To what extent do you think the objective of establishment of college has been fulfilled?
Subhashree College of Management (SMC) at present offers two courses at undergraduate level, BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) and BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management) affiliated to Pokhara University. SMC believes in student-centric teaching and learning pedagogy, and during their four years at SMC, the students’ learning is not only concentrated on academic performance also on their holistic personality development. SMC offers unique blend of practicum co-curricular activities which are designed to enhance the students’ learning and transform them as potential entrepreneurs, hoteliers and while majority of our graduates are working with different corporate houses in the country.
Like most of the academic institutions, our major objective is also to contribute to academia, contribute to development of human resources needed by the nation and eventually contribute to the welfare of the society by producing good citizens.
Thus, the objective of SMC of producing graduates that can stand out of the crowd and contribute to our society in the field of management and more has been fulfilled and our team is committed and putting their continued best effort to meet our own standard and objectives.
What are the distinct features of this college? Can you share with us the unique things available here that have established your institution as a distinctive institution?
Most of the business colleges in the country offer the aforementioned courses but sets SMC apart is that we have designed co-curricular activities for each semester, which would provide students with required skills and knowledge beyond their prescribed courses. To name a few, SMC provides soft skills, training on business modeling through our incubation center, business simulation; they also get first-hand experience of how different industry or share market operates, and our signature events provide our students with opportunities to implement what they have learnt through their courses.
Also, our greatest strength is our alumni and our students. They are our brand ambassador, so we believe in strong word of recommendation. Moreover, SMC is constructing the ultra-modern BHM practical labs that will be ready by this academic session, which would definitely be our greatest strength and what distinguishes us from other academic institutions.
Where can we see this college in near future?
Subhashree College of Management provides a conducive atmosphere of learning with state-of-the-state infrastructure, faculties, innovation, skills-based knowledge exposure, and future career placements. All these within an ecosystem of Fun, Multimedia, Connected and Clean Sustainable environment. And in near future our goal is to be the most preferred choice of management and hospitality institution in Nepal.
How do you set priorities to help student excel in their learning endeavors?
As mentioned earlier, SMC’s approach is student-centric, and on-time addressing of the students’ issues is important while setting priorities to help students excel in their learning endeavors, but we are also aware of the blend that is required for academic and co-curricular activities. We are one of the first colleges which has established Department of Students’ Affairs (DOSA) to understand students’ needs and address them in time. Besides our regular co-curricular activities and training, we endeavor to identify supplementary skills required by the employers and provide these training to our students in order to facilitate their learning achievements regularly.
In your view, what things should Pokhara University improve for its better academic upshots?
As all affiliated colleges, SMC also follows the prescribed curricula facilitated by Pokhara University. The curriculum has been designed to cater the need of graduates and industries as well. But as an educator, I strongly believe that the curriculum has to be aligned with changing context and need of the employer. In the recent days, we have witnessed that the job market has gone through tremendous changes and new paradigms have also been created. IT industry of our country which was at its growing stage has taken a huge leap. There are lots of innovative industries and start-ups coming as potential employers. Thus, I would suggest our curriculum should be contextual to address the need of emerging industries and areas.
Also, one of the major problems being faced by Pokhara University students is the failure of the course completion as per the academic calendar published by the University. Due to the existing pandemic, our students have already lost a semester, hence they are already behind by six months compared to students of other universities. The university needs to take actions promptly and timely.
What suggestions would you like to give the plus two graduates for enrollment in bachelor’s level?
An undergraduate program of management and hospitality has nothing to do with the completion of the prescribed courses, but it matters most when the students’ understanding and learning efficiency of four years’ study period is utilized wisely with hands-on education. Focus should be on equipping the students with skills and knowledge perused by the industries or prepare them to pursue higher education. While selecting the program and college, the students must at least be able to understand what pedagogy the college has adopted in making their learning experience different from other colleges affiliated to the same university. I strongly believe that this differentiation is what sets a college apart from its competitors.
