Technology played a decisive role in unleashing its potential to address almost all crucial issues for SIESCOMS and establish a symbiotic relationship between students and teacher using digital platforms says, Dr Bigyan Verma, Director of SIES College of Management Studies in a conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
This lesson guided SIES College of Management Studies (SIESCOMS) to deal with the monstrous COVID-19 when it hit us all in the 2ndfortnight of March 2020 and the entire academic plan was brought to a standstill. Mastering the world that engulfed us became necessary to overcome fear, frustration, confusion and the future of students at stake.
Along with many educational institutions all over the world, we too had to abruptly halt our functioning to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, especially at a time when we were about to complete the last-minute rigmarole of teaching, assessments, capstone viva, enrolments, research activities and preparation of new academic calendar. Driven by the mission that imparts quality education should never be interrupted, no matter what, SIESCOMS used the lens to mitigate immediate challenges and prepare strategies for the future.
Also read: COVID-19 impact: Online learning initiatives in Birla Open Minds International School
A holistic response to COVID-19 challenge
Technology played a decisive role in unleashing its potential to address almost all crucial issues for SIESCOMS and establish a symbiotic relationship between students and teachers using digital platforms. While regulatory bodies were still grappling to look for a solution to handle learning outcomes and assessments, SIESCOMS addressed all such deliverables in several innovative ways in the first fortnight of April 2020 itself. The onset of pandemic affected not just the existing students and also the ones who had dreams to pursue management education from a prestigious business school like us. Series of lockdowns complicated the matter for even further. Remote digital tools were quickly adopted to conduct personal interviews for new enrolments. SIESCOMS joined hands with Coursera, a world-renowned platform for offering MOOCs and made it an integral part of curriculum.
Internships are a critical piece of experiential learning in business schools. However, one of the most painful fall outs of COVID-19 was the absence of a traditional format of face-to-face internship experience. Without losing time, internship offers of corporate were changed to virtual internships for all students to expand their knowledge and experience of working in an organization. For students, what could be better when they often find that there is no end to the workday (and learn) when one works remotely.
The Responsible B- School
COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of many poor people and communities. Collaboration at this hour to tackle the menace in unison remains most vital for all. Driven by the values of South Indian Education Society (SIES), we continued to work at the highest level of its emotional quotient (EQ) and spiritual quotient (SQ) to help the weaker sections of people in our neighbourhood. In addition to donating thousands of masks and beds made of cardboard, member of SIES society, students and faculty went out of their way to donate food, sanitary pads to underprivileged and needy also donations for PM Care fund.
As we continue to live in the world of many unknown unknowns, planning for the future in these uncertain times is tricky, at best. Extrapolating the scenario that prevails today, our experience of how we handled the crisis will help us deal with the future in the most effective way. Walt Disney was right when he said “All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them”.
