Overview

Overview: Department of Humanities and Sciences

Department of Humanities and Sciences

The Department of Humanities and Sciences at Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli, plays a pivotal role in providing a strong foundational education that complements the technical disciplines. It equips students with critical thinking, communication skills, and interdisciplinary knowledge essential for well-rounded engineers.

Academic Courses

The department offers a diverse range of courses designed to build a solid scientific and humanistic foundation for engineering students. These include:

Engineering Physics, Engineering Chemistry, Engineering Mathematics, English, Biology for Engineers, Accounts and Finance, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) etc.

Role in Holistic Development

The department emphasizes critical thinking, ethical values, and interdisciplinary learning. Through courses like English and IKS, students develop communication skills and cultural awareness, while science and mathematics courses build analytical rigor. Faculty members mentor students to integrate these skills into their technical education, preparing them for leadership roles.

Infrastructure and Resources

The department is supported by:
- Well-equipped laboratories for physics, chemistry, and language lab.
- A rich library with resources in sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary studies.
Achievements:
- Students excel in interdisciplinary competitions and projects, leveraging their foundational knowledge.

Objectives

The Department of Humanities and Sciences at WCE, Sangli, aims to lay a strong interdisciplinary foundation for engineering students, promoting holistic development through the following objectives:

Provide Foundational Education:
Deliver high-quality courses in Engineering Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English, Biology for Engineers, Accounts and Finance, Biotechnology, and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) to build a solid scientific and humanistic base for engineering applications.
Enhance Critical Thinking and Communication:
Develop students’ analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills through courses like English and Mathematics, preparing them for professional and leadership roles.
Foster Lifelong Learning:
Cultivate an appreciation for continuous learning in sciences and humanities, enabling students to adapt to interdisciplinary challenges in their careers.
Encourage Ethical and Cultural Awareness:
Promote ethical values and cultural understanding through courses like IKS, fostering socially responsible engineers with a global perspective.
Maintain Academic Rigor:
Continuously improve teaching practices, laboratory facilities, and resources to provide a world-class foundational education that complements technical disciplines.

Vision

To build a strong academic foundation for engineering students through integrated knowledge in science, mathematics, communication, and values, fostering research orientation, leadership, and holistic development in line with the institute’s vision.

Mission

To impart fundamental scientific, mathematical, and communication skills necessary for engineering education and innovation.
To nurture ethical reasoning, environmental awareness, and cultural understanding through value-based education.
To support interdisciplinary learning through well-structured open elective and skill-enhancement courses.
To develop scientific temper, creativity, and analytical thinking among students for solving real-world problems.
To inculcate in the student’s life-long learning attitude and sensitivity towards

society & environment. To create a vibrant academic environment through mentor mentee support, modern pedagogy, and continuous faculty development.

Quality Policy

The Humanities and Science Department is committed to:

Delivering quality education through outcome-based teaching methodologies and continuous improvement in curriculum.
Encouraging research, innovation, and value-based learning through updated pedagogical tools and interactive platforms.
Promoting interdisciplinary learning by offering a wide spectrum of electives aligned with emerging technological and social needs.
Providing a supportive academic ecosystem through mentoring, performance monitoring, and individual counselling.
Ensuring continual enhancement of infrastructure, faculty competence, and student engagement to meet global standards in engineering education.

Leadership

Prof. Anil Anandrao Powar is the Head of the Department of Humanities and Sciences at Walchand College of Engineering (WCE), Sangli.

His research interests include nanomaterials, electrochemical sensors, and gas sensing applications. Prof. Powar has authored & co-authored several publications in high-impact international journals, such as Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics and RSC Advances. Notable works include the synthesis of TiO2-ZnO-BMIMBr nanocomposites for neurotransmitter sensing and perovskites for supercapacitor applications. He has also presented papers at national and international conferences, including topics like outcome-based education and nanotechnology.

Prof. Powar has been actively involved in administrative roles, including First-Year Coordinator (2006–2010), Examination Coordinator (2010–2011), and Admission Committee member (1996–2008). He has served as ARC In-Charge/Counsellor for admissions since 2010 and provided counselling to over 40,000 students and parents across India and abroad for the past 29 years. Additionally, he established and managed the WCE Student Health Centre (2008–2011, 2016), Worked for 6 Sub-liaison officer CET examination and Sub nodel officer twice for MHT CET and contributed to voter registration drives for students.

He has received numerous accolades, including the Excellent Faculty of the Year award 2023–24 by Saksham Society, Bhartia Guru Gaurav Samman 2024 by Uttdhan Foundation, and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Education Award 2024 for outstanding contributions to education. Prof. Powar is a Life Member of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and holds memberships in professional bodies.

Prof. Powar’s dedication to education, research, and community service has established him as a respected leader in the academic and social spheres at Walchand College of Engineering.