Managing Study Centres: A 'Challenging-Task' Before YCMOU Nasik
Dr. C.V Garje and Dr. S.B. Rastogi

Context:
This article, a second selection on managing study centers in India, focuses on the example of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.

Source:
Garje, C.V., and S.B. Rastogi. 1995. "Managing Study Centres: A 'Challenging-Task' before YCMOU Nasik." In Indira Gandhi National Open University, Structure and Management of Open Learning Systems. Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities, New Delhi, February 20-22, 1995. Vol. 2, pp. 117-22.

Copyright:
Reproduced with permission.

The emergence of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, at Nasik (Maharashtra) has become a big movement of social reform. In the words of (Prof Takwde, 1993) the establishment of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University Nasik (YCMOU) in July 1989 is yet another expression of a social reform. It symbolises an important social expectation: to be a trend setter, blazing a new trail in the field of education and while doing so, reaching out to the most disadvantaged and distant learners in Maharashtra.......... In order to perform this onerous task, it is important that every activity initiated by this university is a well planned and systematically developed one. This 'university differs from other open universities due to some special features which create its distinct identity. The goal of this university is to become a 'massversity' in Maharashtra state. Its emphasis is on vocational, technical, professional as well as general educational programmes. Most of the programmes are offered in the regional language (Marathi) while English is used at some levels for courses in Science & Technology. Among others, the University has its primary objective of creating a wider access in terms of target groups covered, and a variety of programmes for different levels of learners. One of the important objective has been framed to make the University self supporting in nature with respect to operational cost.

TARGET GROUPS FOR YCMOU

'Education for all' has been accepted as one of the cardinal principles by YCMOU. Therefore, the target group for this open university may be divided into five groups as—(i) Illiterates, (ii) Literates upto std. V, (iii) Less educated (dropping out between 5th and 9th std.), (iv) Educated (dropping out between 10th and 12th std., (v) Higher educated (educated at the tertiary levels). Among these, the first and the second groups are very much part of the YCMOU target groups. They will be catered to subsequently perhaps, in the next five year plan period. They will need functional literacy programmes oriented towards the acquisition of useful life skills. The University aims at developing into a modal state open university, providing ultimately as a trend setter for other open universities. Considering a vast number of potential learners distributed among the masses in the state of Maharashtra, the University has to develop programmes in a wide variety of fields and at different levels to cater t o the needs of diverse learners with widely different backgrounds. It would help the YCMOU to become a 'Massversity'.

DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THE PROGRAMMES

Delivery of the programme is done through study centres and work-centres whose functions are supported through the educational network of Regional centres. There is a plan to open one District centre in each district by converting any study centre into the District centre. The University has 'Student Support Services' Division as the biggest division which looks after the management of the whole network. There are some sub-study centres for B.A./B.Com. programme and some work centres for vocational courses, established all over the state of Maharashtra. The whole YCMOU delivery system is shown on the next page. At present there are seven regional centres and there is a plan to open another four such centres very soon. The study centres are the agencies to guide the learners and help the sub-study centres and work centres in doing so. These centres play a role for two way communication and inform the learners about the programmes launched by the University, manage for the learning and finally help th e learners in completing the course. In reverse direction, the study centres convey the social reaction, social needs and social relevance of any programme. Thus, a study centre is an agent between the university and the society for the sale deed of education. The optimum sale depends very much upon the activeness, involvement and sincerity of the personnel deputed at the study centres, their skills, their attitude towards the job. The delivery system of YCMOU is shown in the next page.

Within a very short span of time of only five years (1989–1994) the University has established a total number of 329 centres in the whole state of Maharashtra. This net work is for 13 programmes of various nature. This status is spread under the control of seven regional centres. The number of various type of centres are shown in the next page in Table 1.

It is expected that over One lakh students will register at the University for various programmes by the end of eighth plan period. The proposed delivery network by 1997 is shown below:

It is expected that about 1,47,000 students may enroll themselves over the next five years for various programmes launched or to be launched by the end of five year plan period. This big number will contain the learners from earlier mentioned five levels of target group.

LIST OF ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENT SUPPORT BY YCMOU

The programme of making refinements in the delivery system of various programmes and quality control has been taken up by the university. It is for maintaining the quality of our product and thus standard in the whole system. The University also proposes to develop certain student support activities in order to increasing its overall efficiency and effectiveness. These activities are listed below:

1. Developing counselling and guidance facilities for students.
   
   
2. Developing a system of 'On demand' and 'On line' examinations.
   
   
3. Implementing effectively a decentralised approach to examinations.
   
   
4. Developing the Regional centres as information-resources for postgraduate and research students.
   
   
5. Establishing a 'YCMOU' corner' in public libraries and college libraries.
   
   
6. Forming an association of 'Friends of the YCMOU' for varied activities.
   
   
7. Establishing Mobile Training/Laboratory facilities.

Apart from these activities, there is a plan to create supportive counselling facilities for dealing with various kinds of student problems, at three stages given below:

1. Helping a student in making an appropriate educational choice. (Pre-registration counselling)
   
   
2. Giving the necessary backup support for meeting the intellectual challenges made upon him after registration and counselling him in case of any midstream changes required.
   
   
3. Suggesting to him suitable educational or vocational openings after completion of a certain course or programme.

In addition to above, the University aims to establish itself as a 'Model State Open University'. This increases the task of the University to become a self supporting in its operational costs, offers efficient economical and high quality services to its students, and is completely open, accountable and modern. The University has accepted the idea of 'De-institutionalisation of the Educational System'. It means that the University will establish its functions of development production and delivery in such a way that it will avoid exclusive dependence on a set of existing institutions and consciously develop co-operation and participation of non-educational institutes, organisations and individual experts so as to ultimately rely on the entire society for its support and growth. The University requires establishment of an educational network for the programme delivery. In the long run, the University will not perform and control all its functions from the Headquarters at Nasik. It will d ecentralise its functions and activities at Regional centres and District centres. These centres will be completely supported by the University. The approach will be decentralise educational services to the students in such a way as to ultimately reach the doorsteps of every student. This process has been termed as 'De-centralisation of the Educational System'.

MANAGING STUDY CENTRES AS A 'RESOURCE CENTRES—A PLAN OF ACTION

The target group of YCMOU has a large proportion of illiterate persons. Some are upto school level and very few have higher education. The need is to establish and manage student centres which may meet the variety of learner's needs. A well equipped 'Resource Centre' may meet this requirement. The challenge before the University is to make an arrangement for student support at one place in a locality for variety of courses to be offered by variety of learners.

A 'Resource centre' has three functions as (i) Information receiver, (ii) Information storage, and (iii) Information display/distribution. In fact the Resource centre is supposed to receive variety of information, store them and transmit them in variety of ways to the society. A study centre has to meet these requirements for a distant learner who is in need of information in the way he desires. Availability of media and their use in a variety of ways is need of the study centres in YCMOU. Resource centre may be used as a study centre for variety of programmes. The study material, reference books and materials for study be kept available along with the provision of display of electronic gadgets like Radio, TV, VCR, Tape recorder, Computer, Xerox machine, Duplicator, Film projector, etc. It will help the learners to acquire the information of their own choice and with the help of their media of choice. Since the learners need to maintain openness at every stage of their study, and so, they want infor mation at their own place time and rate. It is a big challenge before the study centres of YCMOU. The learner may not have time to visualise the telecast of his interest or attend a counselling session or some course due to engagements elsewhere. The centre has to manage the recording of that telecast and to make available it to the learner at his study centre at a time of his own choice, and convenience. This will help the learners in maintaining the openness which they require to. Also, most of the target groups are illeterate or have very little information about their world. They want the information in non verbal form like pictures and charts etc. The proposed resource centre should have a provision for such facilities to cater these target groups needs.

Most of these centres will be in rural areas where people may require information for daily life use. These people may not be a regular student, but would like to be benefitted with the facilities at the proposed resource centre. It will develop a good rapport between the University and the society. This will help in achieving the target of 'Massversity', in Maharashtra. The University has already launched some of the programmes for rural and backward people, in the field of Agriculture for farmers, Electronics Programmes for technical persons, and some vocational courses for semi skilled labourers like Plumber, Carpenter etc. The proposed study centers in the form of 'Resource centres' may have to face a big challenge of managing such type of facilities at one place. This is a big challenge before the University. But, it is to be implemented, if YCMOU has to take a shape of 'Massversity' in real sense.

QUALITY OF HUMAN RESOURCE NEEDED AT THESE CENTRES

These proposed centres will require the services of experts as human resource who should be having not only knowledge, skill and attitude for the work but also a sense or pride for the work, enjoyment and growth amongst them. They would require an orientation of pride, enjoyment and growth development. Also, the users of such facilities would require such orientation for a better use and optimum benefits from the centre. The responsibility of influencing a larger section of the society lies with the centre regarding motivating them and developing a curiosity for being benefited with the facilities available at the centre. The resources deputed at the centre need to be acquainted with the distribution and acceptance of the responsibilities. The centre has to determine the Objectives, Policies, Plans and the standard for the smooth functioning of the activities. It would be essential to make a plan for day to day work and a continuous evaluation of the values and functioning of the study centre. It wo uld help in providing a collective leadership, a participative culture, an environment for enabling to learn, and, an integration of individual and organisational goals. At present, the study centres of the University are not much enriched with academic, administrative facilities for providing an industrial sub-system to the learners. These centres are new and need to be equipped with the pedagogy of dealing with the users of the facilities. The task of need assessment of the society around the centre, is also an essential responsibility to be taken up by the centres. It requires an orientation of the personnel deputed at the centres by the University.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF THESE RESOURCE CENTRES

These resource centres when established may have following major functions:

1. Academic support functions: Such functions will have mainly Counselling to the learners, managing tutorial sessions for them as per the need of the users, and for this purpose, the selection of counsellors and tutors.
   
   
2. Provision of physical facilities: It requires various type of Hardware and Software facilities to be provided like, Audio-visual equipments, Rooms for tutorials, library etc., and, Library containing reference books Video cassettes etc. TV and VCR and Computer also for making mass media as individual media for every learner to learn at his own rate, pace and time.
   
   
3. Administrative functions: Since these centres are the agents between the society and the University and so, they would have a task of developing public relations for better human relations with the society around the centre. Another task before it may be of managing study centre finances. Organising for the examinations and evaluation work of the assignments and answer scripts of the learners has to be done at these centres.
   
   
4. Miscellaneous functions: It has local presence of the institution and establishing an image of the Open University in the society. It may help in organisms long term contact programmes out side the centre. These programmes may be for developing an awareness about the University in the mass and taking the learners to the actual field of work for developing the mastery in the work.

Apart from above functions, there may be many other functions like social involvement in some welfare activities of the area, developing an awareness about recent developments and emergencies, calamities, if any, from time to time.

COORDINATOR AS A MANAGER OF RESOURCE CENTRE: A NEED AND CHALLENGE

The resource centre described above can't function without a dynamic leader as its coordinator. He is the chief executive of the centre, the manager to conduct the operations of a unit harmoniously. He has to face a problem of dealings with the functionaries in the study centre building. He has to select the tutors and counsellors for the work. The main problem with regard to such experts, is that such persons are very much sought after by training centres, institutes, various societies and association conducting training programmes around the year. Some may be busy in their routine work and may not be available for the study centre business of regular counselling sessions. Therefore, the coordinator has to see the availability of the person apart from his competency in the work while assigning a task to some one. The main task of' the counsellor is to make the counselling most effective. The coordinator has to trained the counsellors for this purpose. The time, the counsellor and the learners for m a system whose manager is the coordinator. In fact the coordinator has to act as a manager of study centre, because the coordination is an important management function for achieving and realising the predetermined objectives. It will help him in coordinating the work of the University at the level of the study centre providing a link between the University and the students through the regional centre. The Coordinators are to be trained to perform the management functions, namely, planning, organising, coordinating directing and controlling, at the study centre. Apart from this he must be an academician too for assessing the task done by the counsellors. In fact, he has to keep a direct dealing with the students. He is responsible for arranging almost all such facilities for the students, which can, to a large extent, account for the higher place of the YCMOU in the society. It is very much clear that the primary functions of a coordinator are—Management of student—support service; Provisio n of Audio-video facilities, library aids and facilities, Arrangement for Evaluation of Assignments. Reception and face to face information function, and Correspondence etc. These are the major and primary functions of the resource centre to be set up at various places by YCMOU Nasik. Some other but essential functions may be like—Accounting and Finance, Marketing of Services—sale/distribution of application forms, arrangement for publicity and advertisement, Staffing of the study centre when it becomes a resource centre, Holding of examinations, and, maintenance of the study Centre/resource centre.

RESPONSIBILITIES BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY: YCMOU NASIK (INDIA)

Above stated functions of the proposed resource centres may be seen in practice, and, behaviour of the personnel deputed at the centre, if the YCMOU develops a massive Orientation programme to be done at the regional centres in phases for the Coordinators and counsellors too. Seven functions stated on page five of this paper are also to be achieved. Not only this, but also supportive counselling facilities are to be created as said on page 5. The University also promises for 'De-institutionalisation of the educational system' and 'De-centralisation of the educational system', creation of a 'Massversity' with a target group of mostly illiterate or semi literate persons. It requires a mass involvement of the resources available in the society and their right application in the whole process of achieving the target of massversity. It requires massive recruitment of the workers and their training for developing, knowledge, skills and attitude towards this pious cause of social change. A massive planning a nd an approval of the Govt. for financial implications will also be required. Above all, and an essential task would be the involvement of all the public or private bodies working in the similar areas for the society. When the objectives are similar, there seems no reason for not being united and achieve the target unitedly. The mental preparedness of the society is an essential task to be achieved. So long as the society is not ready to accept the change, it would be very difficult for YCMOU to achieve the target of 'Massversity'. But, the University can do because of the resources available within the university for training purpose and a firm commitment of its leader. Dr. Ram Takwale, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor and President of Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.

ROLE OF ACADEMIC SERVICES DIVISION IN ACHIEVED THESE TARGETS

The YCMOU has established, since its beginning, a section known as Academic Services Division. It has three wings each functioning under the leaders of these sections. They have various functions and accordingly their names are: i) Research & Development, ii) School of Instructional Technology, and iii) Training Division. These three wings jointly and then separately may plan the training for the resource personnel to be deputed at the proposed study/resource centres. The description of work to be taken up by these wings is stated below.

1. Centre for Research and Development: This centre has to frame research projects with the help of the resources available within and around the University for need assessment of the society and its various sectors. The research for developing knowledge, skills and attitude, among the resource personnel to be deployed at the proposed resource centers, be conducted and the findings be communicated to the training centre of the Division. The quality researches will bring quality in the training for the personnel and finally would raise the quality of the resource centres.
   
   
2. School of Instructional Technology: This school has a job of developing strategies, techniques and finally establishes the technology for text book writing, Audio-Video production, Multi media production and other type of learner's support. It can develop the training, strategies, reaming material and help in producing Audio-Video for the purpose of resource personnel training and developing an awareness of their responsibilities in open and distance learning system.
   
   
3. Training Centre: The job of this section is to organise the training programmes for the counsellors, Coordinators and other personnels working for the system. It also organises the training to the YCMOU staff of different categories. This centre may take a responsibility of organising the resources for training the personnel of the proposed resource centres. Various training needs assessed by the 'Training centre' and accordingly organising the training work may well be taken by this centre.

But, this work needs very high type of cooperation and co-ordination among the three wings of the Academic Services Division. A high team spirit among the workers of this Division would help in achieving the task of managing the training for personnel at the proposed resource centres.

CONCLUSION

The need is to provide an infrastructure of various supports at the study centres working as resource centres for various type of tasks assigned to achieve the target of 'Massversity' in Maharashtra. Above it, a massive training programme for the personnel of these centres is essential for developing knowledge, skills and attitude among the workers for their specific type of work with the Open University System. The learners and the society around the centre also need some training and orientation for their role with the system. Their active involvement with the system would help the University in achieving the target at an earliest. For this training, the role of Academic Services Division is also very important in developing, organising and implementing the training programme for the centres. This target fixed by University and its leader Dr. Ram Takwale Hon'ble Vice Chancellor may be well achieved within the fixed time if above said management is done very systematically and accurately after a succ essful planning for it. It would help the University in decentralisation of the administration and academic work too. Thus, for a success of distance education system by maintaining openness in the Open University of Maharashtra, it is essential to have the workers oriented and trained about their roles, responsibilities and duties at the proposed resource centres.

REFERENCES

Chaturvedi, S.N. (1988) 'Functions of Study Centres' quoted in the Proceedings of Orientation Programme, Dec. 1987 at IGNOU, New Delhi.

Mishra, B. L. (1988) 'Coordinator as a Manager of Study Centre' Abs. published in Proceedings of Programme of Orientation for Coordinators and Asstt. Regional Directors, Dec. 1987 at IGNOU, New Delhi.

IGNOU (1992) 'Counselling' Prescribed for Student Support Services Course of PGDDE Programme offered by IGNOU, New Delhi.

IGNOU (1993) 'Management and Planning at IGNOU' Prescribed for Management of Distance Education course of MADE Programme offered by IGNOU.

YCMOU (1993) 'Development Plans & Proposals for the Eighth Five Year Plan of YCMOU Nasik'.

YCMOU (1994) 'Handbook 1994' Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik (India).

Sharma, H.C. (1988) 'Multi dimensional Role of a Coordinator' Abs. published in Proceedings of Programme of Orientation for Coordinators and Assistant Regional Directors, Dec. 1987 at IGNOU, New Delhi.