 Dear learners, I Dr. Prasannjeet Das, along with my colleagues in the Department of English at KKHSU, would like to welcome you to this university. Advancing your education is one of the most important investments that you can make. Hence, it is crucial that you choose the right university to suit your educational needs. I thank you for choosing KKHSU and we promise to extend all possible support and education related to the Department of English. In this session, I shall mostly discuss three things. 1. How to succeed as a distance learner? 2. Objectives of the English programs of this university and 3. The career prospects of the English programs of this university. But before going into the details, let me quickly reflect on the university itself that is, Krishnakanta Hondike State Open University. Perhaps you know that KKHSU is the 14th State Open University of India with a learner base of approximately 150,000. This university has adopted the open and distance learning mode as a key element to facilitate the implementation of programs that will provide you with opportunities for lifelong learning. Our flexible academic programs will meet the needs of the learners and working adults like you who are unable to study on campus full time. Yet, you yearn for an accredited education and intellectual enrichment without leaving their home and jobs. While studying at KKHSU, you will be supported by a comprehensive and well-prepared self-instructional materials that are well designed and expertly written, an e-learning portal and a host of other learner support services for which you are advised to log on to our university website that is www.kkhsu.in. You should note that the self-learning materials or SLMs for any department are specially prepared by teams of experts drawn from different universities and educational institutions as well as by the in-house faculty members. The preparation of these materials are coordinated by us, scrutinized by the content experts and supervised by the content editors and carefully edited by the language experts at KKHSU or appointed or by the experts appointed by KKHSU before they are finally sent for final printing. Besides self-learning materials, efforts are also on to make audio and audio visual programs in consultation with the course writers, editors and in-house faculty members. Such materials are previewed and reviewed by the faculty members themselves, media experts and the concerned authority before they are uploaded in YouTube. You will greatly benefit from a regular viewing of such programs. Now, let me come to my first point that is how to succeed as a distance learner. You will note that the ODL is the system of education in which education is imparted to learners from a distance. The two very basic principles of ODL are one, the physical separation of teacher and the learner. Two, the unique role of the teacher who meets the learner only for selected tasks such as counseling, conducting tutorials and collaborating to solve their problems. In the conventional face-to-face mode of education, the teaching content is communicated by the teacher mainly by the words of Mount. In distance education, however, the interpersonal communication is replaced by print, telephone, electric communication such as teleconference, audio and video systems, radio broadcasting, online communication and others. Hence, the philosophy of ODL calls for the teacher in print and KKHSOU is dedicated to provide all sorts of interpersonal communication. For you, the overriding benefit of ODL is that it gives you access to education that you would not have gained otherwise. ODL allows you to study when and where it suits you and enables you to continue learning while fulfilling your commitments to family, work and community. You may be pursuing higher education for various reasons. You could be interested in changing careers or you might simply want to expand your knowledge base for work or for personal enrichment. In this regard, ODL is able to cater to the needs of millions of learners like you who may not have time, financial resources or educational background and facilities to be a full-time student on campus. Thus, distance education is a means to deliver accessible, affordable education to you with a minimum cost. It is important for you to bear in mind that in the ODL system, you are not working alone on your own journey to a degree. We encourage you to take full use of the facilities and opportunities during your study at KKHSOU, especially in getting to know your fellow students with whom you can work to achieve your dreams and aspirations. You should also make an attempt to attend the counseling sessions at the study center where you have enrolled. From study groups with your course mates, check the latest updates on the university website which is www.KKHSOU.in. Participate in e-forums and chat groups, Facebook and WhatsApp groups and contact your teachers at the study centers or at the university headquarters on regular basis. Your teachers are there to help you to understand the course materials, to clarify any concept that you find difficult and to collaborate with you to enhance your learning experience. Also feel free to contact us to learn and enjoy learning towards successful completion of the program of your own enrollment. Now let me come to my second point that is the objectives of the English programs of KKHSOU. The BA and MA English programs of this university have been designed in such a way that it meets the standard in any other national and international universities of repute. These programs aim to generate an interest in literature, inculcate a spirit of critical inquiry and develop analytical, interpretative and creative faculties in the learners. The program begins with a basic introduction to English literature, its various sources and forms. However as the semesters progress, new areas of literature and literary studies including criticism and literary theory are also introduced. The BA and MA English programs of this university have been designed for people like you who have an interest in pursuing English language and literature through the ODL mode. Regular and fresh learners who fail to enroll in the regular system for reasons more than one are also welcome in these programs. In-service persons would also benefit from these programs in matters related to k-word progression. Therefore, the basic objectives of this English programs of KKHSOU are to generate an interest in the English language and literature, to develop an analytical and creative faculty in the learners, to develop human resources who might join the teaching fraternity that might further generate resources and to inculcate a spirit of interpretative and critical inquiry. As you successfully complete these programs, you will be able to acquire the appropriate methods and approaches to the study of English literature, gain knowledge and ideas needed to conduct research in the field of literature, become effective users of research for professional development and develop the required analytical, critical and application-oriented skills. Now let me come to the last point that is what are the career prospects of the English programs of KKHSOU. I would like to tell you that after successfully completing the BA and MA English programs, you will be able to enter in positions as teachers in educational institutions, enter the research field by applying for a PhD program in English in any university including KKHSOU itself, pursue a career in mass communication and journalism, find a job in publishing and translation agencies as copywriter, editor and proofreader, find a job of campaign manager and speechwriter in government departments and also find a job as a language interpreter in various government departments. The learners, your achievements in our programs will depend on your performance in both the continuous assessment based on home assignments and the final term and examination. Studying in an ODEAL environment for an award or qualification demands great commitment on the part of the learners like you. Although KKHSOU provides you with a flexible way of learning, you are required to complete the assessments in due course of time and sit for the examination according to the schedule that shall be specified from time to time. In general, besides attending the face-to-face counseling sessions and tutorials, you should be able to allocate at least 6 to 10 hours weekly to study a course or a paper. We from the Department of English would like to first thank you for enrolling in KKHSOU and then wish you all the very best for your future career. As I have already told you, we shall be available through our website with some important and interesting audiovisual programs related to the Department of English. You may also contact any one of us through our emails and tell us about any difficult topic on which you may need further audiovisual assistance. Before winding up, thank you again and all the very best.