The orientation programme is designed to support and brief newcomers at the hostel as they begin their journey at Panjab University. (File)
In a first, Panjab University began an orientation programme for hostellers that began with an event at girls’ hostel 3 (Sarojini Hall) on Thursday. The office of the Dean of Student Welfare (DSW) has taken up the initiative to brief all the hostellers and welcome them to the university.
“We have started something like this for the first time and will be moving to other hostels, including those for boys in the coming days. We thought students should be briefed about life on the university campus and what to expect from it,” said Emanual Nahar, DSW (Men).
The orientation programme is designed to support and brief newcomers at the hostel as they begin their journey at Panjab University. In girls’ hostel 3, the warden welcomed the new residents and familiarised them with the hostel committee members, who have been assigned various responsibilities for the new session 2018-19.
“We got a briefing on the hostel committee and library membership for AC Joshi. Even the British Council staff was there to promote their library membership,” said Priyanshi Saini, a hosteller.
The hostellers were informed about the educational quality and campus life at PU. The introduction to Chandigarh was delivered by Atin Garg, Varinder and Christina Singh from the British Council. They also briefed the newcomers on various scholarships, courses and workshops to avail of higher education in universities abroad.
Harpreet Kaur, Assistant Librarian, AC Joshi Library, informed students about the central library, books and journals available and the facilities it offered.
When asked whether students were briefed on hostel rules and regulations, a hosteller said, “It wasn’t about rules and regulations. The programme was just for welcoming the freshers and apprising us of various facilities on the campus and to introduce us to hostel committee members.”
Some hostellers, however, said the authorities should also have interacted with the new residents and asked them about the problems they were facing.
In the past, hostellers have repeatedly complained of poor food quality, lack of proper sanitation and water shortage, among other issues. Better hostels have also been on the agenda of all student organisations in each election.
Recently, the university authorities were caught on the wrong foot when a notice asking girls to be “properly dressed” in the common room, mess and canteen was put up at girls’ hostel 1 (Mata Gujri Hall). Soon, after the intervention of hostellers and newly elected student council president Kanupriya, the warden removed the notice.