The School of Continuing Education (SOCE), starting from rural development and women’s education related programmes, has in the process of its growth, identified certain important areas of concern and addressed them through a number of programmes such as Rural Development, Child Development, Disability, Youth and Development Work, Nutrition, Food Safety and Dietetics. Most of these areas stand qualified for an individual discipline status.
With the establishment of new schools, a number of programmes that were housed in SOCE were relocated to the respective Schools. Accordingly, Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication was relocated to the School of Journalism and Media Studies, while the Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work, CAFÉ and DAFE were transferred to the School of Social Work.
The School Board of SOCE in its 37th meeting held on September 12, 2008, reaffirmed its earlier decision to have disciplines of Nutritional Sciences and Child Development located in the School.
Regarding women’s education programmes, the School Board noted that the programmes have been already relocated and would be developed under the School of Gender and Development Studies, where the discipline of Women’s Studies is housed. The Academic Council in its 45th meeting held on October 24, 2008, approved the above decision of the School Board of SOCE. In a subsequent meeting of Academic Council, the discipline of Home Science was added to the already assigned disciplines.
SOCE currently has the following four disciplines assigned to it by the Academic Council:
- Rural Development
- Nutritional Sciences
- Child Development
- Home Science
The School has currently on offer a Ph.D. programme in three discipline areas, two Master’s Degree level programmes, one Post-Graduate Diploma, two Diploma Programmes, four Certificate programmes, and four elective & application-oriented courses.
Rural Development
Rural development is already an assigned discipline to the School of Continuing Education. The vast rural area of the country, the large number of functionary working in the area of the rural development and the future employment opportunity that this under developed sector was throwing up, point out the need to provide cadre of professionals to serve as specialist manpower in the field of rural development.
The study programme in rural development is in response to this felt need for trained manpower in rural development. Currently the following programmes are on offer under the discipline of Rural Development:
- Elective in Rural Development ( as a part of BDP)
- Certificate Programme in Rural Development (CRD)
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Development (PGDRD)
- Master’s Programme in Rural Development (MARD)
- PhD Programme in Rural Development
Nutrition Sciences
A lot of importance being attached to the area of Nutritional Sciences in the development planning of this country. World over all the universities have recognised this as an academic discipline. Considering the quantum of work and programmes being launched in the area of Foods and Nutrition, it was considered necessary that a discipline status is provided to the study of Nutritional Sciences under the School of Continuing Education.
Accordingly, Nutritional Sciences was accorded status of a discipline and assigned to the School of Continuing Education. The discipline of Nutrition Studies is expected to be devoted to the study of human nutrition and would combine and provide expertise in community nutrition, clinical and therapeutic nutrition, food sciences and technology, food safety and food policy. It has a potential to attract donor support. The following existing programmes have been brought under the domain of this discipline:
- Nutrition for the Community (ANC)
- Certificate in Food and Nutrition (CFN)
- Certificate in Nutrition and Child Care (CNCC)
- Certificate in Food Safety (CFS)
- Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education (DNHE)
- Master’s of Science Degree in Dietetics and Food Service Management {MSc (DFSM)}
- PhD in Nutritional Sciences
Child Development
The multi-disciplinary Child Development curriculum in which the faculty has been trained, through the post-graduate degree, draws upon the disciplines of Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Paediatrics and Social Work and equips the faculty with an understanding of developmental challenges and life-cycle issues in a life span perspective. The faculty is equipped and trained to work with children from varied backgrounds and in various settings, including working with children with disabilities.
A number of programmes were developed and offered in the area of early Childhood Care and Education and it was considered necessary that a discipline status is provided to the Child Development. Accordingly, Child Development was accorded status of a discipline and assigned to the School of Continuing Education. The following existing programmes have been brought under the domain of this discipline:
- Organising Child Care Services (ACC)
- Awareness-cum-Training Package in Disability (Mental Retardation (MR), Visual Impairment(VI), Hearing impairment (HI) Cerebra Palsy (CP) (now transferred to NCDS and is being offred as a joint programme).
- Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECCE)
- Ph.D. in Child Development
Home Science
Home Science is a discipline which incorporates many pertinent life skills in its fold. In addition to the development of valuable personal skills. The discipline also introduces the students to a wide variety of potential career paths such as Community Resources Management and Fabric and Apparel Sciences. These two sub disciplines of home science are being addressed through various educational interventions in SOCE. For the time being, short term consultant are being appointed to help initiation of new programme. The discipline has also taken a need assessment survey for development of distance learning in the area of Fabric and Apparel Science. The following programme:
- Diploma in Event Management
SOCE : A Perspective
The increasing trend towards vocationalism in continuing education including continuing professional education is inextricably linked to new technological changes taking place so rapidly around us. There is a need to ensure careful integration and application of educational technologies into the learning environment through the process of continuing education. Keeping this in view the school is currently following new programmes under development:
- M Sc in Child Development
- PG Diploma and Master's in Rural Entrepreneurship and Management
- M.Phil. in Child Development
- M.Phil. in Guidance and Councelling
- BA in Rural Development
- Diploma in Event Management
- PG Certificate /Diploma in Paediatric Nutrition
