St. Joseph's Degree College, Senior Faculty: Mr. Kotha Nagaraju Interview

Kotha Nagaraju is a senior faculty in the Department of Commerce and Management Studies at St. Joseph's Degree College. In his 27 years of service at St. Joseph's, he taught several courses across a broad cross-section of students. His main area of focus is CA/CPT, Accounts, and Taxation. He is a SET qualified faculty who holds degrees in M.Com and M.Phil. He authored a book on Financial Accounting for SK University and has won several awards and accolades for his outstanding teaching efforts. He believes in motivating students and has laid foundations for scores of CAs and entrepreneurs. He is an ardent supporter of education for all and runs a merit-cum-need scholarship in the college.

What are the key factors that kept you in the best positions at educational institutes?

“The respect, nobility, and Knowledge associated with the educational institutes kept me glued to it”

Teachers should personalize their educational approach depending on every student’s needs. I think the following are some of the key factors that kept me connected with the education sector:

• Designing Courses Differently: This can make students more creative and can learn more new practical skills and create a better structure that is needed to make them better.
• Introduction of new quality assessments: The concept of quality assessments can make him gain more research knowledge for example presentations for each subject which help him to gain public speaking skills 
• Implementation of high learning productivity: Students should have the vision to put in an extra effort and learn new courses or work on publications of articles 

What can an inbound student gain from studying here in your institute?

“Inbound Students would get the great base of Practical Knowledge”

According to my experience, faculty encourage inbound students to gain practical knowledge. Practical knowledge is very important to understand how things work. Group work helps to inculcate social values and values like sharing, cooperation, team spirit, compassion. It increases student’s confidence. St. Joseph’s students are encouraged to become the monitor of the classes. By this, they can learn to handle stress, small responsibilities in a given period. Students become aware, active, and responsive. Our college encourages students in organizing science exhibitions, visits to science museums, small school projects, individual visits, etc., which enhances practical knowledge. Students have well-equipped labs on the college campus. They are allowed to carry out experiments and explain during the practical’s the theory behind the observations they make during the experiments.

What are your roles and responsibilities to the university and the students?

“Providing students with the support in the design, development, and production”

I think most of the teachers have the task of supporting the design, development, and production of study. The main responsibility is to transfer information from the university to the community to serve the community and influence it through the establishment of training courses and others. The most significant part of the lecturer’s duty is active community engagement. It allows us to take societal problems into the classroom and research. To assist in the development of learning materials, preparing schemes of work, and maintaining records to monitor the students’ progress, achievements and attendance. The lecturer's role is not only teaching subject theory but also encouraging and allowing the students by giving them the right to be free in expressing their feelings, ideas, and opinions.

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What is the university’s top priority over the next 10 years?

“To implement core skills and introduce a financial aid program”

I think a university expects the following priorities for the next few years.

• Recruiting and Retaining preeminent scholars.
• Recruiting excellent faculty provides the foundation for everything.
• Engaging the students to participate in great debates of its era. 
• To extend the majority of humanities departments as they are the cornerstone of a liberal education.
• To implement a cluster of core skills that enable students to succeed in their future life.
• Assessing program quality for the students to receive the best.
• To include flexible learning programs which are in high demand.
• To introduce a communicated financial aid program is another high priority for the students.
• To train the students to become entrepreneurs due to fewer job opportunities.
• To collect ideas from the students and to implement the best ideas given by them.

What do you see as St. Joseph's College’s greatest strengths?

“Placement, Faculty, and College Campus are the three pillars of our College”

In my opinion, I can see placements, Faculty, and college campuses are the greatest strengths. Teachers can play a major role to improve academic success in students by clearly expressing positive expectations from the students. Positive and healthy relationships between teachers and students can be extremely beneficial in the classroom and the college environment as a whole. A Large college offers benefits such as greater name recognition, the chance for a larger social circle, and a larger selection of programs. The classes are very comfortable. They are fully furnished with all the amenities. Our college recruits many top companies like TCS, Wipro, Dr. Reddy’s, Tech Mahindra, etc. Nearly 50% of the students get internships in Infosys and Wipro. The college is also a nodal training Centre for APITA for providing and training to the students.

How do you guide students to survive in such a competitive scenario?

“Providing students with a practical approach to handle stress”

It is an illusion that competition is high among the students nowadays. But I don’t feel so as the number of the students and the number of institutions offering education is at par all time. Hence I make my students realize this relationship and encourage them to put in their best to come out in flying colors. I caution my students about the distractions and temptations affecting their studies and monitor them, creating confidence in them that I am their mentor, interested in their progress and excellence. I will also guide them to accept failures and setbacks positively and renew their efforts, thereby channeling their energies into building their bright future. I will educate them through a practical approach to handle stress; my students will be role models to the student community.

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What advice would you give to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

“Students should focus on diversifying their skills and gaining technical expertise”

First of all, I instill self-confidence in my students and inspire them to form like-minded workaholic groups, having well-defined goals and action plans to pursue their academics. I will encourage my students to diversify their skills with a holistic approach so that with the formal and non-formal education and training, they will develop their personalities to meet any exigencies. I will focus on the promotion of soft skills, global attitude and inspire them to get technical skills along with academic expertise.