The Centre for Distance & Online Education (CDOE), Central University of Himachal Pradesh has an inbuilt mechanism to ensure robust learner support services and to facilitate the teaching-learning experiences by the learner enrolled in Online Programmes. Detailed guidelines are designed to enhance the quality of education and provide necessary assistance to learners throughout their academic journey. Following are the main objectives of the Learner Support Services (LSS) of the CDOE, CUHP:

  • To help learners successfully complete their courses and programs.
  • To address the academic, administrative, and social needs of online learners.
  • To ensure timely delivery of e-SLM and prompt responses to queries.
  • To promote feedback mechanisms through continuous assessment of learners' progress.
  • To enable learners to sense the presence of the teacher in the teaching-learning process.
  • To take care of human interaction in the teaching-learning process during self-study, live counselling sessions, and discussion forums.

The Centre for Distance & Online Eduction (CDOE), CUHP provides the following Support Services to its learners for delivering quality education through distance & online mode:

  • Recognition by UGC-DEB: The CDOE, CUHP comes under the entitled list of the institutions notified by the UGC-DEB to offer programmes under Online Mode. This information is accessible on the UGC-DEB website: https://deb.ugc.ac.in/. Further, learners can access the requisite disclosures pertaining to the Online Programmes through CDOE website (https://cdoe.cuhimachal.ac.in).
  • Program Approval Confirmation: Programmes offered by the CDOE, CUHP under online mode are duly approved by the UGC-DEB. Notification regarding the same can be accessed at https://cdoe.cuhimachal.ac.in.
  • Dedicated Helpdesk-cum-Learner Support Services (LSS) Cell: A dedicated Helpdesk-cum-Learner Support Services (LSS) Cell of CDOE, CUHP is working to ensure the hassle free learning experience to its learners and provide every kind of guidance and support 24x7 for 365 days in an year.
  • Central Access Point: Helpdesk-cum-LSS Cell is a central access point for all learners to address their issues. Learners may approach the Cell for all activities related to Counseling, admission, e-SLM, assignments, Examinations, award of degrees etc.
  • LSS Cell as Multi-mode Response Centre: Helpdesk-cum-LSS Cell of the CDOE, CUHP functions as a multi-mode response center, using different communication methods to address learner queries. Learners may contact this desk/cell through following means:

  • Dedicated Admission Portal: The admission to ODL & OL programmes in CDOE, CUHP are made through Samarth portal. CDOE has a dedicated admission and examination team headed by I/c, Admission & Exam to provide support to its learners.
  • DEB-ID Registration: For taking admission to any of the Online Programme offered by CDOE, CUHP, learners shall be required to register on the UGC-DEB portal using their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) ID to generate a unique DEB-ID. Helpdesk-cum-LSS Cell provides support for this purpose.
  • How to Apply: CDOE, CUHP has designed a process for admission and specified steps to be followed while applying for admission. This process can be accessed through the website; https://cdoe.cuhimachal.ac.in. Awareness sessions are also organised by CDOE through online mode for prospective learners to familiarise them with the admission process. Recorded videos of these awareness sessions are available on CDOE website as well as on facebook page of the centre.
  • Separate Prospectus: CDOE, CUHP has its separate prospectus/ handbook of information for admission to Online Programmes mentioning the eligibility criteria, process of application submission, admission and teaching-learning process.
  • Programme Guide: Programme Guide for individual programme offered under online mode is also available and can be accessed at https://cdoe.cuhimachal.ac.in by the learners to take informed and judicious decision regarding different aspects of online programmes.

  • E-Self-Learning Material (e-SLM): CDOE, CUHP has developed high-quality, self-learning materials in digital form following four-quadrant approach of SWAYAM for online programmes by ensuring clarity, comprehensiveness, interactivity, to facilitate online learning. Details about e-SLM of all the online programmes is also available on the website of the CDOE, CUHP.
  • Learning Management System (SWAYAM): CDOE, CUHP has access to SWAYAM platform for instructional delivery to online learners. e- SLM, recorded e-tutorials (video lectures), discussion forum, and continuous assessment related components are offered through SWAYAM. The admitted students can access the SWAYAM platform through their registered login ID & password issued by CDOE,CUHP.

  • Regular Interaction: Regular live interactive sessions for resolving learners' issues and queries are ensured by the CDOE, CUHP through live discussion forum on SWAYAM platform. To ensure learners' active participation, activites such as; virtual discussions and live query resolution sessions are organised by CDOE, CUHP through online mode. The learners can also approach their Programme Coordinator/ Course Coordinator and Mentors through phone, email or whatsapp for regular interaction on any outstanding academic issues.
  • Live Discussion Forums: To promote the collaborative learning, CDOE, CUHP has an active live discussion forum through which learner can interact with the peers (for peer-learning), Course Coordinators, and Course Mentors to discuss course- related topics to enhance their domain knowledge and understanding.
  • Accessibility to Additional Learning Resources: For the comprehensive coverage of the course contents and holistic development of the learners, CDOE, CUHP provides additional learning resources in the form of e-books, e-resources and facility of digital library. Remote access to all the digital resources of the library to online learners, single-point access to available OERs like; e-PG Pathshala, SWAYAM, Coursera, and Youtube resources etc are also provided to the learners through its website.

  • Academic Counseling: CDOE, CUHP offers academic counselling to its distance and online learners to assist them during their entire learning cycle. Learners are assisted in course selection, study planning, and addressing their academic challenges.
  • Mentorship Programme: CDOE, CUHP has also a provision for academic councellor (Mentor) for a fixed set of learners to provide them with customized services and address the learners' issues in a time bound manner.
  • Training of Faculty & Staff: CDOE, CUHP organises FDPs and train its Programme Coordinators, Course Coordinators, Course Mentors, dedicated faculty, academic counselors and all other administrative and technical staff to sensitize them about learners' specific academic needs and issues.

  • Technical Guidance: CDOE, CUHP has a dedicated technical support team for its distance and online learners to resolve issues related to accessing and using various online resources, navigation through LMS (SWAYAM), and other digital tools essential for online learning programmes. Learners can reach the technical support team of the CDOE, CUHP through website https://cdoe.cuhimachal.ac.in for any kind of technical issues related to use of Samarth portal as well as SWAYAM portal.
  • Convenient Resource Accessibility: CDOE, CUHP ensures that all online learning resources such as e-SLM, e-tutorials, OERs, discussion forum etc are accessible across various devices and platforms, accommodating diverse technological capabilities among learners.

  • Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA): To ensure smooth learning experience and monitor the progress of the learners, CDOE, CUHP has a system of continuous internal assessment (CIA). Timely feedback is provided to the learners, aiding in the identification of hardspots needing improvement for timely completion of the online programme.
  • Transparent Evaluation and Grading: CDOE, CUHP provides clear criteria for evaluation and grading to the learners at the outset of each course, ensuring transparency and fairness in its assessments. These criteria are mentioned in prescribed curriculum of each online programme.
  • Course and Exam Registration on Samarth portal: CDOE, CUHP provides support to its online learners for course as well as exam registration. Programme Coordinators/ Course Coordinators/ Course Mentors/ Technical Team assists online learners to register for courses as well as for examination.

  • Support Services: CDOE, CUHP has established a responsive-cum-proactive grievance redressal mechanism to address learners' concerns promptly, ensuring a supportive and responsive educational environment to its learners. The CDOE, CUHP has issued detailed grievance redressal guidelines and mechanism for grievance redressal. Learners may access these at CDOE, CUHP website and they may forward their grievance to the Office of the Assistant Director, CDOE who shall further refer the grievance to the Students' Grievance Redressal Committee of CDOE.
  • Stakeholders Feedback: CDOE, CUHP obtains feedback from its learners, alumni, and academic faculty for continuous improvement in its endevour of ensuring quality online education to its learners.
  • Exclusive Help Desk: CDOE, CUHP has an exclusive helpdesk to assist its learners during the entire learning cycle. Learners may approach helpdesk at helpdeskcdoe.cuhp@hpcu.ac.in, Ph. 01892229330.

  • The CDOE, CUHP provides customized services to its distance and online learners through whatsapp also. To provide instant support to all its learners, a common whatsapp account has been created by CDOE.
  • CDOE, CUHP facilitates its learners to resolve their common doubts and issues through Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) tab/section on its website.
  • To ensure one point access to most of the academic organisations and learning resources, CDOE provides quick links of various websites such as; Ministry of Education, UGC, UGC-DEB, SWAYAM, e-PG Pathshala etc on its website.
  • CDOE, CUHP offers regular support through Programme Coordinators, Course Coordinators and Course Mentors to its learners to undertake the practical work in various courses and carry out research and project work. Detailed practical manuals and research/project/dissertation guidelines are provided to learners for timely completion of the course.
  • CDOE, CUHP in its endavour to ensure the quality learning experience provides post programme support to all its learners. Services like security refund, declaration of results, and issuing of the marksheets and degree are also facilitated by the CDOE, CUHP.

Through these provisions, CDOE, CUHP provides a structured and supportive learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of online learners, thereby upholding the quality and credibility of online programmes.

Prof. Vishal Sood
Director, CDOE