You want to be a trailblazer, a run-away institution builder ? Build culture in your college or university. I’m sure the Founders of your institute also want you to do so. Nothing can drive institute’s personnel and environment better than its well-embedded work culture. Culture builds class which is permanent. It leads accomplishments with a well-founded clarity and righteousness. It won’t require day to day prompts or advisory. It sits well in the system. It also gives you goosebumps of distinctiveness, a pride in the system. It reduces superintendence or supervision. It saves time, refines processes. Great leaders foster culture; lesser mortals administer breathing on the throats of the doers. I can go on and on. Let me sum up to say that if you truly wish to build a great institution, foster its work culture. Here is how you can start building:-
🎯 Students’-first” culture. Let students feel that you genuinely care for them. Keep your office doors open for them to walk-in to address their issues. In good institutes, everyone works towards living-up to the trust placed by students in the institution in developing them into happy, sporty and responsible human beings, and build their careers. The next most important role of a faculty and leader is to build a research culture and create new knowledge. At present you might be writing a research paper as a compulsive act, but when it comes naturally, you’re in a research-culture mode.
🥇Seniors take care of juniors in grooming and hand-holding, and juniors care for their seniors. In an environment of bonhomie no one ever thinks of a horrible menace as ragging.
Inspire your students to do so. Reward them in big forums in auditorium as a culture ambassador for a noteworthy contribution.
🎓 Students take care of girl students’ safety and won’t let them be harmed in any large gathering of an event or crowd or otherwise by some outside intruders or goons. I saw this in a university organised big music concert thronged by people and students standing like shields.
♟️Alumni find time and mentor students online and in the hostels. I found this culture in many residential universities. They take good care of students career path. It is so unfortunate that near 90% academic leaders don’t know how alumni can truly add huge value to their Alma-mater in so many ways. All you need is admire their contribution and give them audience when they come to your office. Don’t make them wait, horribly. Once the VC Ms Balwinder of Amity Noida requested for my meeting. When I reached, she was already busy with an alumni for an hour. The group of alumni tech start-up supported by the university had plans to discuss. Invited, and she knew of my arrival, but I had to wait.
📞 Institute keeps engaged with its students-turned-alumni through an effective and genuine sustained communication, sharing institutes plans and seeking views.
🗝️ Alumni contribute to institution’s alumni funds, in brand -building as its ambassador and investing full potential in its growth and development.
🙊 No one talks loud in good institutes or behaves arrogant, indignant or misbehaves with a fellow faculty, staff, students or an outsider.
🪁An environment of free and open exchange of ideas is palpable. A leader is as much heard as its team. The best idea always wins even if by a junior-most faculty or a student. No roughshod or imposing of an idea without its merit in a conference or even one-on-one.
👓 Transparency in financial dealings and records, including matters of decision-making. All need to know must know.
🎓 A culture of promoting research and innovation amongst faculty and down to the UG students. Researchers become research mentors of the UG students and kindle interest, oversee their research papers.
🛠️ A top-down learning culture exists. VCs and Principals attending talks, seminars and FDPs. Leaders learn digital nuances in emerging areas even from the students. Everyone opts to up-skill and develop. Teachers join students in projects. There is no shame in learning and being upfront.
🏛️ Hostels act as places of bonding for life-long and are informal centres of academic exchange, pursuing career paths, joint study centres for preparing for the alternative careers.
👣An environment of living together and supporting each other, participating in each other’s functions by cutting across religious, caste, creed and language divide.
🙋🏼Everyone discharges functions without being told or reminded and takes ownership.
🫀People empathise, care and support each other in difficult times.
-Prof JR Sharma: A mentor to HEIs. The views are original and personal
