
  • Raising the level of comprehension of basic subjects to provide a stronger foundation for further academic work.
  • Strengthening the knowledge, skills and attitudes in such subjects, where quantitative and qualitative techniques and laboratory activities are involved so that proper guidance and training provided under the programme may enable the students to come up to the level necessary for pursuing higher studies efficiently.

 

Rules and Regulations

  1. The UG students who secured less than 60% marks in the first internal test belonging to SC/ST/OBC (excluding creamy layer)/and minority communities are considered for remedial coaching.
  2. For UG students on every 1st and 5th day order from 45 to 12.30 pm shall be assigned for conducting the remedial programme in all the departments.
  3. For PG students, every 1st and 5th day order from 45 to 12.30 pm shall be assigned for project/tutorial hour in all the departments.
  4. Registers containing students name with community (SC/ST/OBC/ Minority communities) is maintained for all the classes separately.
  5. Each department maintains a record of the staff handling the remedial programme.
  6. Remedial committee members will monitor the activity of remedial programme.
  7. Slow learners who need personal counseling will be directed to the trained counselors by the course teachers.

 

The methods adopted by the faculty are

  • Conducting tests in small portions
  • Conducting quiz
  • Motivating high achievers to assist the low achievers
  • Training in note making

 

Language Lab

Language laboratory guarantees a successful language learning experience. It creates a more attractive learning environment for the students through audio-visual aids. Language laboratory provides practice in an entertaining and interactive way to acquire the four language skills, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW). It helps students learn much faster than in a regular classroom setting and promotes language use.

With the guidance of the teacher the students watch videos, develop intelligent skills and effectively take part in global conversation. They practice their pronunciation through a speech recognizer, learn new vocabulary, and listen to youtube knowledge dissemination. This gives an opportunity for the students to develop their speaking skill and critically evaluate the components. The students are motivated to read the stories on screen.They are monitored by the teacher and are evaluated at the end of the semester.

Activities and exercises essential to oral communication and the understanding of the language are provided in the language laboratory, thus encouraging the students to have effective communication with the teacher and their fellow students.

The practical component of AECC (English Communication) offered for the I UG students is done through language laboratory

Software details of the language laboratory

Operating System :Windows XP

Packages :Clarity S.Net V7.0

Spelling Fusion

Tense Buster

Beat the clock

SISOIELS


Bridge Courses

Take off with spoken English

Bridge course is offered by the college to all the freshmen students every year for four days soon after their entry so as to help them overcome their transition blues and fit seamlessly into the new system. It addresses their linguistic challenges, and helps them develop love for the English language. All the faculty of the department of English and two faculty from each department are the resource persons.

This programme called “Take off with spoken English” further helps students to acquire the rudiments of grammar improve their vocabulary and have some basic knowledge of the linguistic conventions like reading, writing, and spoken language .Their academic experience is enriched through stories, video clippings, dumb charades ,oral presentations, Interactive group lectures, Quizzes, games and Google classrooms.

Bridge Course for French

The students of I U.G. who are interested in learning French as Part I language are exposed to the rudiments of French language through a bridge course for 10 days. This gives students the opportunity for individual development, social mobility and overseas academic pursuits. Also it facilitates immigration study abroad options

Yoga and Meditation

The college gives due importance to yoga the science that has originated in the Indian culture embodying unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfillment, harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

Sr. Mesmin, the then Librarian and an excellent Yoga trainer, trained the faculty of Holy Cross College in yoga in the year 1985. In the academic year 2011 and 2012, sixty faculty were trained by Sr.Mesmin in yoga

When autonomous status was conferred to the college in 2008, the Physical Education Directress Dr. J. Christy Celine Mary gave Yoga practices to all the II UG students who opted Yoga as the Skill Enhancement Course and all the Sports students.

From 2013 onwards in addition to the sports students, and the II U.G. students all the I UG students were trained in yoga by the Physical Education Directress. In the academic year 2018- 19, Physical Education Directress Dr. J. Christy Celine Mary, Mrs. S.Kavitha (Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics) and Mrs .S. Josephine Panimaya Rushia (Non- Teaching Staff) gave Yoga practices to all the I year students.

Mrs.S. Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.O.Sivathanupillai introduced Meditation and Exercise (Life Skill training) programme to the II year students of the departments of Zoology, Chemistry, English(Aided), English (SF), Tamil (SF) and History in the odd semester 2018- 19. During the even semester, Mrs. S.Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.S.K.Ananth Nagarajan conducted Meditation and Exercise (Life skill training) programme to the II year students from the departments of Physics, Mathematics(Aided), Mathematics(SF), Botany, Economics, Commerce(Aided) and Commerce (SF - A and B) .

The benefits of Yoga are:

•Casting off negative tendencies and habits and absorbing virtues

•Renouncing vices that influence their role within the society and family

•Inspiring others and luring them into this practice.

•Surrender of the ego - identity

•Self - awareness for further evolution

•Realizing the highest meaning of yoga as concentration of the mind in order to attain a mental and spiritual link with God.

•Redirecting the energy of the mind in constructive channels

•Basic knowledge to manage one’s own body, thoughts and energies to be stress free Small mindfulness exercise given inside the classroom relieves stress and restores mental equipoise. It instills in the students positive attitudes such as humility, tolerance, compassion, cheerfulness, contentment, serenity and fortitude.

Personal Counseling

Guidance and Counselling

Objectives

•To accept themselves.

•To recognize their strength and overcome their weakness.

•To develop love, regard and respect for others.

•To set the students on the path to a stress free and happy life.

•To instill in students a sense of appreciation of the worth of life.

•To lead the students to wholeness and well-being.

•Acceptance of individual needs

•To promote the personal, social, educational and career development of all students

•Holistic development of an individual

Activities

•The guidance and counseling cell provides individual counseling service and the sessions are offered in privacy and strict confidentiality

•Handling issues like interpersonal conflicts, relationship management, emotional disturbances, peer pressure etc.

•Continual evaluation and implementation of plan if necessary

•Involvement of parents as part of the healing process

•If needed they are directed to psychiatric experts.

•Counseling of students carried out at regular intervals

•To develop long term personal plan towards their career

The counseling cell helps the students to handle issues like interpersonal conflicts, relationship management, emotional disturbances, peer pressure etc

Trained Counsellors

In our campus we have 18 trained counsellors, who spent extra time with the students who are in need of our help. They are Dr. Sr. M.R. Basil Rose, Dr. Fr. Francis Xavier Nelson, Dr. Sr. Mary Johnsy, Dr. Sr. Sahayaselvi, Dr. C. Josephine Priyatharshini, Dr. LeslyFathima, Dr. S. Mary MettildaBai, Dr. JalajaKumari, Ms. Panimaya Mercy, Dr. ArulmozhiNangai, Dr. Mary PearlinSumathi, Dr. Krishna Priya, Ms. Jesmalar, Sr. Jothi Antony, Ms. ChristabelShaji, Ms.Ancy Mole, Ms. Lidia, Ms. Shruthi, Ms. Cathelin, Mr. Euprin and Ms. Jemila. Self – renewal programmes were conducted for all the teaching staff once in two months.

Awareness of Trends in Technology

The college gives due importance to yoga the science that has originated in the Indian culture embodying unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfillment, harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Sr. Mesmin, the then Librarian and an excellent Yoga trainer, trained the faculty of Holy Cross College in yoga in the year 1985. In the academic year 2011 and 2012, sixty faculty were trained by Sr.Mesmin in yoga

2. Remote Work and Collaboration Tools

When autonomous status was conferred to the college in 2008, the Physical Education Directress Dr. J. Christy Celine Mary gave Yoga practices to all the II UG students who opted Yoga as the Skill Enhancement Course and all the Sports students.

3. Cybersecurity Advances

From 2013 onwards in addition to the sports students, and the II U.G. students all the I UG students were trained in yoga by the Physical Education Directress. In the academic year 2018- 19, Physical Education Directress Dr. J. Christy Celine Mary, Mrs. S.Kavitha (Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics) and Mrs .S. Josephine Panimaya Rushia (Non- Teaching Staff) gave Yoga practices to all the I year students.

4. Internet of Things (IoT)

Mrs.S. Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.O.Sivathanupillai introduced Meditation and Exercise (Life Skill training) programme to the II year students of the departments of Zoology, Chemistry, English(Aided), English (SF), Tamil (SF) and History in the odd semester 2018- 19. During the even semester, Mrs. S.Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.S.K.Ananth Nagarajan conducted Meditation and Exercise (Life skill training) programme to the II year students from the departments of Physics, Mathematics(Aided), Mathematics(SF), Botany, Economics, Commerce(Aided) and Commerce (SF - A and B) .

5. Blockchain Technology

Mrs.S. Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.O.Sivathanupillai introduced Meditation and Exercise (Life Skill training) programme to the II year students of the departments of Zoology, Chemistry, English(Aided), English (SF), Tamil (SF) and History in the odd semester 2018- 19. During the even semester, Mrs. S.Kavitha and Yoga trainer Mr.S.K.Ananth Nagarajan conducted Meditation and Exercise (Life skill training) programme to the II year students from the departments of Physics, Mathematics(Aided), Mathematics(SF), Botany, Economics, Commerce(Aided) and Commerce (SF - A and B) .

6. Sustainability and Green Tech

With a growing emphasis on sustainability, technology is increasingly being leveraged to address environmental challenges. Innovations in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management are being driven by advancements in technology, aiming to reduce our carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices.

7. 5G and Enhanced Connectivity

The rollout of 5G technology is set to revolutionize connectivity, offering faster speeds and lower latency. This will enable advancements in various fields, including autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and augmented reality applications, providing a foundation for more interconnected systems.

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of health technology, particularly telemedicine. Wearable devices, remote patient monitoring, and AI in diagnostics are improving patient care and access to healthcare services. This trend is likely to continue as healthcare evolves to meet changing consumer needs.

Conclusion

Awareness of these trends is essential for individuals and organizations aiming to remain competitive and innovative. Embracing these technologies can lead to enhanced efficiency, improved customer experiences, and a more sustainable future. Staying informed about technological advancements not only prepares us for future challenges but also opens up new opportunities for growth and development. As technology continues to evolve, so must our understanding and adaptability to leverage its full potential.