Promotional Activities for Prospective Learners

In order to reach-out to the prospective learners, the University makes substantial efforts. Over the period of time the approach and strategy has changed but proper promotional activities have continued. Earlier, the focus was more on promotional tours,displays and news-paper advertisements but now social-media and internet based mediums have become more popular in addition to the promotional tours, advertisements and display sign-boards.

Promotional Tours: In the year 2011, the concept of ODL was new to the people of the State and they did not have the required degree of confidence in the degrees obtained under the ODL system. Thus, promotional tours was a very effective medium of reaching out to prospective learners, their guardians and the other responsible peoples of the society. The following steps were taken during the promotional tours:

• Teacher and the staff of the University were sent to different important and remote areas and in one visit a team made 5 to 6 contact points in different near-by locations.
• Intermediate colleges, panchayats, blocks were the ideal places where short seminars were organized and discussions were arranged with the representative present in these gatherings.
• The degree colleges/ post-graduate colleges of govt. of Uttarakhand, colleges aided by the govt. of Uttarakhand and private colleges were also a destinations for promotional seminars.
• Leaf-lets, short broachers, University’s calendar and diary, and hard-copy of the prospectus was left at all these contact point to enable the people to make-up their minds in favor of Uttarakhand Open University.
• Eight Regional Centers were the nodal collaborating destinations which helped to arrange these short seminars and interactions.

Social Media: The University has its own YouTube Channel (URL:                ) and its own Facebook Page (URL:             ). These two mediums, in addition to the website of the University, are being used increasingly to reach to prospective learners.

News-paper advertisements etc.: Advertisement in local dallies, periodicals, and monthly magazines were published by the University to make its presence felt by the prospective learners. Further, the articles and write-ups were prepared and these were also published in the news-papers and magazines. Additionally, running advertisements by way of advertisement strips were given to the local channels and all these put together attracted many prospective learners towards the University. Meetings of existing and prospective LSCs at RCs, meetings of existing and prospective RCs were ranged at the RCs to instill a sense of confidence amongst the learners through existing and prospective LSCs regarding the legality and equality of the degree and the support functions of the University related to issue of SILM, payment to counsellors, conduct of examinations. These meetings were addressed by the senior faculty of the University at different RCs.

Village adoption: The University had adopted seven villages since a long time and recently the eighth village has also been adopted taking the total number of adopted villages to 8. Various activities organized by the faculty of the University in these villages have helped the University to reach the prospective learners.

Celebration of events and days: The University has contentiously being organizing many events, days, lecture series, etc. All these activities get reports in the local dallies and the prospective learners get an opportunity to know about the University. Some of the famous events organized every year are International day of Yoga, World Tourism Day, and Teacher’s Day etc.

Organization of seminars by UOU at RCs and LSCs: The University has regularly organized seminars/ conferences/ at RCs and LSCs and in these seminars many learners of those institutions participated. It motivated many prospective learners to get enrolled at UOU.

Miscellaneous: Faculty of the University has a regularly visited Post-graduate colleges and other Universities to participate in their seminar, conferences and their interactions have led to spread of good words about the University amongst the people of the state. University’s reflection as a member of Association of Asian Open Universities and at other national and international forums through its various reach agents like service, community radio etc., have also helped the University to carry out its promotional activities directly and indirectly.

Links :

• Pragati ke soopan