1. Title of the Practice: Honesty Amenity Store
2. Objectives of the Practice:
Amongst various good practices of the College, the one which instills the value of honesty in our students is through the Honesty Amenity Store.
3. The Context:
The Honesty Amenity Store contains essential articles that are required on a day to day basis by the students. From this store, the students are free to buy their required articles and keep the money in the collection box according to the prices indicated on the articles they buy. This store is an unmanned store and so the students buying the articles can easily manipulate and misappropriation of money can take place everyday. Instead it is observed over the past few years that the loss incurred is minimum and the profit was as expected.
4. The Practice:
The Store remains open during the college working hours so that the students can avail the facility of buying their essential articles if required. Prices of each article are listed and pasted on the wall of the store. Since it is an unmanned store, therefore, there is no vigilance on the students when they purchase the articles they require. It is expected that the buyer would deposit the requisite amount of the article in form of cash into a collection box, kept beside the store. By the end of the week, the collection box is opened to check the amount of cash received per purchase. Simultaneously, the number of articles kept in the store is tallied with the number of articles sold out every week.
5. Evidence of Success:
The Honesty Amenity Store helps in instilling the value of honesty among the students. The gain from this store is not only in terms of money but it helps the students gain morality in terms of honesty. Good number of students gave us confidence that they practice honesty and integrity by paying the requisite bill for the articles in an unmanned store. While many students could be tempted to manipulate the bill, the majority proved otherwise by maintaining perfect honesty.
6. Problems Encountered and Resources Required:
The problems encountered were as follows:
In the initial years the resources essential for students were inadequate but later, according to the demands of the students the number of articles and the variety of articles improved.
Few students were tricky in manipulating the process by not paying the bill. To overcome such evil practice the CC cameras were installed near the store after which, the situation gradually improved.
The Resources required for the Honesty Amenity Store are as follows:
An Almirah/store rack for placing the articles for purchase
The articles such as A4 Size papers(single sheet), pen, highlighters, scales, biscuits, cover slip, glues etc.
collection box.
1. Title of the Practice: Mental health & Psychological wellness Program for the students.
2. Objectives of the Practice:
Holy Cross College is the one and only college in Tripura to have a Centre for Counselling Psychology (CCP) under the supervision of trained professionals as per UGC norms.
3. The Context:
The practice of positive mental health in an educational institution demands certain contextual relevance such as:
a. The relevance of the Mental Health & Psychological wellness program in the higher educational institutions is well appreciated by the educational policy makers of Tripura.
b. The Centre for Counseling Psychology of the college is fully funded by the college authority and its for all the students.
c. Integrating the provision of mental health and hygiene in the mainstream curriculum of the institution, is the need of the hour.
d. The establishment of CCP and Holy Cross Civil Service Academy (HCCSA) are aimed at achieving their desired goals.
4.The Practice:
CCP at Holy Cross College is the first of its kind in the state of Tripura. It has become operational since June 2014. The College has provided exclusive space and manpower for this service. The centre has successfully addressed the counselling needs required students, taking care of the stress, strain, academic problems, mental challenges, interpersonal skills, social skills, interview facing skills, finishing skills etc. The centre has been functioning with the involvement of the in-house dedicated and trained counseling professionals as well as professionals from outside the institution as and when needed. The centre organizes mental awareness programs regularly. The centre involves other faculty members for obtaining required information about both the expressed and potential problems of the students.
5. Evidence of Success:
Evidence of Success for the Center for Counselling Psychology (CCP)
a. It has been observed that the counselled students have been showing greater degree of socially acceptable behaviour, attitudes, and manners inside as well as outside the College. The level of their concentration in academics have improved.
b. There have been rare reporting of cases of suicidal tendency, gender improper behaviour, ragging, etc. from the student's community.
c. Some students with a history of substance abuses have been helped to overcome their problems successfully.
d. Better stress management skills of students have been observed.
e. A positive environment of team spirit among students and faculty members has been ushered in by HCC, after counselling.
f. Students have started coming to the centre spontaneously without any prompting from the teachers.
g. Our target is to bring all the students under the purview of the counselling service in the coming academic sessions.
6. Problems Encountered and Resources Required:
a. The centre is completely financed by the college without any aid from the Government.
b. There is a misconception that counselling is meant only for those who are mentally unhealthy & it is a stigma.
c. The educational policy makers at the Government level are yet to mainstream the need for counseling centers in educational institutions.
d. With some support from UGC & MHRD in infrastructural development, the centre for counseling psychology Holy Cross College can provide extension services for psychological needs of the neighborhood & people in the surrounding localities as and when needed.
e. Due to dearth of trained counseling professionals in the state HCC can offer diploma and certificate level training programs in psychological counseling under the Centre for Counselling Psychology of Holy Cross College with due permission of Government.
Best Practices