At the beginning of the Twenty-First century, many Colleges have a broad educational mission: to develop the “whole student.” On College campuses, intercollegiate involvement is a key tool in this personal development. For the majority of College students, involvement in intercollegiate activities plays an integral role in the collegiate experience. Students become involved in intercollegiate activities not only for entertainment, social, and enjoyment purposes, but most important, to gain and improve skills. A wide and diversified range of intercollegiate activities exists on DBC campus, meeting a variety of student interests.
The importance of intercollegiate activities on College campus is well established. The primary goals of intercollegiate activities focus on the individual student level, the institutional level, and the broader community level. These activities exist to complement the College’s academic curriculum and to augment the student’s educational experience. Almost any type of student involvement in College positively affects student learning and development. Intercollegiate activities provide a setting to become involved and to interact with other students, thus leading to increased learning and enhanced development. Specifically, a student’s peer group is the most important source of influence on a student’s academic and personal development. By identifying with a peer group, that group may influence a student’s affective and cognitive development as well as his or her behaviour.
As the development of the well-rounded individual is a principal goal of intercollegiate activities on College campus, the numerous experiences these activities afford positively impact students’ emotional, intellectual, social, and inter-personal development. By working together with other individuals, students learn to negotiate, communicate, manage conflict, and lead others. Taking part in these out-of-the-classroom activities helps students to understand the importance of critical thinking skills, time management, and academic and intellectual competence. Involvement in activities helps students mature socially by providing a setting for student interaction, relationship formation, and discussion. Working outside of the classroom with diverse groups of individuals allows for students to gain more self-confidence, autonomy, and appreciation for others' differences and similarities.
Students also develop skills specific to their career path and imperative for future job success. Students have opportunities to improve their leadership and interpersonal skills while also increasing their self-confidence. Intercollegiate involvement allows students to link academic knowledge with practical experience, thereby leading to a better understanding of their own abilities, talents, and career goals. Future employers seek individuals with these increased skill levels, making these involved students more viable in the job market. Specifically, participation in intercollegiate activities and leadership roles in these activities are positively linked to attainment of one’s first job and to managerial potential.
Finally, intercollegiate activities focus on institutional goals, such as building and sustaining community on campus as well as student retention. As campuses become more diverse, students desire an environment in which they feel connected to others and to the University. Intercollegiate activities provide a place for students to come together, discuss pertinent ideas and issues, and accomplish common goals. Within this community, where students feel comfortable with one another, learning and development are enhanced and student retention is positively impacted. Through intercollegiate participation, students frequently interact with peers who have similar interests, providing social integration into the College environment. As a result, involved students view their College years as a positive experience and feel that they are a vital part of the institution, resulting in higher retention rates.
Because of the diverse interests of college students, the range of intercollegiate activity offerings varies extensively, depending upon the size and type of College. Intercollegiate activities range from primarily social organizations to governance organizations to intercollegiate athletic programmes. Each activity offers students an opportunity to work with others and to gain essential life skills. Though numerous intercollegiate activities exist, the following activities are those that are most commonly found on the College campus.
(1) Student Government: One of the most widespread types of intercollegiate experience available on College campuses is student government. The participants often serve on campus-wide committees in an effort to represent the ideas and concerns of their fellow students. Student government functions include allocating funds to other organizations, planning programmes related to student interests, providing forums for student issue discussion, and helping to build and sustain a successful campus community.
(2) Athletics: Almost every College in the India offers some type of intercollegiate and intramural athletics. Student athletes may “try out” for intercollegiate sports teams such as volleyball, basketball, or lacrosse. Being a College athlete requires a great commitment of time and energy for practicing, conditioning, and competing. Intramural sports provide an opportunity for all non-college student athletes to play a sport they enjoy, while competing against their peers. Typically, Colleges and Universities offer several intramural options including flag football, soccer, and tennis. Players at all skill levels are invited to participate, and often these activities may be quite competitive.
(3) Academic and Professional Cells: Academic major and professional cells assist their members in acquiring experience in their chosen occupational field and in aiding in the job search. Students convene to discuss pertinent issues related to their field of interest and to learn job related skills in an effort to be fully prepared for future success. Such professional organizations typically focus on one career area of interest. Examples of Academic and Professional Cells include Entrepreneurial Development Cell, and Citizen Consumer Club.
(4) Volunteer and Service-Related Activities: Volunteer and service-related activities exist to help improve the local and worldwide community, an important goal of intercollegiate activities. In the vocational break, students engage in community service projects, such as rebuilding homes, planting trees, or tutoring students during their College holidays. Service-learning programmes offer students an opportunity to contribute to their community and, most important, to critically reflect upon their service experiences. Examples of volunteer and service-related activities include National Service Scheme, Red Ribbon Club, Youth Red Cross, and Citizen Consumer Club.
(5) Multicultural Activities: Multicultural activities focus on increasing awareness and understanding of various cultures and ethnic and racial backgrounds. We sponsor festivals, concerts, lectures, and discussions that promote multicultural awareness on campus in which students may participate. In addition, involvement in these activities may be an important step toward positive racial, ethnic, or sexual-identity development. Examples of multicultural organizations include Red Ribbon Club, Youth Red Cross, Feminine Federation, Green Club, and Citizen Consumer Club.
(6) The Arts: Students interested in fine arts have a plethora of intercollegiate opportunities in which they can actively participate. Activities including plays, musicals, and dance concerts offer a chance for students to demonstrate their dramatic abilities. Marching band, jazz band, and singing groups allow students to pursue their musical interests at the College level. Fine Arts Club offers and takes part in seminars and workshops to students to learn and enjoy.
(7) Other Activities: In addition to the specific intercollegiate activities previously mentioned, other activities exist on the College campus. Religious Care offers students an opportunity to gather in fellowship with students of similar religious backgrounds. Media Club on campus consist of print, television, and radio venues, and these activities may include writing or taking pictures for the College Newsletter, or working as a video jockey for the local television channels. National Service Scheme offer many social opportunities while also promoting service and leadership.
