Walk with a Scholar

Walk with a Scholar  Programme (WWS)

Walk With  a  Scholar  (WWS) scheme  proposes  to  arrange  specialized mentoring programs for students  in Under Graduate  Programs in Arts, Science and Commerce and  to  provide  guidance  for  their  future.  The scheme introduces the idea of mentoring and builds on the concept of mentor as a ‘Guide’ and ‘Friend’. It has been  observed  that  the students  in Arts, Science and Commerce Colleges do not   get  necessary   orientation  to  prepare   them for  employment  or  guidance necessary to select areas for higher study. The mentoring scheme for students will be purely voluntary in nature. It will be open for all students entering the first year of the Under Graduate Programme of Study.

The Scheme aims at giving necessary orientation to needy students,  to prepare  them for  employment  and  give  them   necessary  guidance,  motivation  and  necessary mental support to identify appropriate areas for higher study as well as employment. The mentoring scheme should be planned to identify the opportunities available for the scholars, the areas suitable for them, the manner in which the scholar should proceed before them and evolve ways by which they can be acquired.

Guidelines for WWS

Preliminary Steps- Preparation

  • The College Council should identify a College level Coordinator for the  WWS Scheme from the faculty of the college. Preference can be given to faculty who have worked as placement officers or coordinators of career  guidance unit in the college
  • The scheme should be discussed by the College Council and amongst the faculty members
  • The   College   Council   should   act   as   a   Monitoring   Committee   for   the implementation  of  the  Programme  and  the  Coordinator  should  function  in consultation with the Principal and the College Council

Student Selection:

  • Students (Scholars) of first year Degree Programme alone are to be included in the Scheme
  • The  students   of  First  Year  UG Programme  should  be  made  aware  of  the Programme,  for  which,  a  meeting  of  the  first  year  UG students   may  be convened at the college level and the scheme and objective explained to them
  • Applications should be invited from willing candidates for enrolment
  • Students selected for the Programme should have secured at least 60% marks At the Higher Secondary/Plus Two level. This stipulation of minimum marks is not applicable for SC/ST students
  • The number of students identified under WWS Scheme, should not exceed 30. If the number of applicants exceeds 30, the College council should evolve a method  of selecting  the  required  number  of students   so  that  the  neediest students  and those genuinely interested in the scheme alone are selected

Identification of Mentors:

  • For the purpose of mentoring, two categories of mentors are to be identified. One will be ‘Internal Mentor’ and the second will be ‘External Mentor’
  • The Internal mentor  has  to  be  a  faculty  from  the  Institution in  which  the student   (Scholar)  is  studying.  They should be persons who are able to do mentoring and support the scholars and act as a Guide, in building their career. Each Internal Mentor will be in charge of 6 students.  So an institution admitting 30  students  in the WWS Scheme must identify 5 Internal Mentors.
  • The list of Internal Mentors identified by the Institution should be forwarded to the Director of Collegiate Education latest by 10th   October, 2012
  • Internal  Mentors   will  be  given  training/instructions  by  the  Directorate  of Collegiate Education/Higher Education Department,  for a minimum of 8 hours, in imparting guidance to  the  students.  The schedule related to  the  Training Programme will be intimated to the Colleges in due course
  • External  Mentors  have to be identified  from persons  working in Industry,  as well as from Professions like Engineering, Medicine, Architecture, Law, Hospitality,  Media,  Business,  Teaching,  Administration  or  from  any  filed  as found  necessary  according  to  the  local  needs   of  the  Institution/students. External Mentors can be persons working in the State and Central Public sector. Reputed persons   from Private sector   may also be identified as External mentors.   Proven expertise and merit must be the criterion followed for identifying External Mentors.  Consent of the person must be ensured before including a person as an External Mentor. External Mentors can be identified by the institution locally or they can be identified from the list that will be made available by  the  Higher  Education  Department/Collegiate  Education department.  Each ‘External Mentor’ will be in charge of 5 students.  Hence a total of 6 ‘External Mentors’ will  have  to  be  identified by each  institution (Arts/Commerce-2, Science-2, Language-2).
  • The  list  of  ‘External  Mentors’  identified  by  one  institution  may  be  made available   to   the   Higher   Education  Department/Directorate  of   Collegiate Education and  also to  other  Government  Colleges  if required, so that  their services and expertise are made available to larger number  of Scholars, under the scheme

Implementing the Scheme:

  • Students selected under the Programme will be paired to two mentors.  An Internal Mentor and an External Mentor.  As far as possible, women  external mentors should be allotted to girl scholars
  • A college should identify 100 hours in an academic year (20 hours per Internal Mentor for 5 Mentors) for Internal Mentoring
  • A college should identify 30 hours (5 sessions (hours) per External mentor for 6 External Mentors) in an academic year for External Mentoring
  • The schedule for the mentoring may be decided at the Institutional level and intimated to the Director of Collegiate Education. Proper records related to the attendance of students and mentors may be maintained.
  • The  progress  of the  Scholar  must  be  evaluated  at  regular  intervals  by the Internal  and  External  Mentors  and  necessary  corrective  measures  taken  to meet the desired objectives