Media Release: Tech-savvy college provides an Orkut-style private social network for students

MEDIA RELEASE

Tech-savvy college provides an Orkut-style private social network for students

June 13, 2009

Lords Universal College, a Maharashtra Board & Mumbai University affiliated institution, is the first college in Mumbai to offer a private Orkut-style social network as a "virtual" hang out place for its students. This network, affectionately known as MyAdda, is an online community where students and staff can interact, keep in touch with their friends, share photos, arrange events and meetings and blog.

Lords Universal is also the first college in Mumbai to provide, in partnership with Google, Inc, an official college email ID to all its students and staff. This account comes with a 7.3 GB mailbox (webmail services), Calendar (shared calendaring), Talk (instant messaging and voice/video chat) and Docs (online document creation & sharing).

Ritu Patel, the Managing Director of the college gives it a thumbs up while adding, "Our students were anyway very active on public social networks like Orkut, Facebook & Myspace. MyAdda is a private and safe community where students can connect with existing college friends and also find new ones who share common interests and similar tastes. Google was an easy choice to be our official email and collaboration service provider, as it is already the favourite search/email/chat service for most students and staff."

Says Nishant, a student, "MyAdda is both easy and amazing! I can chat, blog, share pictures, set themes, play games and just generally rave and rant about stuff. Just yesterday, I was looking for a study partner to work on accounting problems with and found one in a few minutes. I'm sure college events and "days" will be a lot more fun now. The campus anyway has wi-fi all over - I can even post messages from my mobile phone, which is way too cool!"

Jesus S. M. Lall, the CEO of the Universal Education Group adds, "At Lords Universal, students pick up laptops from the computer centre like they once picked up books from the library. Why just LUC, today's students in general are very tech-savvy - and Lords Universal is designed to serve this ne(x)t generation of learners. The ne(x)t generation is students who were born after 1994 – students who have never known life without the internet or mobile phones. To them, SMS, IM and Google are verbs, not applications. Students of today expect such services from their college and it's up to us colleges to live up to those expectations."

Students are issued official accounts on the college's @lordsuniversal.edu.in domain. Invitations to MyAdda are sent only to registered college students.

"The college’s official email and social accounts are powerful tools to stay in touch anywhere, anytime. We are already beginning to see some learning benefits. Initially, there were some concerns about safety and privacy, but after months of demos and trials, we managed to convince the college management about the benefits of such a system", says, Jimi Gajab, the IT manager of the college.

About Lords Universal College

Lords Universal College, a part of the Universal Education Group, is a Maharashtra Board & Mumbai University affiliated college. Conveniently located opposite Malad East railway station, LUC provides over 20 Junior & Degree College programs in fields like Commerce, IT, Management, Science, Mass Media, Biotechnology, Hotel Management, Education and Law. The college puts a great deal of emphasis on technology-enhanced-learning.

More information about the college is available at http://www.lordsuniversal.edu.in

Contact: press [at] lordsuniversal.edu.in

Academic Calendar for AY 2009-10

1st Term (8-Jun to 15-Oct)
08-Jun	Reopening of the Degree College. Regular lectures for all SYs and TYs commence
23-Jun	Regular lectures of all FYs commence
05-Aug	Holiday: Rakshabandhan
15-Aug	Independence Day: Flag Hoisting at 7:30am
19-Aug	Holiday: Parsi New Year
21-Sep	Holiday: Ramzan Id
15-Sep	1st Term End & commencement of ATKT examinations for all FYs and SYs
28-Sep	Holiday: Dassara
02-Oct	Holiday: Gandhi Jayanti
16-Oct to 5-Nov	Diwali Break
2ndTerm (6-Nov to 30-Apr)
6-Nov	College reopens after Diwali break Declaration of 1st Term & ATKT Exam Results
25-Nov to 26-Nov	Intra-collegiate competition (Exuberance)
27-Nov to 28-Nov	Inter-collegiate competition (Exuberance)
28-Nov	Holiday: Bakri ID
21-Dec to 24-Dec	Annual day & prize distribution
25-Dec to 01-Jan	Winter Break
02-Jan	College reopens after winter break
14-Jan	Holiday: Makar Sankrant
18-Jan to 25-Jan	1st Preliminary Examinations for all TYs
26-Jan	Republic Day Flag Hoisting at 7:30am
12-Feb	Holiday: Mahashivratri
15-Feb to 22-Feb	2nd Preliminary Examinations for all TYs
19-Feb	Holiday: Shivaji Jayanti
27-Feb	Holiday: Id-E-Milad
01-Mar	Holiday: Holi Second Day (Dhulivandan)
16-Mar	Holiday: Gudi Padwa
02-Apr	Holiday: Good Friday
14-Apr	Holiday: Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti
30-Apr	Last Working Day

Code of Conduct and College Regulations

1. Students joining the college are strictly bound by the Rules and Regulations of the college.
2. All the students who have taken admission in the College must possess valid Identity Card. (Identity Cards are issued by the college in the beginning of the first term). Students must carry with them their Identity Card and should produce them when demanded by the Teaching & Non-Teaching staff. Identity Card should be carefully preserved. The holder of the Identity Card will be held responsible for its misuse. In case of loss of Identity Card a duplicate must be obtained by paying the prescribed charges with due procedure.
3. Students should read the notices on the Notice Boards daily. It is the responsibility of the student to read the notice boards regularly for important announcements made by the College authorities from time to time. They will not be excused or be given any concession on grounds of ignorance.
4. Students should submit applications for scholarship / freeship etc. as also the Enrolment form (for first year degree students) on time as per the Notices put up on the Notice Board.
5. Students must maintain silence in the classes, Library, Reading Room, Office, and the corridors. When they are free, they should make use of the College Library, of the Students Common Room, and must not loiter in an around the college premises or assemble in the corridor. Loud conversation and shouting should be avoided.
6. Dress and Hair Style should be in conformity with the standards accepted by the institution.
7. Absence in any one lecture in a day will lead to losing the attendance for the whole day. Minimum 75% attendance and satisfactory progress in studies are the essential requirements for students to become eligible for being sent up for Board / University / College Examinations.
8. In case of illness, a student must apply for leave, as soon as possible, with a doctor’s certificate. He/She must personally report to the professor in-charge on resuming class.
9. Admission to a particular class does not automatically guarantee admission to higher classes in future. Admission to all classes will be on the basis of performance and availability of seats.
10. Smoking and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited in the building and on the campus.
11. Use of mobile is strictly prohibited in the Class Room. Students are not permitted to use any video or photo camera, including cameras within mobile phones, in the campus.
12. The candidate should remain personally present at the time of Admission.
13. The college provides official online IDs to students for access to the college email system, social network system, learning management system & other computer-based services. These services must be used in conformity with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy (IAUP) to be signed separately by students at the beginning of the term & before getting access to such services. Any violation of the IAUP can invite strict disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.
14. Students are expected to take proper care of college property and to help in keeping the premises neat and clean. Causing damage to the property of the College, e.g. disfiguring walls, doors, fittings, or breaking furniture, etc., is a breach of discipline. Any such violation will invite strict disciplinary action.
15. Students must not associate themselves with any activity not authorised by the College Principal. Serious view will be taken of students found organising or participating in such unauthorised activities.
16. No student shall collect any money or contribution for picnic, trip, and educational visit to some place, get-together, study-notes, charity or any other activity without prior sanction of the Principal.
17. Students applying for certificates, testimonials, etc. and those requiring the Principal’s signature on any kind of documents or applications should first contact the College office. Students should bring no paper directly to the Principal for his/her signature.
18. No Society or Association can be formed in the College and no person/invitee can address a meeting without the Principal’s prior permission and sanction.
19. Students should not leave their books, valuables and other belongings in the classroom or any other place in the college. The College is not responsible for lost property.
20. Students are prohibited from using the name of the college for the promotion of any private or individual event. Any such violation will invite strict disciplinary action.
21. Students using unfair means at examinations will not be readmitted to the College.
22. Students shall do nothing either inside or outside the College that will in any way interfere with its orderly conduct and discipline.
23. Insubordination, foul language or misconduct on the part of a student are sufficient reasons for his/her suspension or dismissal from the college.
24. No student shall communicate any information or write about the internal matters of the College in any manner to the Press or Media.
25. If, for any reason, the continuance of a student in the College, is, in the opinion of the Principal, detrimental to the best interest of the College, the Principal may ask such a student to leave the College without assigning any reason for his/her expulsion.
26. Matters not covered under the existing rules will rest at the absolute discretion of the Principal