ALUMNI News - Fanshawe College

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
12
“I would strongly
recommend this kind of
exchange program,” says
Wendy. “I know I am a
better teacher. I’m not only
bringing home new course
materials on textiles, but
certainly a
deeper level
of skill...”
When Fanshawe was offered the
chance to deliver its world-class
Fashion Design program in India, the
opportunity was a perfect fi t. The
College was already well into a strategic
plan to internationalize that began
in the mid-90s. Through concerted
efforts, recruitment levels had risen to
more than 300 international students
each year and exchange programs
and international partnerships were
fl ourishing.
What worked so well in this case
was that Georgian College in Barrie,
Ontario already had a viable working
arrangement with CIIS, the Canadian
Institute for International Studies, in
Chandigarh in the Punjab state in North
India. The modern campus of about 650
full-time students focuses on delivering
North American diploma and degree
programs. Fanshawe became a partner
with Georgian and CIIS in 2005.
It is a very attractive feature to Indian
students that the curriculum at CIIS is
equivalent to what the student would
be learning in Canada. Their diploma in
Fashion Design will be from Fanshawe
College and students may transfer to
study at Fanshawe in Canada and get
full standing for their credits.
One key step was selecting a
Fanshawe professor willing to travel
to India and work for the year. Enter
Wendy Sperry, a 17-year veteran within
Fanshawe’s Fashion Merchandising and
Fashion Design programs. She taught
part-time in London for 13 years and
full-time for the past four years. For
many of those years, she also ran her
own business, designing, manufacturing
and marketing a high-end line of
children’s clothing.
When she arrived in Chandigarh
in August 2005, she was warmly
welcomed by her Georgian colleagues,
her Indian hosts, and her fresh-faced
students. India is the world’s 12th
largest economy with a population of
one billion. While its fashion design
industry is only about 10 years old,
it is growing exponentially within an
incredibly rich textile base. Textiles form
a huge part of the national economy
and culture in India.
As program coordinator and
professor, Wendy got the program up
and running at CIIS. She purchased
equipment, hired staff, interviewed
students, and even worked with
carpenters to build the design studio.
She mentors other staff members so
that they understand the Fanshawe
curriculum and Canadian teaching
methods.
Admittedly the work environment
is quite different. Virtually everyone
speaks either Hindi or Punjabi with
very little spoken English. There is a
strictly defi ned level of hierarchy, so no
one wants to take action without an
OK from the top. “One strange thing
that happens almost daily in India is
power outages,” says Wendy. “Now,
we don’t even notice if the lights go
out except in sewing class.”
The assignment has been
challenging both personally and
professionally. “I am away from
everything I know and love,
especially my family, which has been
pretty hard at times,” she admits.
“Plus there is such a lack of privacy
and autonomy. Indians would not
even understand these concepts but I
miss them dearly.”
While her Indian students seem
younger and have different priorities
in terms of their education and
career, they have become very
dear to her heart. “It is culturally
unacceptable for students to hold part
time jobs. They’ve had servants all
their lives and most still live at home
with their parents,” says Wendy.
“Since their educational system is
based largely on memorization,
our type of hands-on learning and
creative thinking is new for them.
But I must say they like it and have
adjusted well.”
Students in India tend to work
as a unit not as individuals. Wendy
has had to adapt her teaching style
because they all want to do every
assignment together. “Their approach
means that the whole class will make
the same mistakes on the assignment
so I have to watch for that.”
Overall, Wendy feels she has
connected very well with her
students. They are quite sensitive
to her needs and really seem to
appreciate what she is giving them in
terms of knowledge and skill.
As she prepared to return home in
May, she refl ected on an incredible
year. “I would strongly recommend
this kind of exchange program,”
says Wendy. “I know I am a better
teacher. I’m not only bringing home
new course materials on textiles but
certainly a deeper level of skill in
dealing with international students.”
Fanshawe College Alumni News Spring 2006