FROM THE DESK OF THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Greetings to all! It is nice to be back in the same office where I spent a year as the Vice Principal of the Evening College in 1997-1998. But now I have returned with a different title, the Deputy Principal. My work is to assist Fr. Principal in looking after the internal matters and the day-to-day administration of the Self Financing Courses (SFC).

With the closing of the Evening College this summer and the restructuring of the administration of SFC, Loyola is turning a new leaf in its 83 years of glorious history. As per the new nomenclature introduced by the Madras University this year, all the afternoon courses will come under the umbrella of Self Financing Courses, called Shift II. Hereafter the Day College will be called Shift-I. But there is no real difference between shift I and II except for the timing, staff and administrative body.

Those of you who are familiar with the history of the evening college and the introduction of the self financed courses in the afternoon would welcome this change. For some time now there has been a serious allegation, perhaps justifiable, that the afternoon program has been given a step-motherly treatment. As a result the morale of the students and staff was not adequate to give their best. Even some parents were hesitant to put their children in the afternoon courses, not only because of the heavy finance involved but also due to the impression that the morning college was better equipped with regard to its staff and programs. At least three committees were appointed in the recent past by the Loyola management to look into the grievances of the Evening College and Self-financed courses. Thanks to the introduction of autonomy in the self financed courses two years ago and the General Body of the Madurai Province Higher Education taking note of its seriousness in its last year’s annual meeting, a new policy on Self Financing Courses has been promulgated in the Madurai Jesuit Province in June this year. This policy applies to all the Jesuit colleges in the Province from this academic year.

Based on this new policy the Loyola College Management has come up with the following changes and additions in the administrative structure of the Self Financing Courses:

1. The Principal is the official head of the college for both Shift I & II.

2. Fr. Secretary is common to both shifts.

3. The Deputy Principal will assist the Principal to look after the internal matters and the day-to-day administration of SFC. So all the academic matters involving students and faculty of the SFC will be directly addressed to the Deputy Principal.

4. He is a member of all the major committees of the College and will be part of all the cultural and academic functions.

5. The Deputy Principal is an ex-officio member of the admission committee. After the screening and selection by the admission committee, the Principal makes the admission. However, the Deputy Principal will meet the selected candidates and their parents of the SFC.

6. Three Vice Principals are appointed to assist him in all matters concerning SFC:

Rev. Fr. L.X. Jerome, S.J., Vice Principal for administration, will look after the attendance, scholarship, class tours and discipline of the students in general.

Dr. Venkatesan, Vice Principal for academic matters, will look after all the academic needs of SFC, practically taking the role of academic Deans in Shift-I.

Prof. Xavier Mahimai Raj, Vice Principal for students-affair, will look after the cultural and other needs of the students. In practice he takes the role of Dean of Students in Shift-I.

Dr. Sheela Sasikumar is appointed as the Coordinator of Women Students. She will closely collaborate with Mrs. Prof. Mary Swornambal, the Dean of Women Students in looking after the specific needs of women students of SFC.

The three Vice Principals have been given job-description. Specific areas have been allotted to ensure the smooth running of classes.

7. Although the HODs of Shift I are technically the HODs of SFC, full-time senior members of SFC, who are appointed as Coordinators will look after the departmental needs and run the day-to-day affairs of the department in collaboration with the HODs.

I take this opportunity to remember gratefully my predecessors Frs. J.M. Das and Alphonse Manickam for their great contributions to the Evening and Self financing courses. But for the constant effort of the latter to highlight the need for a greater autonomy in the functioning of the Self financing courses, the present reorganization would not have become a reality. I also acknowledge the contributions made by the three evaluation committees lead by Frs. Christi, S.J., L.X. Jerome, S.J., and Xavier Alphonse S.J., and also Rev. Dr. Albert William, S.J., the Coordinator for Higher Education, in completing the initiative successfully.

Finally I would like everyone involved in this sacred endeavor of educating our youth to feel proud of what we are doing in Loyola. As the Holy Bible says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do its builders toil”. With a sense of humility and service we entrust ourselves and all our efforts in the Lord’s hands. He will make us fruitful and successful!

Fr. Dr. John Pragasam, S.J.
Deputy Principal - Shift II
Loyola College, Chennai - 600 034.
Tel: 91 44 28178310
Email: johnp@loyolacollege.edu