GUWAHATI, 24th October, 2013: A group of young faculty members has come together to help first semester students with special training in communication skills at Assam Don Bosco University’s (ADBU) Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology (DBCET).
After a series of meetings with the department of Campus Ministry at ADBU, 14 faculty members from two Departments of Humanities and Social Sciences came up with a strategy to conduct twice a week classes in English language skills for the freshers.
There are some 70 students out of 260 new comers, who signed up for the free sessions held during lunch break twice a week.
The inaugural function held at the conference hall, Thursday 24th October had the entire coaching faculty as well as ADBU officials including the VC, Registrar, director of Campus Ministry, Program Coordinator and the principal of the college attending.
“We want our students from vernacular medium schools to become proficient in English language skills so that they can express themselves without hesitation or inhibition,” said DBCET principal Mr. Manoranjan Kalita.
He assured the eager students saying, “with a little help from the efficient faculty you could be proficient in six months.”
The Campus Minister Dr Francis Fernandez who put together the faculty and students for the programme congratulated the team for their generous time and effort in helping out students.
The Vice Chancellor Dr Stephen Mavely cautioned freshers about two dangers typical of our Indian mentality: namely the frog in the well syndrome, and the crab mentality. In the first case the students could remain complacent with the minimum effort and in the second case of the crab, to fight peer pressure to excel.
The VC insisted that students ‘be regular and do not drop out of the course when faced with challenging or demanding situations.”
Asst. Professor P. Joseph compered the inaugural session and screened the film “To Sir With Love.”