Sambalpur, Sept. 5: The Sambalpur University is busy preparing for the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) team, which would visit the premier educational institution by December.

The varsity has started preparing the self-study report, which will be submitted to the NAAC authorities.

Vice-chancellor C.R. Tripathy said: "A letter of intent had been sent to the NAAC authorities. They have accepted it and asked us to prepare the self-study report. We are hopeful that the NAAC team will visit the institution by December this year."

Tripathy also said they had set a target to complete the preparation of the self-study report within two months. The university has also appointed an internal co-ordinator for the preparation of the entire report.

"We are visiting two to three departments of the university every day and discussing with the departmental heads and other teachers apart from the non-teaching staff members. The heads have been asked to make a power point presentation about their respective departments during the visit," Tripathy said.

The departments are making presentations about publications, research, laboratory facilities, alumni, number of PhD scholars, student placements and department-industry collaboration. "These things will figure in the report, apart from the infrastructure, hostel facilities and the awards instituted by the university," said Tripathy.

There is also a proposal to build eight hostels, said a varsity source.

The NAAC team had last visited the university in 2007 and it got B+ grade. At present, the varsity does not have NAAC accreditation as the ranking given in 2007 elapsed in 2011.

"We are trying to achieve A+ this time," said Tripathy.