Maithilee Shirgaonkar-Jamsandekar Adjunct Faculty Programme at Devgad College, Sindhudurg, 30th Sep 2016 to 2nd Oct 2016

Orientation for Adjunct Faculty (Oxford Business Alumni)

Programme Objective

The programme has a two-fold objective. The first aspect is to introduce an element of external, particularly international exposure, to teaching methods for the students and faculty. The second aspect is to make students aware of the various possibilities in terms of career opportunities in the specific fields of work and expertise of the adjunct faculty.

Background

Devgad College offers courses in Arts, Science and Commerce at the higher secondary (Junior College), undergraduate (Senior College) and post-graduate levels. In addition, it offers courses in Business Management at the undergraduate level (BMS).

The College has a long standing as a coveted seat of learning for youth in rural with a strength of over 3000 students and 150 faculty members. However, due to its remote location and rural base, it lacks sufficient opportunities for advancement in pedagogy, exposure to world affairs, and development of international level infrastructure. With several new initiatives in place to remedy this situation, the College is now gearing up to take its rightful place in regional educational circles and play a conspicuous and meaningful role in community development in the Konkan region.

Guidance for Adjunct Faculty

Language The local language of the region is Marathi. Malvani, a spoken (only) dialect of Marathi, is also widely used. While all faculty members would be fairly conversant with English, do bear in mind that it is not the language of routine communication for them. The students are less likely to be conversant with English, except where technical jargon is concerned, and more likely to appreciate communication in Hindi or Marathi. Please be mindful to choose a medium that you believe will be most impactful.

Dress Code Despite being a rural area, and its residents are well connected with cities such as Kolhapur, Panjim, Pune and , and, hence, are not overly conservative. However, with a large percentage of the population being lower middle class/ working class, it is advisable not to offend the general sensibilities of prudence. For men, business casuals would be more than sufficient for formal activities (no requirement of jackets/ ties). For women, Indian work wear should be sufficient (no pressure to be saree-clad). For informal activities, please use your discretion depending on the surroundings and circumstances.

Maithilee Shirgaonkar-Jamsandekar Adjunct Faculty Programme at Devgad College, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra 30th Sep 2016 to 2nd Oct 2016

Programme Activities The detailed programme with activities for each day has been sent to you via email.

Student Audience The students that you will address will largely be from the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Rather than mandatory attendance for all students, the principles for selection of students attending a lecture will be performance and interest in the specific subjects. The number of students in each class is expected to be between 30-40.

Choice of Topic and Lecture Format Please define your lecture topic keeping the programme objectives in mind. Overall, it would be advisable to keep it more general rather than more specialised. The lecture format should ideally allow for adequate interaction between students and faculty. Please choose the format that you think would be most effective in piquing the curiosity of the students about the subject and the career avenues it leads to.

Note: If you require any multimedia facilities (AV, Projector, etc.), please be sure to let me know in advance so that suitable classrooms with such facilities can be made available.

Location

Devgad-Jamsande villages are situated on the Konkan coast of western in the state of Maharashtra. The two main economic activities of the region are mango plantation and fishing. The region is famous, not just in India but also around the world, for the popular and delicious Devgad Alphonso Mango.

Places to Stay Being a slightly remote area to which transportation links could be better, the number of tourist arrivals is low. Hence, the village has few sophisticated options on offer as far as hotel accommodation is concerned. Typically, visitors put up at homestays or with relatives or friends. A reasonable level to benchmark expectations for what one may find convenient would be a 2-3 star hotel.

Things to See/ Do • The beach! Lots of it! Mostly unencumbered. :) • Forts o – in ruins but strategically and beautifully located o – about 25 kms away, still a living fort in some parts, another beautiful location • Mango Plantations – miles and miles of them! In fact, the monsoon season is the best time to see the green cover, sprinkled with yellow blooms of a local floral variety. The best time to savour the delicious mango fruit, however, is between April and May. Maithilee Shirgaonkar-Jamsandekar Adjunct Faculty Programme at Devgad College, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra 30th Sep 2016 to 2nd Oct 2016

• Seaside temples – the Konkanis are a God-fearing and highly religious tribe. You will find temples of every size here. An extensive pilgrimage destination.

Getting around While (unmetered) rickshaws are available, private transport/ pre-arranged taxi is the best way to get around. Of late, bikers (a la Royal Enfield/ Harley Davidson style) have been spotted scouring the landscape on the unusually well paved roads. Your transportation will, of course, be arranged by the College.

A Final Word

The College is extremely cognizant of the effort and time that you all will be putting into this Programme. I am personally deeply grateful to you for supporting this endeavour with me. Along with the organisers, I will make every effort to ensure that you have a great memorable Konkan experience. So, along with the serious work of lecturing young minds in classrooms, please enjoy yourselves too!!

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