At 6 pm on Friday, 13 August 2021, a group of people came together not to spook anyone out but to invite another group of 32 people to join them as CVV-ians. Aptly titled ‘Huddle with CVV-ians’, the event was an interactive session organised by the students of the two integrated BEd programmes at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, for aspiring students of BA BEd English and BSc BEd Mathematics offered here, to meet the faculty and their would-be seniors.
The online event was hosted by Miss. Vaishnavi Anand (first-year BA BEd English). The interaction was organised in two parts: the first was a presentation by a few of the faculty members, followed by a Q&A session, while the second was an interaction with the students themselves. The meeting commenced with a prayer by Miss. Aswathi Asha (first-year BSc Bed Mathematics).
Session I
The faculty representatives included Professor Radha Mohan (Head, Department of Education), Dr. Saurabh Singanapalli and Dr. Ajaykumar K (Programme Directors of BA BEd English and BSc BEd Mathematics respectively), Dr. Pramod Dinakar, Dr. Bindu M P, and Ms. Neethu S Kumar (Assistant Professors). The event was also attended by Dr. Vinod R. R. (Head, School of Ethics, Governance, Culture and Social Systems) offering the programmes, along with members from the Admissions team, Mr. Anil Pillai and Ms. Sumedha Kulkarni.
The array of speakers from the faculty fraternity explained the uniqueness of the NCTE approved four-year programmes, especially the innovative ‘single major, single pedagogy’ approach followed. They also elaborated upon the truly integrated nature of the courses on Discipline (English or Mathematics) and Professional Education. Through clear presentations, they ensured that the audience understood what one will learn during the courses, what one can do after graduation, and the additional training provided for competitive examinations.
The uniqueness of what CVV offers in comparison to other educational institutions was described in detail: the Foundation courses that enable one to discover one’s roots in Indian knowledge systems, the Minor courses which allow one to pursue other passions while delving deep into the chosen discipline, and the Proficiency courses intended to make one skilled and ready for the contemporary world’s challenges. The many photographs on extracurricular activities students are usually engaged in, especially the ways in which they contribute to the community around them, succinctly showed how a student at CVV grows to be a valuable member of society.
The appeal of the professional degree programmes to aspiring teachers was discussed. The compelling reasons to join these programmes, including for those who wish to pursue an undergraduate degree in English or Mathematics without any plans of teaching, were also talked about at length.
The first session drew to a conclusion reiterating how becoming a CVV-ian, or a student of CVV, will change the course of one’s life and will give one a foundation for a life worth living. The questions posed by the audience on the facets discussed were addressed by various faculty members, to their satisfaction.
Session II
The latter part of the event was an interaction with the students of the integrated BEd programmes, conducted in a separate breakout room to facilitate open communication. Brief presentations were made by Miss. Meenakshy K. P. and Mr. Jayasankar OK (first-year BA BEd English), and Mr. Sai Avaneesh and Miss Aswathi Asha (first-year BSc BEd Mathematics). This was followed by a Q&A session in which all the students of the two programmes participated. The students were asked about classes, evaluation patterns, as well as the life of a student at CVV, to all of which they responded clearly and honestly.
Conclusion
All the participants returned to the main room after the second session. A few remaining queries were taken up, here as well. Following this, Mr. Ramnath G. R. (first-year BA BEd English) proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to everyone involved in the successful conduct of the event. The contact details of the admission team were shared for the participants to get in touch with, later. The programme ended with a prayer by Miss Aswathi Asha. The huddle broke up, hoping to meet again in the online classrooms once the semester commences.
