Policies

Environment Policy

As a responsible institution, WCC recognizes the need to develop sustainable environmental and social stewardship among the college community. In our effort to integrate principles of sustainability into all our activities, we are committed to:

• Incorporating environmental sustainability into the Academic curriculum across disciplines.
• Enhancing and nurturing campus Biodiversity.
• Ensuring Compliance with all relevant environmental legislations and adopting a Deep Ecological approach.
• Identifying and Demonstrating environmental management best practices.
• Embedding sustainability into our daily activities which include procurement practices and exploring greening of our supply chain.
• Factoring the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) of waste management into every event/activity organised.
• Setting Goals and targets for resource management, specially energy and water.
• Honoring values and the mission statement of WCC by empowering and motivating our key stakeholders –the students, to be sensitized and take charge of minimizing and managing the college’s impact on climate change.
• Influencing and encouraging responsible consumerism leading to environmental and social consciousness thereby promoting good citizenship.

Food Policy

Women’s Christian College, Chennai, through a comprehensive and methodical strategy ensures safe, hygienic, wholesome, nutritious and affordable food for the college community in all its food service outlets. Food supplied or sold on campus must be prepared, stored and served such that microbial contamination or adulteration is prevented. The Department of Home Science will conduct periodic auditing and training for food handlers to ensure safe food handling practices in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. In addition, awareness programmes on diet and healthy lifestyle will be organised. Restriction of foods high in calories, sugar, salt and trans fat and banning of packaged deep-fried foods, soft drinks and energy drinks is enforced to encourage the college community to make right food choices contributing to optimal health. Usage of non-biodegradable packaging material such as Styrofoam and plastic is strictly prohibited. Minimizing food waste, segregating waste at source and eco-friendly waste management is implemented in the supply, production, and service of food. Promotional campaigns involving any of the banned foods / beverages is disallowed. Non-adherence or violation of this policy is punishable by suspension of payment / termination of contract.

Information Technology Policy

Women’s Christian College, Chennai has a policy that governs the use, privacy and security of its computer systems, databases, networks and information resources. The users, namely, faculty, administrative staff and students are required to adhere to the policy relating to ownership, registration of IT resources, unacceptable use and disposal of e-waste. The primary purpose of IT resources being academic, users are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of material stored in the devices and must exercise discretion regarding personal use of these resources. WCC reserves the right to audit networks and equipment on a periodic basis to ensure compliance with this policy. Sharing or hosting material that is objectionable or illegal in any form is not permitted and will attract appropriate penalties and initiate disciplinary action or will be referred to cybercrime cell for legal action. Any hardware or software purchased must be registered in the campus asset management system before it becomes functional. Condemned hardware must be checked and approved by authorized technical staff of the college before handing over to certified e-waste recyclers. Users joining the institution will be allotted accounts with unique user IDs and passwords by the System Analyst which will be blocked on leaving the institution.

Research Policy

The Women’s Christian College Centre for Research and Development since its inception in June 2015 is theoretically positioned to be a catalyst for new thinking, innovation and excellence. It aims to strengthen the teaching-research-learning triad by initiating and sustaining the culture of research in all disciplines of study offered by the college. Therefore the centre aligns itself to the institutional policy for research as to:

1. Enhance research output within departments and across academic disciplines
2. Encourage and sustain excellence through innovation
3. Empower the society outside with research findings

CODE OF ETHICS IN RESEARCH

The code of ethics in research   is designed   to foster and uphold high standards of scientific integrity and social responsibility. Research   at Women’s Christian College has at its core a respect for the autonomy, dignity and privacy of individuals and the community. Research carried out at and by the staff and students of Women’s Christian College, Chennai-6 should be aligned to the institutional policy for research. The Purpose of the code is to streamline all research activities and safeguard all stakeholders of Women’s Christian College.

The term ‘research’ in WCC is defined as “the attempt to derive generalisable new knowledge by addressing clearly defined questions with systematic and rigorous methods”

-Research governance framework for health and social care (2^nd ed )(DH,2005)

“A process of investigation leading to new insights effectively shared”

The board for monitoring the code of ethics in research at WCC comprises:

1. Deans of Research
2. Heads of PG Departments
3. One Ph.D. research scholar from WCC

The board will monitor:

a.) Ethical practices in research and publication

b.) Misrepresentation of data

c.) Misconduct in academic research

d.) Procedures involved in screening research reports and publications and certify.

e.)The safeguarding of intellectual property rights for research undertaken in WCC

Ethical guidelines to check malpractice and plagiarism in research

• The research conducted should be original and not acquired/copied from data collected by other researchers or from research previously carried out in another organisation or institution with an alternate title.
• If secondary data, standard protocols or ideas are used, the same should be used after obtaining permission from and where required ,certification by the original author before it is included in the study.
• In case photographs, pictures, tables, graphs and other figures are used from other sources the same should be duly acknowledged mentioning the source.
• All references and quotations used should be acknowledged .
• If the research work involves clinical trials or animal studies the protocols should be approved and passed by the institutional ethics committee of the college as well as the institution where the study is to be conducted.
• All dissertations and research papers submitted by the Departments should be screened for plagiarism and given clearance before it is submitted or published.
• The same data and findings should not be published in multiple journals with varied titles.
• The quality and content of the research paper /proposal to be published or sent to government or non-government funding agencies should be checked and approved by the Research Deans before it is submitted to the Head of the Institution for approval.
• Research guides cannot force students/research scholars to publish their research work in paid journals. A student /research scholar may of her own volition and interest publish in a paid journal using her own funds. Collection of money from students/research scholars by the research supervisor or co-guide, for the purpose of publishing their research article is strictly prohibited.
• The student/research scholar conducting research leading to a degree will be the first author in all research papers pertaining to her work .The research guide may only be the second author or the corresponding author and never the first author of that research work.
• The authorship rights as first author belong solely to the researcher who has conceived, designed, executed and presented the work. This may be shared in case of research projects with more than one principal investigators
• All co- authors of a research paper should have had a specific role in the conduct of the study and analysis of data.
• Statisticians, researchers, suppliers of raw material and study material etc who have been paid for their contribution towards the study in the analysis of data or the presentation of results cannot feature as co-authors in the publication. They can however be acknowledged for their contribution.

POLICY ON CONSULTANCY AND RESOURCE SHARING

Consultancy is defined as professional affiliation and expertise offered to any third party that seeks such expertise. Consultancy will not include mandatory academic duties.

Ten percent of the total income earned as a result of such consultancy should be deposited into the college account and will be considered as consultancy generated by the respective Departments

Guidelines for Consultancy and Resource Sharing

• Students from other education and research institution can be permitted to use the infrastructure of the college if they approach the institution with a letter authorised by the head of the Department or institution of their parent institution, seeking permission.
• Such students or researchers may be allowed to use the laboratory and provided with necessary assistance after getting due permission from the head of the institution or principal with regard to the period of work and payment for the utilisation of infrastructure.

Policy for the disabled students

The policy has been framed with the objective to create an enriching learning environment for the disabled students.

• To provide easy access to classrooms and other facilities by adapting the campus to their needs for mobility and independent functioning so as to empower them to acquire education without any obstacles.
• To ensure timely and adequate assistance for enquiring and accessing necessary information.
• To provide special guidance and counseling to such students.
• To address any general issues concerning learning that they may encounter.
• To assess their educational needs and provide assistance accordingly.
• To study their aptitude and guide them accordingly.
• To provide them with special learning and assessment devices.
• To orient faculty to cater to their special needs.
• To sensitize the entire college community to their needs so that an inclusive environment is created for them.
• To provide special assistance to gain successful employment.