The concept of the
Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs)
for a continuous training and up gradation of faculties
in college and universities was first launched in 1987
by the Prof. Yash Pal Committee under the aegis of Rajiv
Gahdhi's New Education Policy. The rationale behind
starting the ASCs was to compensate the lack of a formal
training programme for teachers in higher education like
that of the B.Ed. which means for those going to teach
in schools. The ASCs therefore were assigned with the
primary activity of organizing Orientation Programmes (OPs)
and Refresher Course (RCs) in various discipline for the
fresh recruitees as well as those teachers with less
then 5 (Five) years of teaching experience. [The former
are required to attend in OP and the latter at least
three RCs before they reach the scale if Readers] Each
ASC was assign an operating area of universities and
colleges called the catchments area ('ca') and thrust
given to training teachers from the 'ca' and through for
RCs, the teacher - participants could be from any
university of affiliated college in the country
The Academic Staff College
of the Sarurashtra University, Rajkot has now completed
more than two decade's successful mission. It started
functioning in August 1987 under its first Director Dr,
Ramesh Shukla and its assigned catchments area as
Bhavanagar, Saurashtra and North Gujarat Universites.
ASC Rajkot was inaugurated by distinguished panel of
academicians that included Prof. Dolarrai Vasavada, Prin,
Culin Chadra Yagnik and Prof. K.N.Shah, Vice Chancellor
of Bhavnagar, North Guharat and Saurashtra University
respectively. Dr.(Mrs) P.V.Bhuddhadev took over as the
director in the year 1994, and presently Dr. Bhadrayu
Vachhrajani is in the position of Director. The Govt. of
Gujarat has in Principle recognized ASC, Rajkot since
1997 as an excellent institute imparting training to
teachers as well as inviting renowened scholars from all
over India. It has completed 81 OPs and 176 RCs in
various subjects.
The most auspicious event
for the ASC, Rajkot has been the construction of its own
building. Beside the Administrative Block, the building
have facilities for Class Rooms, Participants Hostel and
Guest House for resource persons. This has been possible
because of a generous donation of Rs. 28.5 lacs by the
renowned philanthropist Dr. Dipchandbhai Gardi, who has
for the past couple of years been instrumental for many
infrastructural amenities on the Saurashtra University
Campus.
The ASC, Rajkot pledges
its commitments towards making college and university
education for more meaningful and learner oriented. It
reiterates its belief that if education is to usher in
development and progress n the society, the education
needs to be always at the vanguard of knowledge.
