Classes to continue in the
online mode
Eleven months after the pandemic induced lockdown had
forced all educational institutions across the country to shut down their
campuses and the education system shifting to a completely digital platform,
institutes have slowly started to reopen their campuses. One of the most
promising and dynamic management institutions among the new generation IIMs of
the country, IIM Sambalpur, the handcrafted IIM, has also reopened its
campus for students, adhering to directions of the Central Government, State
Government, District Authorities, and statutory health regulatory bodies. The
Institute is also adopting a set of safety and hygiene guidelines which will be
updated from time to time as issued by the Government authorities. Being a
first-mover among IIMs, to conceive the concept of flipped classroom mode of
learning, which enabled a smooth transition from offline to online classes
including examinations and admission processes, IIM Sambalpur truly stands for
holistic pedagogy. The first year and second year students of MBA have started
arriving at the campus in batches. Students who are facing internet and
infrastructure issues at home are given priority to come to the campus. The
classes will, however, be held in online mode for the time being.
Speaking on reopening the campus, Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director,
IIM Sambalpur, said, “We will be rebooting the campus in stages and
students will be returning in a phased manner. A strict set of mandatory
guidelines, as set by Government authorities has been issued to all students,
faculty and staff. We will also be collecting the students’ travel/location
details for 14 days before entering the campus. Students must produce a COVID
19 Negative Certificate which is not older than 3 days as on their date of
arrival. They will also have to undergo tests at the end of their quarantine
period which the Institute will arrange with the help of the District
Administration. As numbers around the country are going down and the
vaccination drive starting, it is essential for life to continue in the new
normal. While physical distancing and remote learning were a necessity,
students did feel a sense of isolation. Coming back to campus and meeting their
friends and teachers, will create a positive impact on their mental health as
well. Our students also realize the need to normalize the situation and are
enthusiastic about their arrival to campus, some of them for the first time.
However, the pandemic is far from over and hence stringent SOP must be followed
to resume near-normal activities. Self-discipline is the key to responsible
COVID 19 behaviour.”
Each student will have to self-quarantine themselves for
14 days from the date of arrival at the campus in separate rooms. Each student
must have the Aarogya Setu app active on their smartphones. Wearing masks
outside their hostel rooms, thermal scanning of body temperature upon entering
the campus, maintaining social distancing in common spaces, sanitizing hands,
and following all other basic norms is mandatory. Students are not allowed to
leave the hostel premises other than medical emergencies. Students who must
leave campus will have to quarantine themselves again. The dining hall will
also have meal timings for students and staff in batches. Thorough disinfection
and cleaning of all surfaces will be maintained by the institute. Medical
assistance like routine health check-ups, monitoring of students, dealing with
emergencies will be provided during the quarantine. Two fully ready rooms with
beds, oxygen cylinders, and other essential facilities for combating COVID 19
mild to moderate symptoms will be available in a separate building on the
campus. A Medical officer/Doctor will also visit the hostel regularly.
Although physically present at the campus, students will
continue to attend classes in the online mode. The Institute will take the
decision of resuming physical classes depending on the circumstances and
government guidelines. IIM Sambalpur has been conducting online classes with
the help of several digital tools and processes to facilitate effective
learning for its students. Taking forth the concept of Flipped classrooms,
Learning Management Software like Moodle is being utilized, where students and
faculty members interact regularly through Video Conferencing. Furthermore, the
institute has smart classrooms equipped with SMART Boards, where students can
log-in and access notes, presentations, and curriculum schedules. All
examinations of IIM Sambalpur are conducted using online proctoring systems for
descriptive exams or using LMS for the quiz and multiple-choice exams.
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