Dr. Riya Susan Scariah is the HoD of English of Bishop Chulaparambil Memorial College for Women, Kottayam, Kerala. She has been a part of the college since 2009 and has over 14 years of teaching experience. Mrs Scariah’s qualifications include a PhD in English from Bharatiar University and a MA in English Language and Literature from Madras University. 

She was also the chairperson of the PG Board of Studies(2021–2024), at MG University, Kottayam. She has published six research papers in national and international journals and a book titled Ecocritical Readings in the year 2020. Mrs Riya has attended seven workshops/ conferences/ seminars and five national workshops and conferences. 

BCM Kottayam

What is the latest program that you are offering in your institute/dept. which will help students outperform and stand apart from the crowd?

Our English department offers numerous programs. Recently, we have started a program called Perfect OK, which is for improving the pronunciation and communication skills of the student. We also have a YouTube channel, where we introduce five commonly mispronounced words for our students and the outside community. Furthermore, we have a program called Family Fellow, which is about fostering entrepreneurship. We have entrepreneurs come to our college to spread their knowledge with the students. Most of our literature students usually opt for higher educational degrees in the form of master's and then end up in a teaching career. Towards this end, we have our entrepreneurs introduce different career options to the students.

What are the factors that make this program the best for the students to opt? 

I think that the academic excellence of our department is one of the things sets us apart from other courses, departments and colleges. It is due to this that we have been ranked in numerous lists in the past years. We have three programs here, Model 1 English Language and Literature, model 2 English Administrative Assistance course and Model 3 Triple Main English. Incoming students have a choice of courses to choose as per their interests.

Our students get holistic development while they study in our institution. For example, they can learn entrepreneurship and organizational skills along with academic experience and co-curricular activities. 

What are the best practices in the course you’re offering?

Our college has included various measures to enhance our student’s learning. For instance, we have a special program called APEP, Academic Performance Enhancement Program. Students in this program are given different tests, to calculate their calibre in various areas. We have another program called APC. We conduct it every day to enhance the student’s academics. All of these together would make for the best practices we are using for our course. Furthermore, we have extension activities for the community called ANJAPPAM. It is a zero-hunger initiative where we provide meals to the students so that they do not have to worry about food when studying.

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What are some valuable insights of the program that you are offering at your institute/dept.?

Our motto is Wisdom and Grace. We are actually giving our students an opportunity to the students to stand up and be responsible for themselves. In our literature classes, we teach them the importance of empowerment, and about feminism. We are equipping the students, especially the girls, to be independent and not to be silenced but to raise their voices when necessary. This is probably the best part of our program, we are able to mould today’s young minds to be upstanding citizens.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

All of our students receive thorough career guidance because of which many of our past students have received commendable placements while others have moved abroad for higher education. One of our bright minds, a literature student, is at Massage Set Institute for Data Science. Another literature graduate is at Oxford University pursuing her PhD. Our alumni often come in and interact with our students to motivate them to achieve more. There is no limit to their studies. We are also bringing in external professionals and experts to communicate with students regularly.

How did you train yourself/faculty to deliver this program to the students?

We have regular faculty development programs that are aimed at training our faculty members. These were especially helpful during the covid pandemic when all classes were held online. We also have, ERP an online platform that is used to make attendance, internal marks, allot assignments and more. Both the faculty and students get access to the system. Our smart classrooms are state-of-the-art and have modern technologies outfitted for the smooth conduct of classes.

How do you tend to build an industry connection with this program?

We have different types of programs like MoU with different institutes and with Aksharastri, a literary forum in Kottayam. Together with them, we conduct literary programs on our campus, invite famous writers, film directors and others to interact with our students. We have another agreement with Dreams, a skill development organization where students receive classes on Photoshop and other computer-based skills. This knowledge is practised in our live-lab Shamata Vakushalata. Besides our already mentioned courses, we have a program called GCM board, where the students collect data from various departments and announce it through the public system like a radio. This has been initiated for students to practice their anchoring skills for careers like voice-over. One can also take part in publishing and selling tabloids, magazines and other college magazines as a part of the English department.

What were the challenges that you faced while inculcating this program in your curriculum?

Our biggest challenge, currently, is regarding time constraints. We have a vast syllabus but less time to cover it. Usually, we need to extend our college timings by an hour to accommodate this problem. Some students also come in early to take their certification courses. We are trying to tackle this issue so students do not have to give in more time than necessary. Another major problem for us is student migration. Despite our best efforts, every year many brilliant minds migrate to international universities. It would be great value addition for us and for the nation, if we manage to retain them.

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What are the types of projects that the students are working on through this program?

We have several projects ongoing. Project I is where we offer internship programs to students in their third year. For six months they dedicate their time to learning the hands of the trade and gain practical exposure. Other projects involve our students working on creating books or films. For science-based programs, there are field trips and Government projects to intern in. Our students receive scholarships for their efforts put into these projects that help boost their resumes.

What are the benefits and career options after pursuing this course?

Our students are eligible for various career options. Most majorly opt to work in Journalism, Media and in Teaching. Other popular job routes are in content writing, technical writing and in marketing and advertisement. In the past years, our graduates have moved to law and have prepared for the civil services examinations. Regardless of their choice of career, we try to provide full support and guidance to them when necessary.