Department of Adult and Continuing Education

Shivaji University, established in 1962, has always been trying to take the university to the masses. The concept of extension in higher education taking university to the masses is an important educational ingredient which supports the idea. This concept has been recognized by the UGC (1977) in following words.

“If the University system has to discharge adequately its responsibilities to the entire education system and to the society as a whole, it must assume extension as the third important responsibility and give it the same status as research and teaching. This is a new and extremely significant area which should be developed on the basis of high priority.”

Keeping in view the importance of extension i.e. third dimension of higher education Shivaji University, sent the proposal to UGC for establishment of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension Work Department vide letter No.SU/Stat/F-10/4594 dated 20/8/1980. In response to the proposal of University UGC gave its sanction to establish the department in the university in the year, 1982 vide its letter No. F 6-1/81 (AE) dated 24th November, 1982 and the University established Department of Adult and Continuing Education & Extension Education (DACEE) in March 1984.

Department of Adult and Continuing Education & Extension Work offers various kinds of need based (short duration) Continuing Education Courses which help creating job employment opportunities for unemployed youth. In addition to this Department conducts programmes in Leadership and Human Resource Development, Quality of Life Improvement, Individual Interest promotion, Social and Citizenship “Role Awareness etc. Department also provides orientation and training in Life Long Education to teachers, students, social workers administrative staff etc., and works as link between University & affiliated colleges and society at large. Department’s activity of providing orientation to Gram Panchayat members has proved to be useful for strengthening participatory democracy. The department has made remarkable contribution in providing placements to the students. It is also entered into the field of e-learning. The work done by the department had reflected in short listing the Department for NLM-Unesco Award-2007 by NLM.

Mission

• Accepting the philosophy of life long learning as the part of the total education programme.

Goals

• Strengthening process of human resource development through continuing education programmes.
• Strengthening process of self learning society.
• Launching computer literacy programme. Emphasis would be on expanding i.e. - learning activities.
• Conducting Orientation programmes for members of Gram Panchyats to i.e. strengthen participatory democracy.
• Establishing network to carry out activities on propagation of Education in Universal Human Values and preparing teaching/learning material required.
• Making people aware about population and also environment dynamics.
• Bridging the gap between formal and non-formal education.
• Reaching to the deprived groups for the purpose of providing educational opportunities.
• Providing learning facilities according to community needs, problems and issues.
• Matching educational content relevant to the learners and community needs.
• Attending to major development issues such as literacy, dropout, and non-enrollment in primary schools. Bonded labour, child labour, human right etc.
• Providing vocational education courses to generate employment opportunities.
• Providing e-learning programmes.

Priorities

Imbibing National Values such as liberty, equality, justice, secularism, national integration, brotherhood, learn to live together, observance of democratic practices and help democratic process become strong, environmental awareness, empowerment of women and population consciousness etc.

Orientation of Administrative Staff of the University : Aims on following

• To shed light on the Vision, Mission and Goal of the University
• To help the staff members to visualize the relation between their functions and the University Goals
• To review the principles of good management, including rectitude of conduct, and to realize that cooperation is a prerequisite for unified action.
• To improve communication and life skills among the staff members to enhance their interpersonal relations.
• To develop team spirit and cohesion among the members and above all to bring about visible change in the functioning of the Departments by their moral empowerment.

Certificate Courses in Operation

Courses prepared by Colleges

Proposed Courses

By conducting these courses, the Department has played a vital role in meeting the challenges of high incidence of illiteracy, large unemployment and tradition-bound attitude of the masses which constitute formidable obstacles in the path of programmes. The main aim to conduct these programmes was to produce not only skilled and unskilled labour, but also a good quality of workforce. These courses develop and enrich the potential of local human resources, particularly women and disadvantage groups, so that they can start their own enterprises. This helps in uplifting their social and economic status in the society. While devising these courses, a special emphasis has been given to local needs, locally available material, existing skills of the local groups and new skills, knowledge and techniques. Emphasis had also been given on women segment of the society, so that women are able to start their own business, thereby increasing their family income. To make theses programmes successful, the Department has always interacted with the community to understand the problems of the local people. These programmes were specially developed to provide training in crafts, both as a hobby and as a means to economic betterment. The Department has adopted new approach in establishing links with the society through these programmes, which are need-based, flexible and cater to a large number of people with diverse needs.

Awareness is the key element of process of human resource development. There are many problems which are faced by community people. These problems include social, economical, health, entrepreneurship, psychological. Field outreach activities emphasize on making aware people about their problems in the areas such as Education of dropouts, child labourers, health, adolescent education, eradication of blind beliefs, new techniques of agriculture, environment awareness, earth resistivity machine training (water prospectus), mother and child health, women’s health, mimicries, folk art conservation etc.

• This programme emphasizes the need of
  • Understanding the interdependence of Science, Art, Religion
  • Developing moral capabilities for personal and social progress
  • Promoting oneness of mankind
  • Carrying out service activities for personal and social transformation
  • Developing the ability to investigate the truth and other capabilities
  • Acquiring attitudes and skills necessary for imparting Human Values to students
  • Introducing co-operative learning

• The programme covers topics such as
  • Moral Capabilities
  • The world in Transition
  • Attraction to Beauty/Perfection
  • Thirst for knowledge
  • Morality & Spirituality
  • Oneness of mankind

• The programme also focuses on service projects

Through consultation with the course participants some service projects will be identified to be carried out before the module begins. They must be simple and should not demand much time. Initially they may be formed to serve two purposes.

• To strengthen experimental learning through which the participants will improve their capabilities.
• To provide the means for practicing service to mankind and fostering social transformation.

The Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension Work of Shivaji University has chosen participatory democracy as one of its priority areas in implementing extension education programmes. The orientation programmes for Gram Panchayat members were conducted by the department at various places with the help of affiliated colleges. By these orientations department could reach to 2158 Gram Panchayat Members. Department has also developed resources material for this programme. Prof. Bhalba Vibhute wrote this material which is published in book form as ‘Gram Panchayat Prashasan Tond Olakh’. This booklet is distributed to the participants. Keeping in view the need of developing participatory democracy at the grass root level, DACEE is organizing such 40 orientation programmes. (2010-2011)

The proposed Developing Community Learning Model emphasize the involvement of all segments of the community, determinant and managing its learning needs. In this connection department will be trying to evolve Community Education Model with the help of Arts, Commerce and Science College, Hupari. One village i.e. Talandage, Tal. Hatkanangale is identified for this purpose. House to house survey to understand the educational scenario in the village was carried out. And it is found that –

• 746 persons are illiterate
• 246 persons studied up to IVth Std.
• 598 persons studied up to VIIth std.
• 604 persons studied up to Xth std.

The Community Learning Model which will be implemented in Talandage will focus on Equilancy Programme. The purpose of evolving this model will be to address educational needs of these 2294 persons at the same time. Educational programmes for these 4 groups will be started simultaneously so that at a specific point whole village will be brought under lifelong learning process.

The Department of Adult and Continuing Education & Extension Work has identified Environmental Education as focused area from 2006. DACEE had organized workshops for college teacher, P.G. students and orientation for college students in order to make qualitative improvement to enhance their mental capacity to provide environment education.

To strengthen this activity further DACEE has launched a scheme of establishing environment clubs in selected college.

The Class IV employees working in institutions of higher education play a vital role in the overall development of an institution. They can be called as backbone of an institution. They are the first persons who enter the campus of the institutions and who leave the campus after all other employees go. They work for their institution round the clock. They keep college environment more clean, healthy, attractive and worth visiting. To make this environment more attractive and friendly they need orientation. Unfortunately, no efforts were made to provide them orientation programme. Therefore, the Department of ACEE has taken an initiative of planning and conducting orientation programmes for them keeping in view following objectives –

• To strengthen the higher education system at college level.
• To develop healthy practices at college level.
• To make them active partners of college development.

In the Silver Jubilee Year, the Department of ACEE had started awareness extension lecture series in order to create an awareness about national values among people, motivate people for their active contribution in society in Nation building process.

Priority areas identified for this programme are

• Indian Democracy
• Preamble of the Constitution of India.
• Secularism and society
• National Integration
• Freedom struggle
• Gender Equality
• Scientific temper
• Local self Govt.
• Various Govt. development schemes
• Education for all
• Health and sanitation, family welfare
• Agriculture development schemes
• Management of natural recourses – water, mines, energy
• Pollution problems
• Problem of unemployment
• Disaster management
• Human values and Human Rights
• Rural development
• Child labour, child marriages
• Legal literacy
• Conservation of forests and wild life
• Co-operative movement, Bachtgat saving schemes, insurance schemes etc.

The State of Maharashtra is celebrating its Golden Jubilee (Year 2010-11). Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University has taken a keen interest in organizing some programmes on the eve of Golden Jubilee of State of Maharashtra and he has given the responsibility of co-ordinating activities to be conducted in this regard to Prof. Vibhute. Under the guidance of Vice-Chancellor topics for proposed symposiums are as follows –

• Co-operative movement in Maharashtra
• Social reform movement in Maharashtra
• Utilization of natural resources in Maharashtra
• Re-visiting history of Maharashtra

Department has also planned to arrange at least one lecture in each college to celebrate Golden Jubilee year of the State of Maharashtra during (2010-2011).

DACEE in order to facilitate need based educational programmes formed partnerships with affiliated colleges, University Departments, other Universities, Governmental Agencies and also with Non-Government Organizations. Such inter institutional collaboration help fulfill the needs of the concerned institutions and their clients.

Keeping this in mind the importance of partnership department establishes linkages with education institutions, government institutions and NGO’s too. Affiliated colleges of the University are the major partners in conducting the programmers. Besides affiliated colleges we have collaboration with, Warna Bazzar, Warna Nagar for conducting salesmanship course, with Lotus Hospital Kolhapur for conducting para medical courses, Deccan Technology institute of Training for para engineering courses, International Baha’i Academy, Panchgani in conducting values education courses. Linkages are established for conducting institution based continuing education courses, extension education and field outreach activities, for organizing ambitious programme of Panchayati Raj in strengthening participatory democracy at grass root level. The results of partnership approach are encouraging.