As I look back at this journey of my life, I feel I did take initiatives within my scope to bring potential reforms in the school. However very few, or perhaps nothing saw the light of the day. One could count many reasons - ranging from faculties to students to staff. The biggest that I cite is the lack of enough enthusiasm and support from the students. Although there are students who are seriously interested in doing things, their strength is almost dwarfed when a large mass doesnot support them. On multiple occasions, I relied too much on my students to take my ideas further. But I think relying on students in the current scenario is a mistake. I think we must realize that students who come for this course are interested in areas which they don't even know. Some are good in management, some in visual composition, some in arrangement and some in verbal presentation and articulation. We as faculty must identify these student skills and put them to correct use / develop the remaining. But even to this, one has to have student participation. Students have to have the will to do things, to contribute and learn from handling events. They have to have love for their work, space and institution. Above all, they have to have love for the field they have chosen. Varying degrees of such interest affects the quality of final production. But I may be underestimating them - perhaps I expected too much out of them. I am over ambitious. As a student, I took a number of initiatives to organize and participate in events happening at the college.
When students do not see quality production, the standard of what they can themselves achieve goes down. In today's age of the Internet , students seldom go out to exhibition spaces and art galleries to look at ways in which people speak, present and display work. In turn, they are not able to positively contribute ideas towards events that may be organised. Moreover, they also lack innovation. I immensely learnt to speak, think and present in public from the public functions I attended outside of school. Ways of talking, addressing or even responding in public is something the school never really taught me. That I learnt from observation. What I imbibed from my teachers is the attitude of an architect and how to talk about design confidently.
The second arena was the lack of enthusiasm in faculty. In order to realise programs I wrote multiple concept notes, and ideated things. But all those things could not be realised without a mass faculty support. Thus these ideas remained limited to classroom lectures and smaller class projects. The maximum that I could achieve as a coordinator was to combine, inter relate some subject assignments to increase the production and efficacy of work. For example, I tried to incorporate the process of making the newsletter in graphics class or took up documentation / digitization of study trips in computers class. I hardly saw student initiative to produce work - even when the work timing was limited to class hours. In addition, hegemonic ideas passed on by mediocre seniors about those subjects being redundant affected the seriousness of understanding as well as quantity of production. Students never thought these classes could be effectively used for reflection on their own ways of working and developing their visual communication skills.
Teachers come in with their own set of problems and issues. It is difficult, but may be interesting to map their intentions behind teaching. For most, teaching has become a convenient option to spend time and earn a quick buck. That is why most people opt for a design subject. Crit based evaluation allows them to reduce a design project to a set of dos and donts. What then, must one count as an input in the design course? According to me, a design tutor is supposed to evolve a small idea that a student brings to class using his / her theorectical and practical skills. Theories are important for the designer to understand and develop ways in which they can develop their thinking. Most of our teachers have no idea of theory. Theories from disciplines different from architecture are farfetched to imagine. Professors of design have to offer students tools of thinking, which I seldom received during my architectural education. If I was to re look at my 5 years of architectural education, I would largely tag myself as 'self taught'. Many a times I have observed that fresh graduates opt for teaching because it is assumably the seat of the intellect. But they seldom contribute to the growth of knowledge. This, they can do by writing, talking and duscussing about architectural issues. Crit based evaluation system flattens the depth of architectural education. I have always remained deeply concerned regarding this.
I thought I would be able to mobilise students using the great internet connectivity that mr. Punde facilitated for us. However it was extremely disappointing to see that there were hardly students responding, participating or using this facility towards their positive development. Since I briefly controlled the AOA E Mail Server admin, I could see the status of usage of each of the members accounts. It was disheartening to find that there were a good amount of students who never even logged in to their accounts. The faculties disregarded this portal and chose to remain archaic. They were not motivated at all to advance.
Multiple forms were sent off at some periods like the Course evaluation form. I developed and refined it from an existing form provided by prof. Punde. Only 180 out of 450 students responded. These instances make me realise failure of the system inspite of hard work and time spent in refining or tightening the system.
I prepared the AOA research fellowship brief, which never saw the light of the day. I don't know what really went wrong. The manifesto I prepared with Atul was never realised since he chose to leave the full time post in the immediate next year. His contributions went down drastically till he finally left this college this year. Subsequently, along with Arjun Sharma, I prepared a research proposal to study the history of Academy of Architecture. We could never really take that project ahead to the next level. I think I realized that it would require a lot of time and effort and doing it without any funding would not be feasible. Lots of such work that was initiated and never saw the light of the day....
Now that I prepare to go for my masters, I am being suggested to look into what my faculties at my new University are doing and whether I find any research parallels to join them. I never saw it happening at Academy. The most public aspect of my being at Academy - the dagagiri blog just remained a passive mirror of sorts that reflected the everyday at AOA. It did not become a discussion space inspite of posting provocative and activist posts. I used to regularly review projects and methodologies over this portal. I wonder if students ever reflected upon their work... All this makes me feel if the architecture audience at Academy is dead...
The streamlined processes of archival were meant for documentation and preservation for knowledge production. I had to struggle a lot to get students contribute equally and with interest. To give an example, marrying machines project was the first student work blog (www.marryingmachines.blogspot.com) Academy ever had. We scanned sheets of documentation work of studies in the city and outside. I got students to start writing a 100 word summary at the end of their projects....many such smaller things were never a part of academy culture.
I recently found myself explaining to a co faculty how academy has still not realised the importance and urgency of investing in a physical as well as virtual archival space. A school's value are its archives. We have absolutely negligible archive mechanisms. Neiher do we have space, nor do we have people who produce good publications.
However, I hope this body of work, this culture of reflection helps me at my graduate school. I am sure to find enthusiastic people at my new school where I can look forward to write, discuss, think, publish, design....and a host of things...I am sure it will be exciting...
END
-----
POSTSCRIPT:
I carry a heavy burden of AOA. I realise how much I care for the reputation of this school, because I consider myself as a representative of the school. At the same time, this school represents me too. I would like to believe that I studied in an excellent architecture school in india. However, when I look back, I find myself how easily I surpassed the school...how then, must one define this relationship? I tried to pull this elephant, trying to make it stand and race. And I know how much energy I put into it. Sometimes I feel if I only tried a little more, I could have moved this elephant enough to tickle it and make it run. But then it was already time to leave.
I don't know if I will have to start all over again once I come back, or will the elephant have taken a completely new turn. Will this elephant recognize me? Will it listen to me? I have all these insecurities. But I do realize the strong bond that has developed between me and this institution....What is the logical direction this journey will make? This question keeps me occupied and distracted...
----
Links to thread
part 1
part 2
part 3
When students do not see quality production, the standard of what they can themselves achieve goes down. In today's age of the Internet , students seldom go out to exhibition spaces and art galleries to look at ways in which people speak, present and display work. In turn, they are not able to positively contribute ideas towards events that may be organised. Moreover, they also lack innovation. I immensely learnt to speak, think and present in public from the public functions I attended outside of school. Ways of talking, addressing or even responding in public is something the school never really taught me. That I learnt from observation. What I imbibed from my teachers is the attitude of an architect and how to talk about design confidently.
The second arena was the lack of enthusiasm in faculty. In order to realise programs I wrote multiple concept notes, and ideated things. But all those things could not be realised without a mass faculty support. Thus these ideas remained limited to classroom lectures and smaller class projects. The maximum that I could achieve as a coordinator was to combine, inter relate some subject assignments to increase the production and efficacy of work. For example, I tried to incorporate the process of making the newsletter in graphics class or took up documentation / digitization of study trips in computers class. I hardly saw student initiative to produce work - even when the work timing was limited to class hours. In addition, hegemonic ideas passed on by mediocre seniors about those subjects being redundant affected the seriousness of understanding as well as quantity of production. Students never thought these classes could be effectively used for reflection on their own ways of working and developing their visual communication skills.
Teachers come in with their own set of problems and issues. It is difficult, but may be interesting to map their intentions behind teaching. For most, teaching has become a convenient option to spend time and earn a quick buck. That is why most people opt for a design subject. Crit based evaluation allows them to reduce a design project to a set of dos and donts. What then, must one count as an input in the design course? According to me, a design tutor is supposed to evolve a small idea that a student brings to class using his / her theorectical and practical skills. Theories are important for the designer to understand and develop ways in which they can develop their thinking. Most of our teachers have no idea of theory. Theories from disciplines different from architecture are farfetched to imagine. Professors of design have to offer students tools of thinking, which I seldom received during my architectural education. If I was to re look at my 5 years of architectural education, I would largely tag myself as 'self taught'. Many a times I have observed that fresh graduates opt for teaching because it is assumably the seat of the intellect. But they seldom contribute to the growth of knowledge. This, they can do by writing, talking and duscussing about architectural issues. Crit based evaluation system flattens the depth of architectural education. I have always remained deeply concerned regarding this.
I thought I would be able to mobilise students using the great internet connectivity that mr. Punde facilitated for us. However it was extremely disappointing to see that there were hardly students responding, participating or using this facility towards their positive development. Since I briefly controlled the AOA E Mail Server admin, I could see the status of usage of each of the members accounts. It was disheartening to find that there were a good amount of students who never even logged in to their accounts. The faculties disregarded this portal and chose to remain archaic. They were not motivated at all to advance.
Multiple forms were sent off at some periods like the Course evaluation form. I developed and refined it from an existing form provided by prof. Punde. Only 180 out of 450 students responded. These instances make me realise failure of the system inspite of hard work and time spent in refining or tightening the system.
I prepared the AOA research fellowship brief, which never saw the light of the day. I don't know what really went wrong. The manifesto I prepared with Atul was never realised since he chose to leave the full time post in the immediate next year. His contributions went down drastically till he finally left this college this year. Subsequently, along with Arjun Sharma, I prepared a research proposal to study the history of Academy of Architecture. We could never really take that project ahead to the next level. I think I realized that it would require a lot of time and effort and doing it without any funding would not be feasible. Lots of such work that was initiated and never saw the light of the day....
Now that I prepare to go for my masters, I am being suggested to look into what my faculties at my new University are doing and whether I find any research parallels to join them. I never saw it happening at Academy. The most public aspect of my being at Academy - the dagagiri blog just remained a passive mirror of sorts that reflected the everyday at AOA. It did not become a discussion space inspite of posting provocative and activist posts. I used to regularly review projects and methodologies over this portal. I wonder if students ever reflected upon their work... All this makes me feel if the architecture audience at Academy is dead...
The streamlined processes of archival were meant for documentation and preservation for knowledge production. I had to struggle a lot to get students contribute equally and with interest. To give an example, marrying machines project was the first student work blog (www.marryingmachines.blogspot.com) Academy ever had. We scanned sheets of documentation work of studies in the city and outside. I got students to start writing a 100 word summary at the end of their projects....many such smaller things were never a part of academy culture.
I recently found myself explaining to a co faculty how academy has still not realised the importance and urgency of investing in a physical as well as virtual archival space. A school's value are its archives. We have absolutely negligible archive mechanisms. Neiher do we have space, nor do we have people who produce good publications.
However, I hope this body of work, this culture of reflection helps me at my graduate school. I am sure to find enthusiastic people at my new school where I can look forward to write, discuss, think, publish, design....and a host of things...I am sure it will be exciting...
END
-----
POSTSCRIPT:
I carry a heavy burden of AOA. I realise how much I care for the reputation of this school, because I consider myself as a representative of the school. At the same time, this school represents me too. I would like to believe that I studied in an excellent architecture school in india. However, when I look back, I find myself how easily I surpassed the school...how then, must one define this relationship? I tried to pull this elephant, trying to make it stand and race. And I know how much energy I put into it. Sometimes I feel if I only tried a little more, I could have moved this elephant enough to tickle it and make it run. But then it was already time to leave.
I don't know if I will have to start all over again once I come back, or will the elephant have taken a completely new turn. Will this elephant recognize me? Will it listen to me? I have all these insecurities. But I do realize the strong bond that has developed between me and this institution....What is the logical direction this journey will make? This question keeps me occupied and distracted...
----
Links to thread
part 1
part 2
part 3
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