Friday, November 5, 2010
Chennai
Chennai: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College Autonomous (VC)
VC was recommended to us by an Indian colleague of mine and the United States-India Educational Foundation. VC was established in 1946 by the Ramakrishna Mission which has as its purpose "to bring into existence a band of monks devoted to leading a life of purity and renunciation, and the to carry on, with lay workers, religious, philanthropic and charitable activities, looking upon all men, women and children, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality and colour, as veritable manifestations of the divine." All faculty, administrators, and the 3000 students are male. The curriculum is heavy in math, science, and business. VC is quite proud of their track record in educating some very prominent alumni who are placed throughout India in business, government, and scientific research. We will receive from VC a list of alumni who are faculty members in American universities as well. The placement of VC graduates is an obvious point of pride and the placement of our graduates seemed to be a barometer of OWU's quality as well.
VC is an autonomous constituent college of the University of Madras which governs the curriculum of the college so any initiatives will need to be approved by the UM. The three year undergraduate curriculum is highly regulated and regimented making undergraduate study abroad more of a challenge than study abroad for graduate students. They report that their students are very interested in study abroad, however, find the costs and logistics for doing so a challenge. Faculty exchange programs are more easily accomplished as there is greater flexibility in accommodating schedules to arrange a faculty swap. There appears to be a high level of interest in student exchange programs based on the home school tuition model in which students from each institution pay their home school fees but take classes at the exchange institution. Faculty members seem very interested in faculty exchange programs with a similar model- they continue to be paid from their institution and receive additional funding for travel expenses. They cannot receive a salary from an American institution so paying expenses is the best way to make the exchange affordable. It was suggested that we might consider a video conference or class bringing together students from our respective institutions virtually.
The campus itself is highly urban. Perimeter security is tight and guarded. Instructional spaces are organized in Blocks. About 200 students live on campus in the hostel which is managed by a warden. It appears that the lifestyle of residential students is fairly strict and controlled. Absolutely no visitors are allowed in the hostel and there is a visitor's room provided outside of the hostel for Sunday visits only. The hostel is built "according to Indian standards" and there is an international hostel several kilometers from the campus that is built "according to International standards" that might be more appropriate for our students. Cricket is the big sport of the college and they have a very nice cricket field that was being prepared for a game this weekend. I noticed the groundskeepers were preparing the turf on their knees using their hands-no tools- to trim and prepare the grass. Day college working hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m and the hostel office is open from 9-12 and 3-5. The principal told me that his typical work day is processing 300-400 signatures that are required to manage the operation. This "management by signature" system appears highly bureaucratic and without his signature, the institution stalls. He is reluctant to miss work as the consequences are significant for the operation of the college.
Overall, this was a good college visit. We were received with high interest and enthusiasm and will continue to share information. If we should want to develop anything more formal with VC, we would need to start with the University of Madras to get their stamp of approval.
Travel
Travel
Getting to India can be a challenging and arduous process that for doing so little physically is quite exhausting. After missing the scheduled flight out of Columbus due to not having my passport and visa in hand by the appointed time-thanks to a FedEx truck breakdown- I was able to board an evening flight to Newark and meet up with Darrell to catch the first international leg of the flight to Frankfurt. You may be wondering why the lateness in securing the passport and visa. To dispel a perception of not planning ahead, you should know that the documentation to receive an Indian visa-specifically worded letters of request from OWU, the IEE, and Indian representatives plus the forms-was provided to the visa expediter in a timely manner. However, we learned that the specific wording of the letters can be different for the various consular offices. So in New York the consulate wanted different wording in the letter from India. After considerable diplomatic moves and negotiations, we were finally able to get the revised letter and the bureaucracy plodded on. Although both of our visas were processed on the same day, Darrell received his three days before me. Learning- even if you think there is plenty of time, guess again and move up deadlines for submission of appropriate documentation to receive a visa to travel to India.
The 8 hour flight to Frankfurt was uneventful and long. The one hour change of planes and get to another terminal to catch the next leg of the flight was rather hectic and went quickly. A little longer layover would have been nice but on to the next plane for a 9 hour flight to Chennai. Lufthansa got things going gastronomically by offering Indian food for dinner and breakfast. Our plane was late getting into Chennai but after getting luggage, changing some money, finding our driver, and getting to the hotel, we hit the rack around 2:30 a.m. India time- which is 9.5 hours ahead of Ohio time.
OWU Connected Story November 4
 November 4, 2010: News & Views
Outreach in India What do Ohio Wesleyan University administrators Craig Ullom and Darrell Albon have in common with U.S. President Barack Obama? All three are visiting India this month to enhance relationships with the world's second most-populous country. Ullom, OWU's vice president of student affairs, and Albon, the University's director of international and off-campus programs, will spend two weeks abroad during which time they will participate in efforts by the International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP) to enhance ties between higher education institutions in the United States and India. "This is a great opportunity to establish connections for educational exchange between institutions in India and OWU," says Ullom, who is blogging about the trip. "Our meeting will coincide with President Obama's visit to India and, hopefully, this will heighten the interest on the part of Indian institutions to partner with American colleges and universities. "We are the only coed liberal arts institution in the delegation and believe that will be an asset to OWU as we talk with other colleges looking for the kind of experience we have to offer," Ullom continues. "In addition to the meetings and institutional visits as part of the International Academic Partnership Program, we have separate meetings scheduled with parents of current Indian students and OWU alumni who live in India." In March, Ohio Wesleyan was chosen as one of 10 U.S. colleges and universities to be part of the new IAPP initiative. The initiative is overseen by the Institute of International Education (IIE), a nonprofit organization that works to create study and training programs for students, educators, and professionals worldwide. Other IIE programs include the prestigious Fulbright Program and Gilman Scholarships, which it administers for the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. Department of Education also is supporting this initiative through its Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education. Albon has been working since March on the IAPP initiative and serves as the University's representative for the program. "The ultimate goal that the U.S. government has in mind is for higher education institutions to develop a more strategic approach to international exchange relationships," Albon explains. "The India trip is a centerpiece, but we have also been engaged in a strategic planning process and have had an outside consultant provided by the IIE assist in this process." The consultant, Kalyanakrishnan "Shivi" Sivaramakrishnan, Ph.D., is chair of the South Asian Studies Council at Yale University's MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. Albon says Sivaramakrishnan already has provided him with helpful feedback in the international educational exchange strategic planning process. Also participating in the IAPP initiative are California State University (San Bernardino), The College of William & Mary, Florida Atlantic University, Oakland Community College, Spelman College, St. Cloud State University, The University of Tulsa, University of South Carolina, and Winston Salem State University. The 10 were chosen from more than 75 nominations. In announcing Ohio Wesleyan's selection, Allan Goodman, president and chief executive officer of the Institute of International Education, stated: "Our distinguished IAPP Advisory board was truly impressed with your campus' commitment to international education. Your application stood out for its demonstrated support from both administration and faculty, commitment to increasing internationalization on your campus, and stalwart desire to foster a partnership with an Indian institution." Learn more about the International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP). Read more about OWU's Office of International and Off-Campus Programs. Read Ullom's blog. – Cole Hatcher |
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