UGC drafts mentorship guidelines for college, university teachers

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has come up with mentorship guidelines for teaching and non-teaching streams. As per the UGC, establishing a system of mentoring teachers is to equip teachers with skills and approaches to progressively improve results for students.

Union education minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has announced that the UGC decided to develop guidelines along with an implementation strategy for induction and mentorship of teachers.

A committee constituted by the UGC has drafted the UGC (Establishment and Operationalization of Guidelines for Induction and Mentorship of Teachers in Non-Technical Stream-NIIMT), 2021.

A senior faculty member with 20 years of undergraduate teaching or research experience or a faculty with 15 years of postgraduate teaching or research experience will be eligible to be a mentor. “He/she should have attended/conducted at least five in-service faculty development programmes preferably in the pedagogy area and/or domain area,” says the draft.

The draft reads: “This document shall serve as guidelines for different aspects of teaching job/role and suggests mentor-mentee way to work as a guide to enhance teaching skills and the overall quality of higher education in the country.”

Once implemented, new faculty will undergo institutional familiarization programmes. It reads: “This programme must familiarise them with the culture and ethos of the institution, the programmes and courses, good teaching practices and pedagogical approaches, and other matters that will facilitate them into becoming an effective part of the team of the HEI. Each new faculty member may also be assigned a faculty mentor having a long tenure in the HEI and an exemplary track record.”

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