Mrs. Ar. G. Jayalakshmi is the Professor and Dean at Crescent School of Architecture. She has more than two decades of experience in practicing architecture and Architectural Education. She was the first woman elected member of the Council of Architecture, New Delhi. She is an Expert Member of the State Level committee constituted for the policy decision-making for Waste Management by the Public Works Department of the Tamilnadu state Government. She was also identified as one of the Top 10 influential women Academic leaders in India by Higher Education Digest of 2022. Ar. Jayalakshmi, also primarily works on residential Architecture and interior projects, and being in the field for more than two decades, and having worked in various prestigious Institutions and spearheaded various projects across the city, Mam has played an important role in bringing industrial exposure to the students of CSA.

Crescent School of Architecture

What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education administration, and what drew you to your current role as a Dean of Architecture?

Having had a successful architectural practice for more than twenty-five years now, I am very much aware of the industry and academia gap, especially in architectural education. Consisting of many diversified course schedules on their own, undergraduate programs in Architecture and Design, needs a strong technical and practical approach to meet the current Industry requirements of the field. Being a very challenging as well as rewarding career, it was only natural for me to choose a career in architectural higher education administration and my current role as Dean, of Crescent School of Architecture has provided me with a unique and apt opportunity to embrace and move forward in pursuit of skill-based learning and career ready.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing higher education today, and how do you think your institution is addressing those challenges?

There are many folds of approaching the current-day challenges of architectural higher education. As quoted earlier, the industry-academia gap has to be bridged to ensure the quality of the graduates of the Institute. But to add to that, shaping the students with the right aptitude and right attitude is the biggest challenge of the current scenario. Architecture and Design have to be pursued with passion and the right steering of the creativity of the students is very essential. Crescent School of Architecture has always been given the flexibility to ensure that the budding architects of our community should be given ample stimulation to be creative and explore more options in the field. The students are supported by faculty in a ratio of 1:10, which allows the students to have one-on-one interaction with the faculties who navigate them towards exploring more creative solutions. We believe that innovation and creativity, when the basics are in place, can be practiced by the students to apply in their day-to-day exercises.

What do you think sets your institution apart from other colleges and universities and How do you communicate that unique value proportion to students and other Stakeholders?

“Crescent means Quality”- is the motto and tagline of our Institute and that resonates with the primary objective of our Institute. Students' welfare and their well-being have always been the primary aim of the Institute and our students and parents form the platform in which those values are strongly imbibed. The students who are undergoing the journey and parents who form their supporting systems are well aware of the process and values of our Institute. Social media has been a boon for the promotion of the values of the Institute and stands proof for the proper dissemination of information to the students and other stakeholders. Regular induction programs are conducted for the proper circulation of information to the students and other stakeholders.

What are your primary responsibilities as Dean and how do you balance them with other aspects of your job?

As Dean of Crescent School of Architecture, the primary aim and objective was to make the Institute to be the most sought college in the state for Architectural education. The vision has been achieved in the last eight years of administration at Crescent School of Architecture. Having empathy towards the students and having in mind that they are not just students, but they represent the future dreams of their families. Being an Administrative Head in various institutions and organizations has given me insights into people and time management, particularly handling the masses of young students who are dynamic and energetic. This particularly helps me in balancing out the other aspects of the job.

How do you approach decision-making in your role and how do you balance the needs of different stakeholders when making difficult decisions?

Being a Dean of a premium institute with more than 600 students and 40 full-time faculty, decision-making on a day-to-day basis is a hard-worn armor that has to be adorned with consistent practice. This requires sticking with certain traditional understandings which at the same time have to be tweaked to the current situations that require modern comprehensions. I always believe that any decisions that are taken will be affecting the students and as any responsible academician-students welfare always comes first.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

While on the one hand- when our Great Nation is taking unimaginable leaps in technical and technological growth, it should also be noted that those leaps come with lots of challenges and sacrifices. Our most price-worthy pride is our Youth and aspiring students who form the majority of the population. Yes, there are challenges ahead, for I assure you that students, when fixated with passion and interest can do wonders for the betterment of the nation. So, smart work and hard work with clear precisive goals are needed to make sure that our youth are steered in the proper direction toward their glory. 

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Can you describe any specific measures or programs that your institution has implemented to address the rising mental health issues and stress among students in India?

The students are put across very many obstacles in life while on their journey to complete their higher education. We as an institute, have very many layers of preventive and corrective measures to make sure that, our students are guided in the right manner, to overcome rising mental health issues and stress disorders. Each faculty is allotted 12-15 students from other batches with whom they need to conduct regular meetings to make sure that their problems whatsoever are raised and discussed. Apart from this, Institute level Counselors are appointed on a full-time basis to address the students with such issues. 

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in higher education administration and how do you see the field evolving in the years to come?

Higher education administration is not all laurels as it is seen from the outside and needs a lot of perseverance from those who seek to rise up the ladder. Sincere hard work and persistent efforts are very essential for the same. My utmost important advice to anybody who seeks a career in higher education administration is that the vision and mission for one’s objective have to be clear to the individual and it has to be student-centric and should be towards the betterment of the existing scenario and not to entertain individual needs alone. The upcoming years in the higher education field are going to be challenging with lots of new interfaces entering the domain. We need to be multidisciplinary, and open to new ideas, and should not shun from learning those new adaptations.

What new initiatives and collaborations has the University established with Industry Leaders to promote industry-specific courses?

With the involvement and contributions from the stakeholders, who are part of the Board of Studies and Board of Management, constant improvements are being done in the curriculum and syllabus of the programs offered at Crescent School of Architecture. More material-specific site studies are being planned as part of the lesson plans for the same to be incorporated with ease during the course of the semester. This has further bridged the gap between the Industry and Academia. Industry-specific subjects like Personality Enhancement, and Entrepreneurship in Design are being incorporated into the curriculum structure with which more holistic development of the students who are industry-ready is being groomed.