In the present phase of lockdown due to Corona Virus outbreak, while many B-schools are yet to come up with their strategy to complete Admissions, ensure Summer Internships, and Final Placements, Mysore based SDMIMD has met these challenges by taking proactive steps. SDMIMD Mysore is accredited by NBA, EFMD (EPAS) and ACBSP, and its PGDM is recognized as MBA equivalent by Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
MBAUniverse.com interviewed Dr N R Parasuraman, Director, SDMIMD Mysore to understand how the B-school has already completed its Admission process and Placement 2020 and pedagogic initiatives to ensure that quality of education. Edited excerpts follow:
Q. What is the impact of COVID 19 at your institution? Has it affected classes and exams?
A: Fortunately, we have not had any great adverse impact on the PGDM program. The 2nd Year of the program was fully completed by the last week of February 2020 with the end term examinations. The evaluation process was completed by March 10. We completed the I year classes by the second week of March and then conducted online examinations for their end term. . So academically, we have managed to complete things without any compromises.
Q: But your Convocation was cancelled…
A: Yes, we could not hold the Convocation as scheduled on March 19, 2020, because of the suggested lockdown of campus, first by the State Government and subsequently nationwide. The event has been postponed..
Q: How do you propose to offer Summer internships to your students?
A: As per AICTE directive, students will not physically go for Summer internships. But will be doing work from home. We are also planning to supplement this with specific Project Work to keep the learning going. Many companies have allotted online work to students, while some others have expressed to do so. In these cases, our Faculty are working online with the students for academic projects to be completed by May end. Some of these projects are in the nature of research papers and some are dissertations
Q: What impact will the Corona Virus have on SDMIMD Placements 2020?
A: Our Placement Process for the 2018-20 batch was completed in December 2019 itself. So, we did not have any impact. As per media reports, companies are expected to honour their offers.
Q: What about your Admission process...Is it over? Did you have to modify your process…
A: Our Admission Process has been completed. New applications have been closed now. Seats are available only for vacancies arising out of withdrawal of candidature.. We have received acceptances and first instalment fees from candidates for all the available seats. Presently, we are working on the admissions to the one-year AICTE recognized PGCM program.
Q: Are you planning to engage with selected students?
A: Yes, we have commenced engagement with the students who have accepted by sending them management literature. We plan to conduct Webinars for them soon.
Q: Is your batch 2020-22 commencement likely to be delayed?
A: At the moment, we have no plans to delay the commencement of the program. The scheduled date of start of the new batch is July 1, 2020.
Q: Will you make modifications in your current academic program by including more online classes?
A: As of now, we have not had to do many things online, except the end term examination of the 1st Year students in Term 3. However, our faculty are gearing up to this possibility by developing some online and blended content. SDMIMD has a tie up with TCS Ion for online content launch and under this platform about 100 hours of videos are already up.
Q: Finally, what is your message to MBA aspirants? How can they prepare better for an uncertain future?
A: Like all professionally run institutions, SDMIMD is rising to the challenges and doing its best to ensure that learning and orientation do not get compromised. Young minds should keep their minds focused on the larger goal and should brush aside the current distractions as a totally unexpected, but hopefully short-lived, interruption. With this in mind, they should continue their focus on learning and imbibing.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on SDMIMD Mysore
