Professor Shilpa P Sungar is the Training and Placement Officer at Jagadguru Gangadhar College of Commerce. She has eight years of work experience but has also worked as a Teaching Assistant at KUD, HR Prime at N.S. Infotech Ltd. and as a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering. Professor Shilpa has earned a B.Sc., an M.Sc. and an MBA degree from Karnataka University.

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What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which help them gain necessary skills?

An action plan is a road map for the institution, benchmarking its growth and development strategies. At the beginning of every academic year, all the departments prepare their action plan for the year and submit the same to the IQAC Coordinator. It incorporates both the short-term and long-term plans of the department, taking into account the changing needs of the student community, corporate requirements, value addition programs and the vision and mission of the institution.

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

Our programme comprises 50% discipline-specific core courses as major subjects, 20% discipline-specific elective courses and the remaining 30% ability enhancement compulsory courses, skill enhancement courses and open elective courses. It is not possible for any institution, however rich its resources, to buy all the books published, even in a discipline. Hence, we depend on our sister organisations to share information sources for the mutual benefit of users in the form of inter-library loans. Press clipping means the cutting of news items that are useful to students and staff. We have these paper cuttings displayed for one week in our library, which are then filed for future reference.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real-world challenges?

For extracurriculars, our students are encouraged to put up arts and innovations to make the classrooms more friendly. The college has a large playground facility for students to play various outdoor games like volleyball, football, cricket, basketball, etc. We conduct different games and tournaments at the college level, university level, state level and national level. The Gymkhana Department is well-equipped and modern and provides ample opportunities to promote sports and games for the students. It has carved a niche by producing Ranaji Trophy players and university blues. It has bagged many prestigious trophies and shields in the past as well.

When you came to the college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

When I first joined, my goal was to contribute to helping our college become a leading and premier institution by facilitating the conceptualization of theory and practical insight for the aspirants. I wanted to work to impart quality commerce education catering to the needs of the ever-changing business world by bringing out the potential competency among the students. My students can take their education and establish a business of their own or become professionals in the fields of commerce and management.

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What valuable advice would you like to give to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

We actively seek students who best personify our core values – Innovation, Leadership, Excellence, Integrity, Respect and Professionalism. Without our core values, the college would be a college like any other. Instead, we continue to grow and thrive. We are a renowned leader in commerce education. This benchmarking has been recognised nationally in the form of accreditation with an ‘A++’ Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), India, with a 3.53 CGPA, in the year 2023. As a part of global recognition, the college has been awarded the 94th rank by NIRF-MHRD, Government of India, at the national level. We remain committed to providing our students with the best education possible in a setting where every student matters.

How do you tend to establish a healthy relation and environment in your institute?

The institution has adopted a well-defined mentoring system for students, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to give individual care and attention. At the beginning of the academic year, faculty members are nominated as mentors for a definite group of students. Students receive proper guidance and encouragement to achieve excellence in curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. We redress the students’ grievances and render equitable services to all the students. Our mentor system helps improve students’ academic performance and attendance, identify, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the students, chalk out plans and strategies to overcome the weaknesses, if any, guide and counsel the students and organise orientation programmes seminars, workshops and conferences to sensitise the students about the various activities of the institution.

What do you think sets your institution apart from other colleges and universities and how do you communicate that unique value proportion to students and other Stakeholders?

I am proud to share information about our programs, staff and students. Our college is affiliated with Karnataka University and has been making great strides in meeting the specific needs of both students and stakeholders. ICT (Information Communication and Technology) and innovative pedagogy have become an integral part of quality education. Effective use of ICT and a well-stacked library with digitization enables educators to involve all students in the process of learning. This will enable the students to be a part of the education process beyond the classrooms. Our spacious playground, multi-gym and basketball court help the students to mould their physical personality.

How do you approach decision-making in your role and how do you balance the needs of different stakeholders when making difficult decisions?

As the institution is affiliated with Karnataka University, it follows the curriculum designed by the university. The programme specific outcomes and course outcomes are developed by the institution based on the curriculum of the programme along with the vision mission and goals of the institution. The head of the institution and the HOD of various departments together pool their ideas in framing the POs PS’s and COs.

What new initiatives and collaborations has the University established with Industry Leaders to promote industry-specific courses?

The placement cell ensures the best placements for the students graduating from K.L.E Society's J G College of Commerce. In our institution, recruiters have been associated with us for a long time on account of our excellent performance and strong brand image. The placement cell assists students in thinking outside of the box by organizing events like webinars, seminars, workshops, personality development programs, guest lecturers etc. These are regular affairs and the students get ample opportunities to closely interact with professionals from different industries. It also arranges in-house training, projects and internships with corporate organizations so that the students may get a comprehensive industry orientation helpful in polishing their skills before they start their actual careers.