Educationally, the curricular component needs to be integrated with the developmental activities in the community; such integration would bring realism to the courses of study, since the subject matter studied can then be applied to life situations. In CSS, the students understand the communities around them and identify themselves with their aspirations, needs, problems, resources and plans, and educate the masses for their development.

The major and unique educational innovation, the University brought forth has been incorporating Community and Social Service (CSS) in the curriculum at the post graduate level with academic weightage and credibility. The pattern has been systematized in such a way that the  entire gamut of PG students and over 25 per cent of the staff body at a time reach out to the community, giving a frontal attack to the problems of women and children in the neighbourhood.

The Home Science Extension Department as a branch of specialization of the Faculty of Home Science has made its mark to establish the credibility of the University as a centre of excellence in community outreach involving students with focus on ‘Women Empowerment’.

The major tasks of CSS are cooperatively determined to promote action achievable by the level of maturity of the group, permitted by the available resources and defined in terms of behavioural changes among students and the members of the community.

The broad objectives are

Specific Objectives

The CSS should help students

• become aware of the family structure, caste and value system, needs and aspirations of the people in the community adopted.

• understand how to mobilize the resources available in the community – both human and material.

• develop skills in human relations and in working with the community.

• inculcate positive attitudes towards women development.

• aspire for strong, constructive relationships between themselves and the community, making way for desirable changes and development of leadership.

The students and staff are oriented thoroughly on the objectives of CSS in order to plan, execute and evaluate meaningful activities for the communities. The postgraduates with specific goals, steering for career opportunities with matured mindset are well prepared for taking up organized tasks for sustainalble development of the society. The syllabus for the same is chalked out, keeping in view the challenges they will be facing in the society, the satisfaction they should derive by discharging their duties and responsibilities.

Planning the CSS Programme

 

The University has allotted two hours per week for the post graduates for four semesters.

In order to develop the competencies required to guide students effectively and monitor the CSS, the staff in charge of CSS are adequately trained about the community life and programmes of development, techniques of working with people, utilizing the infrastructure and evaluating the students and the outcomes of CSS work. For the evaluation of CSS work in terms of student participation, the following are the criteria and marks for continuous internal assessment (CIA).

While every semester had a weightage of 25 marks attributed for CIA (Total 100/4 semesters), the comprehensive examination carried a weightage of 100 at the end of IV semester. The total weightage is 200 in all the semesters.

CSS in the curriculum is one of its unique strengths of our University. In our continued march towards CSS, we have witnessed an impressive growth among women in terms of knowledge, attitude and practice and in terms of information, communication and education. The continued impetus towards. CSS kept the sentiment buoyant and increased the operating efficiency / mechanism.