General Description

I was first struck by the welcoming nature of the School of East Asian Studies even before I had arrived in Sheffield. In order to ascertain entry requirements I made numerous phone calls from my then home in Tokyo to Susie Tranter, a member of the dedicated office team: these conversations left me with the correct impression that were I to be accepted, I would indeed be welcome.

Upon commencement of my first year, I was struck by the genuine interest shown in students by tutors and non-academic staff alike. It wasn’t long before myself and my classmates were on first name terms with the majority of lecturers, whose seemingly personal investment in us provided a great deal of inspiration and encouragement, and helped develop the desire to give something back to them through hard work.

The open-door policy adopted by language teachers played a huge role in my survival during the intensive first year of my language course. Likewise, the ease with which I could contact other module tutors during their well-publicised office hours or via email meant that any concerns could be dealt with quickly.

During my second year, and to an even greater extent during this, my final year, our tutors have actively sought our opinions on teaching methods employed. At the beginning of language modules tutors have outlined their proposed topics and invited alternative suggestions should we not feel inspired by their selection.

In some cases, student feedback obtained during classes has resulted in the structure / content of the following weeks’ lectures being adjusted in to meet our requests.

Interaction

Interaction outside of the classroom plays an even greater role in creating a sense of community. When passing lecturers in the corridor or on the street, one is greeted by name, with a smile. In addition to this, it is not uncommon for staff to attend events arranged by student groups such as Sheffield Japan Society - at a recent party two staff members arrived in traditional Japanese dress - this would have involved considerable preparation, and demonstrated a genuine sharing of our passion for Japan.

Despite not having a common room in which students can meet, the amount of time spent together in classes (that are deliberately very interactive in style) has ensured that the familial atmosphere generated by staff is further strengthened within the student body. I think this is also partly due to the fact that our course is so difficult: with many students having switched to less intensive degrees, the 17 of us that remain feel like war survivors - we’ve got a lot of respect for one another as we know how hard it has been to get this far.

Academic and Life Skills

In this nurturing environment you grow in so many ways - not just academically. Personally, I think that’s vital. Life’s most difficult challenges are rarely solved simply through having a knowledge of Japanese grammar. Rather, it is an ability to deal with people that makes the biggest difference. SEAS gives you both of these skills.

I think it is important to state that of course, the universal truth that you get back what you put in is only too true in this situation. Perhaps not all students would share my opinions to the same degree, but I am sure that if asked all would echo the general feelings I portray here.

Do you think that this approach was being done consciously with a specific goal in mind?

I wonder - is it all a conspiracy? If it is, it’s a highly-polished professional act!

Personally I’m more inclined to believe that the attitudes of staff are simply the result of them being genuinely nice people.

What did you do as part of this approach?

I sought to treat the tutors with the same degree of respect that they treated me, and made every effort to communicate any issues that arose before they became problematic.

One area I felt was in need of attention was the relationship between the different years within the student body. There had been little interaction between our year and the year above, leaving us feeling a little isolated and unable to learn from their experience. Thus, I tried to encourage further interaction by promoting the participation of current students in fresher orientation sessions, during which the approachability of students in the 2nd and final years was emphasised. These efforts continued though the activities of Sheffield Japan Society (of which I was secretary), which provided informal relaxed situations in which new students could develop friendships with their seniors.

Looking at the situation now, I would say that this has met with relative success.

Context

What level, year, discipline are you? How many other students are in your lectures? In your seminars? Do all your seminars/lectures take place in the same location?

SEAS’ intensive language courses are four years in length, one year of which is spent as an exchange student in the relevant country. I am now in my final (fourth) year of a BA in Japanese Studies.

There are 17 of us in my year, and on the whole we are split into two groups. With the addition of MA students we usually number about 10.

SEAS HQ occupies the fifth and sixth floors of the wonderful Arts Tower. I believe this was an important factor in the development of relations with tutors in our first year as we would frequently meet them in the corridor their offices being but a few metres from our class rooms. Some staff operate an open-door policy, with the door to their offices literally being propped open!

I feel that the lack of resources that the department enjoys (e.g. a single projector to be shared by all), the paternoster (prone to stop at inopportune moments) and the general run-down nature of the Arts Tower also helps create a sense of community - united through hardship!

I do wonder how next year’s move from the Arts Tower will impact upon the family.

Resources

What resources did this approach require from you (meetings, reading, research, money, planning, creative)?

The main resource required was a bunch of thoroughly nice staff. Thankfully they were already present.

This approach did require effort being put into clear communication of student needs and desires. This was done partly through existing formal channels (such as the Staff Student Committee), but primarily through many informal ad-hoc meetings with individual staff, and the natural development of human relations within the community.

Was the energy you put into this approach worth it?

Absolutely. The benefits are simply enormous, and extend well beyond the limits of my degree course.

Is the work expected from this approach realistic to expect in all your modules/from your entire course?

To a great extent, yes. There are only a couple of outliers in this close community, but they play an important role as eccentrics.

Issues

Did this approach cause any problems for you?

Sometimes there are boundary issues: do my allegiances lie with students or staff?

Could you identify potential problems with this approach in other areas?

The creation of a community atmosphere where it is currently lacking is a difficult thing to do, but it is by no means impossible. Potential problems could occur when individuals feel that their authority is being undermined - as could be the case with senior lecturers used to being treated with deference.

Additionally, if students do not appreciate the effort that their tutors are making, the atmosphere of familiarity could lead to a lack of appropriate respect being shown. The danger of this occurring would increase in line with a rise in the ratio of students-to-teachers, as less intimate contact with tutors would weaken the feeling that a personal investment in the individual student was being made.

Benefits

What is a main strength of this approach?/How does it make things better?

The main strength of this approach is that it has far reaching effects that extend way beyond the bounds of the classroom. A sense of individual value and worth are vital for a happy, healthy and successful life - and this approach gives students that.

Evaluation

How did you judge this approach was successful? What evidence do you have?

The strong feeling of trust, community, contentment, appreciation and the sadness at the thought of leaving all serve to demonstrate the effectiveness of this course - as does the fact that we survived it! (If you want an easy time at uni, don’t choose Japanese!).

Why do you recommend this approach?

By adopting a holistic approach to education one can not only improve student performance, but also create a more co-operative, rewarding and pleasant work environment.

How will this experience change your performance (in other modules, jobs etc.) in the future?

The skills gained through my experience as a student at SEAS will benefit me in any aspect of life that involves interaction with others.

For example, by learning how to treat superiors as equals whilst maintaining respect, I am better able to handle interview situations where cultural norms would commonly result in communication being limited by differences in status.

By regarding the department as a family, one can learn to adopt the frame of mind whereby the feelings of others matter, regardless of the ‘official’ relationship one has with them. This skill can then be adapted to other relationships - such as those that one will develop in the workplace.

Other/Updates

Is there anything else you wish to add?

The past couple of years have seen more involvement of current students in departmental open days. Whilst tutors are of course able to provide a wealth of knowledge regarding the academic aspects of the course, they have not actually experienced it as students and are at times (through no fault of their own) unable to answer questions focusing upon the reality of life as a student taking Japanese Studies. Additionally, prospective students are more likely to ask questions of people their own age, and can be assured that the answers are not biased by the promise of a paycheque!

Further Details

The first photo shows Susie and Nic Tranter of SEAS all dressed up for the Japan Society Christmas Party with SEAS students,

The second is Miyuki Nagai, receiving a present from Father Christmas and Mary Christmas at the Japan soc Christmas party.

Joseph Tame, School of East Asian Studies