Department of English
DEBARGHYA GANGULI
SACT-II
ACHARYA JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
AN OVERVIEW
Description
The Department of English had its inception in 2003 and since then it has aimed to engage young minds in creative and analytical thinking through literary studies. It offers a comprehensive curriculum to equip students with a sound knowledge of literature and to strengthen their language and communication skills. To achieve this objective, the department imparts education and understanding of both local and global issues critically and creatively. The curricula is taught through lecture cum demonstrations, discussions, deliberation, assignments, text, reviews, power point presentation etc. Students are encouraged to express their views and engage in book discussions, film studies, interdisciplinary engagements and hands on skill development.
The curriculum is designed mainly to train students in linguistic fluency, literary analysis and an overall understanding of human life. The department also holds regular interactive talks on issues of socio-cultural importance and multidisciplinary areas of interest. At present there are five teachers in the department, who are actively engaged in teaching, mentoring, evaluation and co-curricular activities.
Aims & Objectives
• To provide in depth knowledge of language and literature and critical theory in English
• To familiarize the students with contemporary and recent trends and advances in language and literature
• To improve language competencies and enhance skill development
• To introduce students to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of study.
• To develop effective communication skills in students
• To enhance historical and cultural awareness and instil social and moral responsibility in the students
• To develop critical thinking and hone their creative abilities
• To achieve holistic all-round development by fostering mental wellness.
The classrooms of the English Department are coral gardens whose depth cannot be measured but their diversity can be appreciated and inclusivity and equity can be fostered through non-directive and culturally sensitive approach to teaching.
Vision & Mission
The English Department is passionate about telling stories; making strong, ethical arguments; and debating the big ideas raised in literary arts and popular culture. The faculty are experts in their respective knowledge domains with a passion for understanding how language and representation shape literature, history, identity, and experience.
In English classes the students are encouraged to study and discuss various texts of myriad genres, including poems, plays, business writing, films, translations, lyrics, essays, short stories, theoretical premises and novels. They are taught descriptive, narrative, communicative and argumentative writing, critical thinking, and lucid self- expression—all skills employers and professional schools require from fresh graduates.
The major, minors, and graduate programs include distinctive offerings in environmental humanities, gender studies, rhetoric and writing, and the study of cultural and literary theory.
There is ample use of digital pedagogy and ICT enabled TLM is encouraged through LMS, bybrid classrooms and environments where learning is interactive, experiential and participative with special classes being given for case studies and problem solving. Blended learning environments, MOOCs and OERs are introduced to the students.
SWOC Analysis : Strengths
· The department has a well-knit, committed and vibrant faculty, who apart from being proficient teachers are also instrumental in maintaining a strong bond and a high level of interaction with students at all levels.
· The faculty of the department has adopted varied teaching methodologies to make the classroom environment experiential, interactive and participative for students.
· Even without initiating an overt division of classes into weak and strong students, it addresses the needs of the ‘weak’ by holding special remedial classes for them. Besides, special attention is paid to such students during tutorials, where they are taught how to write an answer to a question, how and what to look up in a reference book, what is the relation between a text and its form/ structure etc.
· It uses Language Lab as a useful teaching tool to cater to language learners across board. • The students are encouraged to explore beyond their prescribed curriculum by exposing them to various seminars, extension talks, lecture series etc., which are a regular feature of the department.
· The department is committed to provide varied exposure to students and encourages them to not only participate in seminars in other colleges but also exposes them to the larger world of literature , life and skill based experiences through study tours and workshops.
SWOC Analysis : Weaknessed
· Large classes.
· Post COVID mental anxieties and learning disorders
· Student attitudes
· Infrastructural impediments
SWOC Analysis : Opportunities
· The English department sees opportunities in being at the epicentre of the college’s many wide-ranging collaborative enterprises, like, holding student-serving events, like, guest-lectures, poetry and fiction readings by writers of repute, holding interdisciplinary seminars, panel discussions, film screenings etc.
· All these impart to students new energy and cultural vision.
· Strategic position of the college could be utilized to undertake more professional English Language Courses to equip students better.
SWOC Analysis : Challenges
· It is a challenge to generate interest of students, who come from diverse backgrounds, in an altogether new discipline (Literature).
· Equally challenging is to expose such students to the discipline’s course content, its synergetic diversity and coherence.
· Student diversity and inclusivity in heterogenous classrooms
· Policy changes and the huge of volume of syllabi with less time in a semester system
The Way Forward : Future Plan
· Strengthening the infrastructure and establish partnerships with industries and established universities with useful outreach activities and collaborative learning programmes.
· Starting new academic and research programmes in interdisciplinary areas of knowledge.
· Resource generation through consultancy.
· Motivate the faculty to send proposals for sponsored research projects.
· Organize National/International conferences to share ideas of researchers.
· Initiating industry-academia interface for collaborative ventures to enhance soft skills, communication skills, aptitude and technical skill of students through various learning techniques. To start job oriented short courses and enhance employability skills
Calcutta University Inspection of the English Department of A.J.C.Bose College on 17.5.2024
Calcutta University Inspection of the English Department of A.J.C.Bose College on 17.5.2024
Objective : Overall Review of the Department and Enhancement of Intake Capacity
Date : 17.5.2024
Time : 3p.m. to 4 : 30 p.m
A team of University officials comprising experts from the Office of the Inspector of Colleges and the Department of English, University of Calcutta visited the college today for a Routine Review Inspection of the Department of English especially for the evaluation of the possible enhancement of intake capacity. The team comprised Shri Shamim Anwar Khan, Assistant Inspector of Colleges, University of Calcutta, Prof. Dr. Siddharta Biswas, Head, Dept. of English and Shri Prabir Manna, Staff, IC Office. The team was welcomes by Dr. Prof. Purna Chandra Maity, Principal, A.J.C Bose College and Prof. Shabina Nishat Omar, Head, Department of English, A.J.C.Bose College. The team visited the classrooms, the library where they were welcomes by the librarian Shri Prodyut Kumar Mondal and his team. They finally visited the Faculty Room of the English Department where they were welcomed by the faculty members of the department----- Prof. Debarghya Ganguli, Prof. Debanjan BHowmick and Prof. Anamika Ghosh and gifted the College Magazine "Strides." The Inspection Team left the college with a positive impression of the work being done for the development of the staff and students in terms of building infrastructure.
ADD ON COURSE OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - LITERARY THEORY AND LITERARY CRITICISM -30.10.2023 TO 9.11.2023
A very successful Add On Course on Literary Theory and Criticism as a Research Tool was organised by the English Department online from 30.10.2023 to 9.11.2024 using Google Meet. Nearly 50 students enrolled for this free course and completed it successfully. The course spanned a total of 30 hours and all the faculty members designed modules and shared powerpoint presentations while taking classes for almost 2 hours at a stretch. An Online Valedictory Session addressed by the Principal and the IQAC Co-ordinator was held on 9.11.23 and this marked the successful completion of the course. Digital Certificates were awarded through email.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT ON MENTAL HEALTH -FOCUSSED GROUP DISCUSSIONS : MARCH 2024
DESTRESS : INTERNATIONAL PROJECT ON MENTAL HEALTH
AJC
BOSE COLLEGE AND WARWICK MEDICAL SCHOL
FACILITATED
BY MIND AND MATTER
On
22nd March 2024 three FGD (Focus Group Discussions ) were held
between Ms. Sanjana, Goutham , Researcher from Warwick Medical School and Faculty Members of Department of English , AJC Bose College for
the project on Mental Health entitled
DeStress.
The
first group comprised 8 girls and the second group comprised 8 boys but the third
group was a mixed group of 4 girls and 4 boys. They discussed their experiences
during and after the pandemic, their challenges and struggles, their academic
and personal problems, the traumas and anxieties they have been facing and the
ways they have been exploring to resolve all such issues impacting their mental
health.
On
23rd March 2024, the FGD involved almost 10 full time teachers from
various departments of the college and this discussion was presided over by the
Principal and moderated by the Head, Department of English. The faculty
expressed their problems with students in the classroom and spoke at length
about the impact of the online transition of classes in the pandemic era.
Issues identified were lack of motivation, attention and a decline in
discipline and self-management among students. Together the faculty and the
researchers from UoW discussed and deliberated upon the ways by which to
improve mental health and mental wellness in both staff and students of this
institution. Subsequent to this Warwick Medical School formulated and provided a Google Form for
inputs from all students of the college which will then be used to design
courses and modules in which the students can participate and benefit from.
Summer Internship 2024 at Cancer Foundation of India(CFI) from 18/6/2024 - 30/6/2024
Summer Internship 2024 at Cancer Foundation of India
The National Education Policy 2020-(NEP-2020) aims at producing engaged, productive, and
contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural society
as envisaged by our Constitution. The NEP-2020 envisions promoting quality research
in higher education and to ensure quality education by higher education
institutions (HEIs), research and innovation are two inherently important
aspects. The societal needs of our country can only be addressed by having a
strong knowledge, skills, value and research-oriented vibrant higher education
ecosystem for sustainable development. In accordance with the NEP-2020,
the UGC framed a new student-centric “Curriculum and Credit Framework for
Undergraduate Programmes” (CCFUP) incorporating a flexible choice-based credit
system, multiple entry and exit options, and a multidisciplinary approach. In
an internship course students require to participate in a work experience or
professional activity, or cooperative education activity with an entity
external to the education institution, under the supervision of an expert from
the given external entity. A prime aspect of the internship/research internship
is induction into actual work situations. Internships includes working
with government or private organizations, higher education institutions,
universities, research and development labs/research
organizations/non-government organizations, enterprises, centres involved in
research, innovativeness and entrepreneurship, business organizations, local
industry, artists, craftspeople, and similar other entities for providing
opportunities to students for active engagement in on-site experiential
learning.
In accordance with the guidelines laid down in C.C.F, 2022 issued by UGC bearing D.O. No.1-1/2021(QIP)(CBCS) dated 31.01.2023 and the Notification No. CSR/48/2024 dated 29.12.2023 issued by University of Calcutta, five female students were accepted as interns by Cancer Foundation of India.
Cancer Foundation of India (CFI), based in Kolkata, is a voluntary organization dedicated to cancer prevention and control in India. At CFI a team of highly motivated professionals have been actively engaged in cancer control activities since 2002. Through the activities of the organization we try to bridge the gap that exists in cancer public health, education, training & human resource development, population research and cancer survivor issues in the country. The Cancer Foundation of India (CFI) is registered under West Bengal Societies Registration Act XXVI of 1961. It is also registered with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Govt. of India under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 to receive grants / donations from overseas. It is also a beneficiary of tax exemption for receiving donations under the provisions of 80 G of Indian Income Tax Act 1961. In April 2009, the CFI received recognition as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO), by DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India for R&D work in cancer.
The students were given a formal orientation on Internship and subsequently for a total of 60 hours over the next ten days they were trained and mentored in Office Work, Outdoor Work, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Survey and Questionnaire Work, Public Relations, Field Visits etc. Project Management.