One of the University of the Fraser Valley’s most under-advertised achievements is its thriving campus in Chandigarh, India. Now operating for over a decade, UFV delivers its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Information Systems (BCIS), and, starting in September, Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs, to students from all over India.
UFV India is mostly run by staff and faculty from India, but some key positions are led by faculty and staff from Canada who travel back and forth to oversee the operations of the campus. Canadian faculty also have the opportunity to travel to Chandigarh to teach courses on that campus, too.
Having now been a part of that faculty exchange during the Fall 2016 semester, I believe that teaching at UFV Chandigarh was a professional and academic experience that will positively shape my career forever.
As an avid traveller and as somebody who never had the chance to study abroad as a student (but always wished he’d been able to), going to Chandigarh for a semester was an exciting opportunity. The teaching exchange presents challenges and new experiences professionally and academically, and culturally, as well.
Most appetizing to me, personally, I was looking forward to immersing myself in a culture other than my own and to traveling in a part of the world I’d yet to explore. As faculty at UFV India, I was immediately included in a wide variety of cultural events, from Diwali celebrations and other festivals, to sharing meals with my colleagues and even with the family of one of my students. With my wife joining me on the trip, we were able to visit historic ruins and monuments, sacred temples, bustling urban environments, and unique wilderness areas, all of which enriched our experience in India.
Ambitiously, we added quite a bit of recreational travelling to our itinerary and, in addition to exploring several places in northern India, we also spent a week in southern India, a week in Maldives, and four days in Dubai. Some of our travels were facilitated by our colleagues at UFV India, a group upon whom I can only heap more praise.
Indeed, the greatest joy of being a visiting faculty member was working with this tightly-knit group of dedicated professionals. They really rolled out the red carpet for us on every occasion and made the experience of teaching abroad as positive as possible.
We were included in other professional opportunities while there, as well, such as getting involved in student recruitment by visiting local high schools and collaborating on new projects and efforts to improve the educational offerings at the campus.
Of course, one of the key areas of learning for me, personally, was going to be the actual experience of teaching in an Indian classroom.
The traditional Indian classroom is far, far different from many of today’s North American classrooms. For example, students are not used to working in groups or being challenged to figure out potential answers to questions or problems. Instead, they are more familiar with the old-fashioned British system of rote learning wherein the professor lectures without much engagement from students.
Classroom composition is different in obvious ways (100% of my students were born in India and spoke English as a second), but also in less obvious ways, too. For example, UFV India’s classes run on a cohort model, so every student in the class is in the same part of their academic journey. There are no senior students in the classroom to serve as role models or to lead in terms of behavioural cues. There are no mature students, either; every student is coming straight out of high school and only 2-3% have any job experience (outside of a family business). As such, everything that’s being taught is theoretical, as they have not had a chance to apply the skills being taught in a professional capacity. Equally, they have no experience with professional etiquette or accountability, which must be reinforced by instructors more vociferously.
Unfortunately, understanding of plagiarism and academic honesty are not well taught in most Indian high schools, so more emphasis needs to be placed on why citations are necessary, how to do them, what constitutes plagiarism and academic dishonesty, and how to avoid it in one’s own work.
All of these new-to-me traits of the classroom environment posed challenges, but also opportunities to adapt.
Finding ways to encourage student leadership and risk-taking in the classroom takes more patience and determination. Understanding which group activities will work and when student-led activity is possible takes trial and error and then careful consideration to get right. The need to build a positive rapport with students is paramount, as they must trust your goodwill in adapting to their needs, as you trust their goodwill in adapting to your own teaching style.
Happily, when students do start to embrace group work, student-led learning, peer feedback, and more dynamic learning structures, they do gain a lot from the more engaging learning environment.
UFV is unique in offering a western education in India with both opportunities to transfer to UFV Canada or to finish the degree in Chandigarh. The exceptional quality of education offered is an incredible benefit and opportunity to those students.
That UFV has a campus in Chandigarh offers an extraordinary opportunity for academic, professional, and cultural exchange for both faculty and students in both countries, as students from Canada do sometimes study in India (they are, after all, taking the exact same courses that they would take in Canada) and Indian faculty have, on occasion, come to UFV Canada.
These exchanges are exceptional and will be a highlight in the career of anybody who is able to pursue the opportunity; I recommend it highly.