Inspiring Greater Success through Lifelong Learning · Wawasan Open University The period of January 2016 to December 2017 had been challenging indeed for the Wawasan Open University

Inspiring Greater Success through

Lifelong Learning

Biennial Report 2016-2017

CONTENTS

Board of Governors Chairman’s Message

Vice Chancellor’s Message

Vision, Mission & Values

Governance

Chancellor

Pro-Chancellor

Management Structure

Governance Structure

Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF)

Wawasan Open University Sdn Bhd

The Board of Governors

Organisational Structure

The Senate

2

4

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

14

16

18

19

Management Board

Heads of Regional Centres/

Regional Support Centres

Academic Profile

Academic Support

Operational Support

Strategic Partnerships

Significant Events

Workshops/Talks

Towards a Quality Environment

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

Student Enrolment & Graduation

Study Grants & Scholarships

Financial Summary

21

23

24

43

49

57

58

63

67

68

69

70

72

BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

2016 and 2017 were two special years for Wawasan Open University (WOU). 2016 marked the 10th anniversary of WOU being granted university status and officially registered, while 2017 commemorated the 10th anniversary of our first intake of 721 students.

2017 was also a year of transition and the beginning of transformation for WOU. Transition came in the form of major changes in WOU’s senior management. February 2017 saw the retirement of Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Dr Gajaraj Dhanarajan, fondly known as Raj, after 15 years of illustrious service at WOU.

Briefly, a historical flashback on Raj. After having accepted the invitation of the Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) to set up an online higher education institution for the working people of Malaysia, Raj first led, in 2002, an eminent international panel to formulate the proposal for submission to the Ministry of Education. In 2005, he was officially appointed as the Founding Vice Chancellor and CEO of WOU, and thereafter as the first Chairman of the University’s Board of Governors (BoG), which was officially established in 2011.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon Chairman, Board of Governors,

Wawasan Open University

It was Raj’s international reputation as a renowned expert in ODL (Open Distance Learning) and his ability to bring many excellent educators to WOU which enabled the institution to be awarded university status even before it opened its doors to the first batch of students in 2007. He guided and propelled WOU’s rise to prominence, not only in Malaysia, but also internationally, before he was succeeded by Emeritus Prof Dato’ Dr Wong Tat Meng. Under Raj’s leadership, WOU has garnered several international and national awards and recognition. Once again, our highest salutation and heartfelt appreciation to Raj!

I was honoured and humbled to be appointed by the Wawasan Open University Sdn Bhd (WOUSB) Board of Directors (BOD) as the BoG Chairman to succeed Raj in March 2017. I chaired the BoG meeting for the first time on 31 May 2017. Since then, I came to realise how challenging it was to fill the big shoes left by Raj. Fortunately, I have the full support and cooperation of other BoG members and WOU’s senior management, for which I am most grateful.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of the retirement of the third Vice Chancellor, Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye in December 2017, the BoG appointed a Search Committee headed by the BoG Staff Committee Chairman, Dato’ Dr Freezailah Che Yom, to search for a suitable candidate for the Vice Chancellor. The search process started in August 2016. In July 2017, the then Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Madhulika Kaushik, returned to India. Hence, in August 2017, at the recommendation of the Search Committee, the BoG decided to appoint two new Deputy Vice Chancellors, Prof Zoraini Wati Abas (Academic and Educational Technology) and Prof David Ngo Chek Ling (Research and Outreach). The newly appointed Deputy Vice Chancellors reported for duty on 1 November 2017. A farewell and appreciation dinner was held for Prof Ho on 6 December 2017.

Since 2007, WOU has been making steady progress in terms of academic programmes offered and the number of ODL students enrolled. We began enrolling OCL students in 2013. New ODL student enrolment exceeded 2,000 in 2011 and reached a record high of 2,397 in 2015. Re-enrolment recorded a high of 7,936 in 2016. With the resultant increase in overall revenue, coupled with efficient management and control of expenditure, WOU steadily moved towards and finally managed to achieve break even in 2017. Since 2016, we have also discontinued requests for annual grants from the Federal Government.

However, new enrolment and re-enrolment started to decline after 2015 and 2016 respectively. The effort to sustain re-enrolment and retention also proved increasingly challenging. This was partly due to the larger trend of declining tertiary education enrolment at the national and international levels as a result of the changing socio-economic ecosystem, changing skill requirement and acquisition in the advent of Industry 4.0, as well as keen competition from the continual rise in the number of tertiary institutions and other training centres in Malaysia, including those offering online programmes. There were also internal shortcomings specific to WOU.

WOU BIENNIAL REPORT 2016 - 2017

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Keenly aware of the need to review and plan ahead to meet the various challenges, in early 2016, the top management of WOU started the process of formulating the WOU Five-Year Base Strategic Plan (BSP) 2018-2022, led by the Chief Operating Officer, Mr Yeong Sik Kheong. Several sessions of discussions involving BOD, BoG and top management members were held. After further fine-tuning in early 2017, the five-year plan was adopted by the BoG in May 2017. As part of the BSP, the WOU Client Service Charter was launched in a town hall session where all staff were present in mid-June 2017.

Meanwhile, in November 2016, the WOUSB BOD engaged the part-time service of a management consultant, Mr Wong Hun Heng, formerly in the top management of Johnson & Johnson, to look objectively and critically at various aspects of WOU and its programmes from a business, financial and administrative perspective. Amongst other duties, Mr Wong was also tasked by the BOD, in March 2017, to work closely with the top management to draft a long-term growth plan.

On 25 August 2017, an in-house seminar on The Future of Learning: Learning from Others was held. The Registrar, Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi, gave a presentation on Making Education More Open and Innovative, and Mr Wong Hun Heng presented a paper on the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), one of the fastest growing and most successful online universities in USA. On 16 November 2017, the BOD endorsed the ten-year Upside Growth Plan 2018-2028 drafted by Mr Wong and his team.

This led to a decision by the BoG, at its meeting on 22 November 2017, to drive the multi-faceted transformation of WOU. Its objective is to enable the University to rise to various challenges posed by Industry 4.0 and Education 4.0, and to spur WOU's next phase of growth beyond Malaysia to South-East Asia. The BoG also decided to set up a special Transformation Taskforce (subsequently renamed the Transformation Steering Committee or TSC). Chaired personally by the BoG Chairman, the TSC was initiated to drive, monitor and steer the University’s transformation and its various workstreams via frequent meetings. The TSC held its first meeting on 14 December 2017.

Throughout 2016 and 2017, WOU further stepped up efforts to engage the industry and the community in Penang. A series of workshops and public lectures by eminent scholars was held on diverse topics of interests in subject matters such as education, the economy, heritage, governance, etc. Three lectures under the Chancellor’s Lecture Series were held, namely TPPA: Future or Fraud by Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram in May 2016, The Constitution At A Crossroad by Emeritus Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi in September 2016, and Why East and West Will Meet in George Town by Tan Sri Andrew Sheng in December 2016.

In January 2017, a two-day roundtable on Emerging Trends of Technologies in Supply Chain Management was organised by the School of Business and Administration (SBA) and involved participants from the industry and academe. A publication on the roundtable will soon be released. In September 2017, as part of WOU’s Academia-Industry Dialogue (AID), the School of Science and Technology (SST) organised a public seminar on Managing Technology and Reinventing Education. In the run-up to the AID, Tan Sri Andrew Sheng gave an in-house talk on Industry 4.0 to key SST and SBA members and senior staff from DISTED College in August 2017.

Another notable initiative in year 2017 was the decision by the WEF to apply to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for MSC Cybercentre status for the Albukhary Building in WOU’s Main Campus. This move was made in order to attract MSC-status firms and related activities to further enhance WOU’s research and learning capacity in IT and software applications. After WOU’s compliance with requirements, including the installation of an additional gen-set, State 1 approval was granted in mid-December. Pending subsequent Stage 2 approval, WOU’s Albukhary Building would soon become the first MSC-status building in George Town by early 2018.

2017 was indeed a challenging and eventful year for WOU. Not only did we kickstart transformational changes, we also began laying the ground work for WOU to further strengthen its capabilities in providing quality higher education for working professionals as well as learners of all ages both within and beyond Malaysia. We anticipate the next few years to be filled with even more challenges and exciting developments. I would like to thank and congratulate the Board members as well as the academic and administrative staff for the good work achieved so far, and appeal to all to maximise creative performance and teamwork, and redouble our efforts in the years ahead.


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VICE CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE

PROF DATO’ DR HO SINN CHYEVice Chancellor & Chief Executive Officer,


The period of January 2016 to December 2017 had been challenging indeed for the Wawasan Open University community. Nonetheless the University managed to consolidate its operations and programmes to reach a wider cross-section of society, while at the same time exercising a “green” mindset and numerous prudent measures.

The University is therefore progressing steadily, attaining significant academic milestones as well as meeting the financial targets as spelt out in the 10-year Master Plan.

I wish at the outset to thank the Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) for the continuous financial support extended to the University. My thanks also go to the custodians and top management of the University, i.e. the Chairmen and members of the Board of Directors of WOU Sdn Bhd (WOUSB) and Board of Governors of WOU for their staunch support and guidance in shaping the University to what it is today – a trusted provider of quality tertiary education.

I wish to note that we experienced a few changes in leadership in 2017, which saw us bidding farewell in the first quarter of that year to Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj Dhanarajan as Chairman of the Board of Governors, while welcoming our Pro-Chancellor and Wawasan Education Foundation Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, to fill that role.

We also bade goodbye to Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Madhulika Kaushik, who returned to India in July 2017. The University subsequently appointed Prof Zoraini Wati Abas as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Educational Technology) and Prof David Ngo Chek Ling as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Outreach).

The year 2016 also had Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Yeong Sik Kheong, re-designated as Chief Operating Officer, and Dr Andy Liew taking on the function of Registrar from the former.

As many are aware, WOU expanded its nationwide delivery of part-time programmes through open distance learning (ODL) to include the offering of full-time on-campus learning (OCL) undergraduate degree programmes in Penang only in September 2013. There are presently six full-time degree programmes available for STPM school leavers and diploma holders to pursue at WOU’s main campus in Penang. As at the end of 2017, WOU had about 250 full-time students currently enrolled in the six programmes while 85 full-time graduates had already emerged from WOU.

WOU also increased its cache of ODL programmes from 49 at the end of 2015 to 50 by end 2017. Along with the six OCL programmes, WOU offers a total of 56 academic programmes, out of which 44 programmes are already fully accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

For the January 2017 ODL intake, the University had launched the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) to offer professional upgrading opportunities for existing and would-be teachers working in childcare and preschools centres who do not as yet possess diploma qualifications. WOU has plans to roll out two new study programmes next year. They are the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Counselling and the Master of Arts in Psychology programmes.

The total number of active ODL students who had registered for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the January and July semesters in 2016 was 5,038 and 4,824 respectively, and these slightly decreased to 5,013 and 4,786 for the corresponding semesters in 2017. To date more than 20,000 students have experienced the ODL opportunities provided by WOU.

The University held its Seventh Convocation ceremony from 24-26 November 2016 at its main campus in Penang. We witnessed the conferment of the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree on two outstanding women leaders. Prominent humanitarian Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, the founder of MERCY Malaysia, was recognised for her outstanding efforts and sustained advocacy for volunteerism in medical rescue work to help those in need and affected by crises, irrespective of ethnicity and across borders. Internationally-known educationist Prof Asha Kanwar, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, was honoured for her contributions in the field of education in general and in open and distance learning in the international arena.


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VICE CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE

A total 622 graduates received their scrolls in 2016. This included the inaugural batch of 45 full-time graduates from two Bachelor’s of Business degree programmes in Management and Accounting. The remaining 577 graduates were from the part-time ODL programmes, out of which 423 were from the undergraduate programmes and 154 from the postgraduate programmes. The University also produced the pioneer batch of 7 ODL graduates from the Bachelor’s degree programmes in English Studies (5), Multimedia Design (1), and Networks & Data Communication (1).

Meanwhile in 2017, a record 688 students graduated during the Eighth Convocation ceremony held from 23-25 November that year. They included the 40 graduates from the full-time Bachelor’s of Business degree programmes in Management, Accounting, and Banking & Finance. The full-time Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking & Finance programme produced its first batch of 4 graduates.

The remaining 648 graduates were from the part-time ODL programmes, comprising 446 at the undergraduate and 202 at the postgraduate level. For the first time, 5 ODL students graduated from the Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Information Systems (BTIS) programme.

The total number of WOU graduates up until 2017 stands at 3,097, comprising 863 postgraduates and 2,234 undergraduates.

The Honorary Degree recipient in 2017 was the leading and prominent economist, Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram. He received his Honorary Doctor of Letters degree for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the field of economics and to social development. He holds the Tun Hussein Onn Chair in International Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia, and is a Visiting Senior Fellow at Khazanah Research Institute, Visiting Fellow at the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University, and Adjunct Professor at the International Islamic University in Malaysia.

The University’s academics have been rather active in honing their research and presentation skills through several research projects funded by WOU’s Institute for Research and Innovation (IRI) and external sources, and presenting them at local and international conferences.

I wish to highlight the accolades received by the University at the 2016 and 2017 Annual Conferences of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU). WOU won silver for both the Best Paper Award and the Best Practice Award in 2016 and also two silver medals for the Best Paper category in 2017.

At the Conference on ‘Redesigning Assessment for Holistic Learning’ organised by Universiti Malaya and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in November 2017, two presentations from WOU in the form of a poster and a voster (a video poster) won two silver medals.

Since 2012, WOU has been a leading advocate of the use of open educational resources (OERs) in Southeast Asia. As part of the overall plan to reduce costs in course content development and revision, WOU has been incorporating more OER materials in our courses, guided by the University’s OER policy.

In further enhancing our international standing, WOU now has business arrangements with universities overseas to offer its accredited programmes and well developed ODL courses to students of these foreign universities. The University of Mauritius and Botswana University of Distance and Open Learning are already using the course materials produced by WOU for selected disciplines in their universities. These universities had approached WOU for assistance in the first place. This development bodes well for us as it reflects the confidence and trust these foreign institutions have in WOU.

WOU, like other ODL institutions in the country, is implementing the MOHE’s Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL-[A]) admission protocol for part-time study, since January 2016, and APEL-[C] for credit transfer from January 2017. WOU has been appointed as one of two main National APEL Assessment Centres in the country, to process and evaluate applications of Malaysian citizens seeking admissions into higher education institutions in Malaysia.

Moving forward, WOU will continue to develop academic programmes that are industry-relevant and meet market demand. There will be intensified efforts to increase student recruitment and retention. New applications of information technology for teaching and learning will be explored to enhance the learning experience of students.

The University is presently on track, resolutely advancing while keeping an eye on its finances, ever mindful of the constant need to achieve the goals and financial targets set for each year.


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VISION, MISSION & VALUES

VisionTo be a vibrant learning community that inspires learning,

supports innovation and nurtures all-round personal growth.

MissionWe commit ourselves to the expansion of opportunities in

higher education and excellence in teaching so as to increase the level

of knowledge and scholarship among all Malaysians.

ValuesWe believe that you have the potential to develop to the

fullest,in line with the cherished noble values that we all share.

We believe in:

• Upholding high institutional standards;• Celebrating the diversity of our students;

• Recognising our employees;• Valuing citizens and the community; and

• Academic freedom and fairness.


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GOVERNANCE

Wawasan Open University Sdn Bhd (WOUSB) is a private, not-for-profit university, established in accordance with the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555), and wholly owned by the Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF), a tax-exempt entity.

In line with the principles of good and transparent governance, the functions, structure, leadership, membership and reporting protocols of the major permanent decision-making bodies are clearly defined in the Wawasan Open University Constitution, developed in accordance with the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555).

WOU has in place a governance structure that reflects international good practice and one that is underpinned by a culture of openness, transparency, accountability and academic excellence.

The key features of WOU’s governance structure are:

• Accountability - the University’s academic and operational bodies are ultimately accountable to the Board of Governors;

• Transparency - full records of all University Authority meetings are archived and available for inspection;

• A clearly defined system of ‘checks and balances’ where each operational body reports to a higher authority all the way to the governing Board of Governors.

In accordance with the new WOU Constitution that was revised to comply with a Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) directive, the Board of Governors was formed in November 2011.

The Chancellor is the Head of the University and shall preside at the Convocation ceremony. The current Chancellor, Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, was installed on 7 December 2013. Meanwhile Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was proclaimed as Pro-Chancellor on 24 November 2012.


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Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin AbdullahChancellor of Wawasan Open University


8PAGE

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu KoonPro-Chancellor of Wawasan Open University


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®

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Wawasan Education Foundation

(WEF)

100% Equity


Sdn Bhd(WOUSB)

WOU Board of Governors

Senate Vice ChancellorManagement

Board

Academics and Other Staff

Chancellor & Pro-Chancellor

WEF Board of Directors


10PAGE

®

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

Pro-Chancellor

Board of

Governors

Working Committees of BoG• Staffing Committee• Finance Committee

Vice Chancellor

Management Board

Senate

Schools and

Centres

Standing/Ad-hoc

Committees

Standing/Ad-hoc

Committees

Wawasan Education Foundation

(Board of Directors)

Chancellor


11PAGE

WAWASAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION (WEF)

DIRECTORS

Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap Leong Huat

(Deputy Chairman)Chairman, Heng Lee Group of Companies

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon(Chairman)

Pro-Chancellor, Wawasan Open University

Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj Dhanarajan

Former Chairman, Board of Governors,Wawasan Open University

Mr Loo Choo TengChief Executive Officer,

Heng Lee Group of Companies

Dato’ Seri Chet Singh Karam Singh

Director, Penang Institute

Datuk Lim Si Pin(since 13 October 2016)

Chief Executive Officer/Director, Cempaka Sdn Bhd

Mr Chen Yow Seong

Mr Yeap Leong SoonDirector,



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WAWASAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION (WEF)

MEMBERS

Datuk Seri Chia Kwang ChyeFormer Vice President, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Dato’ Seri Kerk Choo TengFormer Deputy President, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Dato’ Dr Teng Hock NanFormer Vice President, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Senator Datuk Ng Chiang Chin @ Ng WangChairman, Kelantan State Liaison Committee, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Dato’ Dr Sharom Bin AhmatMember, Board of Directors, St Nicholas Home for the Blind

Dato’ Lim Kheng GuanExecutive Director, Malaysian Management Consultants Sdn Bhd

Dato’ Seri Goh Eng ToonChairman, Salcon Berhad


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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WAWASAN OPEN UNIVERSITY SDN BHD




(Chairman)Chairman, Heng Lee Group of Companies

Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj DhanarajanFormer Chairman,

Board of Governors, Wawasan Open University

Dato’ Dr R Thillainathan (until 8 August 2017)

Independent Non-Executive Director, Genting Berhad

Mr Loo Choo TengChief Executive Officer,


Mr Ooi Teng ChewIndependent Non-Executive Director,

Johan Holdings Bhd

Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Chin Fook WengDirector,

Disted Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd

Mr Chia Loong ThyeDirector,


Datuk Lim Si Pin(since 24 October 2017)

Chief Executive Officer/Director, Cempaka Sdn Bhd


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Ms Janice Yeap Liew Kee (since 24 October 2017)

Chief Operating Officer, Heng Lee Group of Companies

Ms Annie Khor Seow Keow (since 24 October 2017)

Chief Information Officer, Schenker Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WAWASAN OPEN UNIVERSITY SDN BHD


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THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj Dhanarajan

(Chairman) (until 28 Feb 2017)

Former Vice Chancellor/Chief Executive Officer, Wawasan Open University

Tan Sri Dr Michael Yeoh Oon KhengChief Executive Officer,

Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI)

Mr Loo Choo Teng Chief Executive Officer,



Chairman, Heng Lee Group of Companies

Tan Sri Dr Chin Fook WengDirector,


Mr Ooi Teng Chew Independent Non-Executive Director,

Johan Holdings Bhd



Dato’ Dr Freezailah Che Yeom Chairman,

Malaysian Timber Certification Council

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Chairman)

(since 1 March 2017)Pro-Chancellor, Wawasan Open University

Tan Sri Dr Michael Yeoh Oon KhengChief Executive Officer,

Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI)

Mr Loo Choo Teng Chief Executive Officer,



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THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Prof Emeritus Dato' Dr Wong Tat Meng

Former Vice Chancellor, Wawasan Open University

Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye Vice Chancellor /Chief Executive Officer,


Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi Registrar and Director,

QA & External Relations, Wawasan Open University

Prof Santhiram RamanDean, School of Education, Languages &

Communications, Wawasan Open University

Prof Madhulika Kaushik (until July 2017)

Former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Wawasan Open University

Ms Annie Khor Seow KeowChief Information Officer,

Schenker Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd

Mr Chia Loong ThyeDirector,


Ms Janice Yeap Liew Kee Chief Operating Officer,


Datuk Lim Si PinChief Executive Officer/

Director, Cempaka Sdn Bhd


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ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Board of

Governors

Senate Vice Chancellor

Management Board

Chief Operating OfficerRegistrarDeputy Vice Chancellor

(Academic & Educational Technology)

Registrar and Director of Quality

Assurance & External Relations

Regional Centre Directors

Acting Head of Learning & Library

Services

Director of Educational

Technology & Publishing

Dean of School of Science & Technology

Dean of School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Dean of School of Education, Languages &

Communications

Acting Dean of School of Business &

Administration

Director of Marketing/Corporate

Communications & Regional Operations

Director of Information Technology

Services

Director of General Services &

Administration

Director of Finance

Director of Human Resources

Centre for Dialogue

Institute for Research & Innovation

Centre for the Arts

Corporate Outreach

Community Outreach

Centre for Graduate Studies

Centre for Professional Development & Continuing

Education

®

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Outreach)


18PAGE

THE SENATE

Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye(Chairman)

Vice Chancellor

Prof Madhulika KaushikDeputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)

(until 31 July 2017)

Prof Zoraini Wati AbasDeputy Vice Chancellor

(Academic & Educational Technology)(since 1 November 2017)

Prof Santhiram RamanDean,

School of Education, Languages & Communicationis

Assoc Prof Dr S NagarajanDean,

School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Assoc Prof Dr Wendy Bong Chin Wei

Dean, School of Science & Technology

Prof David Ngo Chek LingDeputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Outreach)

(since 1 November 2017)

Mr Yeong Sik KheongChief Operating Officer

Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi(Secretary)

Registrar and Director of QA & External Relations


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THE SENATE

Assoc Prof Dr Goh Lay HuahAssociate Professor,

School of Education, Languages & Communications

Assoc Prof Dr Intan OsmanAssociate Professor,

School of Business & Administration

Assoc Prof Dr Lee Chee LeongAssociate Professor,

School of Science & Technology

Assoc Prof Dr Ramesh Chander Sharma

Educational Technology & Publishing Unit

Ms Chua Saw NeeDirector, Finance

Ms Chew Bee LengActing Head,

Learning & Library Services

Prof Phalachandra BhandigadiProfessor,

School of Education, Languages & Communications

Assoc Prof Dr Balakrishnan Muniapan

Associate Professor, School of Business & Administration

Mr Prakash V ArumugamActing Dean,



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MANAGEMENT BOARD

Assoc Prof Dr S NagarajanDean,

School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Prof Santhiram RamanDean,

School of Education, Languages & Communicationis

Assoc Prof Dr Wendy Bong Chin Wei

Dean, School of Science & Technology

Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye (Chairman)

Vice Chancellor

Prof Madhulika KaushikDeputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)

(until July 2017)

Prof Zoraini Wati AbasDeputy Vice Chancellor

(Academic & Educational Technology)(since 1 November 2017)

Prof David Ngo Chek LingDeputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Outreach)

(since 1 November 2017)

Mr Yeong Sik KheongChief Operating Officer

Dr Andy Liew Teik KooiRegistrar and Director of QA &

External Relations


21PAGE

MANAGEMENT BOARD

Pn Surrayya ShuibDirector,

Human Resources

Ms Chew Bee LengActing Head,

Learning & Library Services

Mr Prakash V ArumugamActing Dean,


Ms Grace Lau Pee HoayDirector,

Educational Technology & Publishing

Mr Chong Kong HoongDirector,

Marketing & Corporate Communications and Regional Operations

Mr Andrew JosephDirector,

General Services & Administration

Ms Chua Saw NeeDirector, Finance

Mr Tan Pooi SeeDirector,

Information Technology Services


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HEADS OF REGIONAL CENTRES/REGIONAL SUPPORT CENTRES

Ms Ching Huey LingDirector, Ipoh Regional Centre

Dr Ng Peng LongDirector, Johor Bahru Regional Centre

Ms Roshini Jesselyn Ramesh Chandru

Acting Head, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre

Mr Ryan Yong Seat PaoHead, Bandar Utama Regional Support Centre

Mr Teh Kim KowDirector, Penang Regional Centre

Mr Jimmy ChaiDirector, Kuching Regional Centre

Dr Mazlan Zainal Head, Klang Regional Support Centre


23PAGE

Overview

The School of Business and Administration (SBA) is headed by the Acting Dean, Mr Prakash V Arumugam, with 15 academic staff in the School. SBA is guided by the following aims:

• To develop and disseminate business and management knowledge to fulfil the needs of the business community and public service sector;

• To equip learners with necessary skills for excelling in the competitive global business environment and business-government relationships;

• To produce excellent research outcomes for the advancement of the business community and government in Malaysia;

• To maintain the highest standards of academic quality in all its pursuits.

SBA currently offers the following undergraduate programmes including nine Bachelor of Business (Hons) programmes, one Bachelor of Management (Hons) programme, six graduate diplomas and two graduate certificates:

• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking and Finance• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Business Information

Systems• Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Corporate Administration)• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Entrepreneurship and Small

Business Management• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Human Resource

Management• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Logistics and Supply Chain

Management• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Management• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Sales and Marketing• Bachelor of Management (Hons) with Psychology

• Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance• Graduate Diploma in Business Accounting• Graduate Diploma in Corporate Administration• Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing• Graduate Diploma in Sales and Services Management• Graduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management

• Graduate Certificate in Business Management• Graduate Certificate in Logistics Management

Postgraduate programmes include:• Commonwealth Executive Master of Business

Administration (CeMBA)

Five On-Campus Learning (OCL) full-time Bachelor of Business (Hons) programmes are also available at the University’s main campus in Penang: • Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking and Finance

• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Management• Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Sales and Marketing

The School received MQA and MOHE approvals for two new programmes, which were launched during the January 2016 semester:• Master of Philosophy in Social Sciences• Doctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences

Highlights

The School produced 386 graduates at the Seventh Convocation in 2016 and another 423 students received their degrees at the Eighth Convocation in 2017.

The breakdown of graduates for both convocations, included: • 146 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Management• 161 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting • 47 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking and Finance • 45 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Logistics and Supply

Chain Management • 36 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Sales and Marketing • 9 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Business Information

Systems • 10 Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Corporate Administration) • 5 Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Entrepreneurship and

Small Business Management• 16 Bachelor of Management (Hons) with Psychology • 8 Graduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management • 8 Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing • 2 Graduate Diploma in Corporate Administration • 8 Graduate Diploma in Business Accounting • 5 Graduate Diploma in Sales and Services Management • 6 Graduate Certificate in Business Management • 204 Commonwealth Executive Master of Business

Administration (CeMBA)• 8 Commonwealth Executive Master of Public Administration

(CeMPA)

ACADEMIC PROFILE

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION


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The MQA full accreditation visit was successfully conducted for the following OCL full-time programme, and the first batch of graduates were presented with their degrees at the Eighth Convocation held in 2017: • Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking and Finance

Following an on-campus visit by the authorities of CPA Australia on 21 October 2015, the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting (BBAC) OCL full-time programme was granted accreditation and the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting (BBAC) ODL programme was granted re-accreditation. Both full-time accounting programmes have been accredited by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), while the ODL courses are also accredited by Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). In addition, all Accounting programmes are recognised by the Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC).

Graduates of Bachelor in Business (Hons) are granted exemption from Paper 1.0 to Paper 11.0 and Paper 13.0 (Modules A to E – except Paper 12.0) of the Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS) Professional Examination, though WOU’s BBCA graduates would still be required to take Paper 12.0 in Module E and Module F – Paper 14.0 to Paper 16.0. This exemption is valid for five years and will apply to graduates of this programme between the period of 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019.

To encourage continuous research efforts, SBA has begun to offer a PhD/MPhil in Social Sciences since January 2016 semester. Eight faculty members hold a PhD/DBA and three staff members are also pursuing their doctoral studies.

SBA’s faculty encourages staff to publish research articles and keep abreast of developments by attending academic conferences. In the years 2016 and 2017, the School has a total of five journal publications, four book chapters and twelve book reviews to its credit. It also participated in twelve national and international conference proceedings. Two SBA academic staff presented papers at the 30th Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) organised by The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) from 26–29 October 2016; and another presentation by staff took place at the 31st Annual Conference of AAOU organised by Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia from 27–29 October 2017.

Aspirations

SBA will continue to strengthen its position as a leading provider of quality and affordable OCL full-time programmes in business and administration within the nation, with a special focus on northern Malaysia.

The School will work towards recognition and exemptions from professional bodies such as the International Entrepreneurship Association (IEA), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT, UK) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM, UK). To align its curriculum with market-driven business requirements, it also hopes to form stronger partnerships with industry representatives to better design and deliver its short-term and degree programmes.

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

1. Arumugam, P.V. (2017). “Distributed leadership in a distributed learning environment”. 31st Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 27 – 29 October 2017, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

2. Arumugam, P.V. (2017). “Instructional Design and Course Delivery in an Online Setting: Issues and Challenges”. 31st Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 27–29 October 2017, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

3. Norizan Baba Rahim, Intan Osman & Arumugam P.V. (2017). “Work-Life Balance and Individual Well-Being: The Moderating Effect of Organisational Climate”. International Conference on Human Capital and Knowledge Management (ICHCKM 2017), 10 October 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

4. Arumugam, P.V. (2017). “Reaching the Unreached through Online Delivery: Issues and Challenges”. International Conference on Open and Innovative Education, 12 – 14 July 2017, Hong Kong.

5. Norizan Baba Rahim, Intan Osman & Arumugam P. V. (2017). “Do Supervisor and Family Support Moderate the Relationship Between Work-Life Balance and Individual Well-Being: Evidence from Open Distance Learning (ODL) University?” SIBR Conference on Interdisciplinary Business & Economics Research, 6 – 7 July 2017, 2017, Osaka, Japan.

6. Arumugam, P.V. (2016). “Open Educational Resources and Cost Savings Efforts: Lessons from WOU”. The International Journal on Open and Distance e-Learning, Vol. 2(2), December 2016, pp 49-60.

7. Arumugam, P.V. (2016). “OER and Cost Savings: Lessons from WOU”. 30th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 26 – 29 October 2016, Manila, Philippines.

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8. Loo Saw Khuan & Ellisha Nasruddin (2016). “Barriers to Purchasing Social Responsibility in Northern Malaysia: A Focus on Labour and Health & Safety”, 2nd UUM International Qualitative Research Conference (QRC) 2016, Penang.

9. Alexandra S. Kang & Wong Wai Peng (2017). “Predictors of drivers’ intention and behavioural readiness to use public bus transport.” Proceedings of the 12th Asian Academy Management International Conference, Malaysia.

10. “Commuters' Readiness to Use Public Bus Transport in George Town Centre”. Conference proceedings 4th Asian Management Research and Case Conference (AMRC) 2015 on ‘Management Issues in Emerging Markets for Sustainable Business’, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, January 10-12, 2015.

11. “Teaching accounting in the distance learning mode and on-campus mode: A comparative study at Wawasan Open University”. Conference Proceedings 28th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities 28–31 October 2014, The Open University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR, China pp536-544.

12. “Promoting Entrepreneurship Education through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Malaysia: A Case Study of Wawasan Open University (WOU) students at Penang Regional Centre (PGRC)”. Conference Proceedings 29th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 30 November – 2 December 2015, Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

13. “The Influence of Informal Governance Institutions on the Relationship between Diversification and Firm Value: The Malaysian Evidence”. Conference Proceedings The 11th Asian Academy of Management International Conference 2015 (AAMC 2015), 2 - 4 October 2015, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.

14. “A Comparative Study of Assessment Techniques Used in Malaysian Open Distance Learning Institution As Compared to an International Professional Body”. Conference Proceedings 29th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 30 November – 2 December 2015, Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

15. “The Evolution of Distance Learning and its Contribution to the Accounting Profession in Malaysia: A Historical Perspective”. Conference Proceedings International Conference on Accounting Studies (ICAS) 2015, 17-20 August 2015, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

16. “Investigation into What the Malaysian Public Wants from

Environment Protection Tax Laws in Malaysia”. Conference Proceedings International Conference on Accounting Studies (ICAS) 2015, 17-20 August 2015, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

17. “Purchasing Social Responsibility Activities in Malaysia: Labour and Health & Safety”. Conference Proceedings 6th International Conference on Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM), 10-12 December, 2014, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya, Indonesia, page 116.


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ACADEMIC PROFILE

18. Speaker on “Valmiki Ramayana and its Relevance for Transformational Leadership” at International Ramayana Conference, ‘Heal the World Through Ramayana’ at Ramayana Centre, Union Park Mauritius, 21-24 August 2015.

19. “Moodle Quizzes in the Learning Environment”. Conference Proceedings 28th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities 28–31 October 2014, The Open University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR, China. pp 240-249.

20. “Motivation, Learning Strategies and Distance Learners”. Conference Proceedings 29th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities, 30 November – 2

December 2015, Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

21. “Stressors, Coping Strategies and Use of Social Support: A Comparison of Male and Female Undergraduate Open Distance Learning Students at the WOU Penang Learning Centre”. 29th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference, 30 November-2 December, Kuala Lumpur.

22. “Seventy years of workforce transformation in defining generations: Applying generational theory applications in Malaysia”. Conference proceedings of The 5th International Conference on Business and Economic Research 2014, Kuching Sarawak, Malaysia, March 24 – 25, 2014.

BOOK CHAPTERS

1. Loo Choo Hong contributor for Arens, Elder and Beasley, “Auditing and Assurance Services: An Integrated Approach”, 15th Edition 2014, Global Edition, Pearson Education, London, UK.

2. “Corporate Social Responsibility Communication from the Vedantic, Dharmic and Karmic Perspectives”, pages 337-354 in Ralph Tench, William Sun, Brian Jones (ed.) Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Perspectives and Practice (Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and Sustainability, Volume 6), Emerald Group Publishing, London.

3. “The Roots of Indian Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practice from a Vedantic Perspective” pages 19-34 in KCP Low, SO Idowu and SL Ang (ed), Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

4. “Labour Relations and International Business: The Doctrine of Constructive Dismissal and Labour Relations in Malaysia”, pages 291-315 in Liam Leonard , Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez (ed.), Beyond the UN Global Compact: Institutions and Regulations (Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Volume 17,), Emerald Group Publishing.

5. “The Bhagavad-Gita and Business Ethics: a Leadership Perspective”, pages 232-253 (Chapter 18) in Dasho Karma Ura and Patricia Ordonez de Pablos (ed.), Asian Business and Management Practices: Trends and Global Considerations. IGI Global, Pennsylvania, USA

6. “Trends in Indian Food & Grocery Retail Sector”, pages 65-78 in Shanti R., Ahmed M.R., Guruswamy S., & Murari P (ed) Retailing - Trends in the New Millennium, Chennai: MJP Publishers.

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

1. “Purchasing Social Responsibility Activities in Malaysia: A focus in Labour, Health, and Safety”, Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 8(3), pp.154-161.

2. “Kautilyan Aphorism in Management”, Malaysian Indian Business, MIB E-Magazine, December 2014. pp 40-43.

3. “Effective Tutoring: Learner’s Perception and Institutional Responsibility”, Pakistan Journal of Distance and Online Learning, Vol 1 (1), December 2015, pp. 11-24.

4. “Segmenting Consumers in Food & Grocery Retail”, Indian Journal of Marketing (Forthcoming – accepted for publication).

5. “Demographic Transformation in Defining Malaysian Generations: The Seekers (Pencari), The Builders (Pembina), The Developers (Pemaju), and Generation Z (Generasi Z)”. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Published on Vol.4, No. 4, April 2014 issue. Pg 383 – 403.


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ACADEMIC PROFILE

ADVISORY PEER GROUP

Prof Dr Koh Hian ChyeProfessor (UniSIM College), School of Business, SIM University, Singapore

Prof Dr Noh Hayati AhmadProfessor, Banking and Risk Management, College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah

Dr Veerinderjeet SinghManaging Director, Taxand Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur; Council Member of Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and Malaysian Institute of Taxation (MIT)

Mr Suresh ChandraHR Director, Intel Malaysia, Penang


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Overview

Student enrolments at the School of Science and Technology (SST) stood at 1,216 as of July 2017. Headed by the Dean Associate Professor Dr Wendy Bong Chin Wei, the School boasts 14 full-time academic staff with specialisations in various engineering and technology disciplines such as electronics, computing and information technology, construction management, manufacturing and mathematics. The faculty includes two Associate Professors, five PhD holders and six other staff who are currently pursuing their PhD, as well as an administrative support staff who provides further support to staff and students.

Currently, the School offers four postgraduate degrees, nine Bachelor of Technology degrees with Honours and two Graduate Diplomas as follows:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Computing and Technology (Research Mode)

• Master of Philosophy in Computing and Technology (Research Mode)

• Master of Business Administration in Construction Management

• Master of Business Administration in Manufacturing and Production Management

• Bachelor of Information Systems (Hons)• Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Multimedia

Development• Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Networking• Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons)• Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Computer Systems

and Networks (for both part-time and full-time studies)• Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Construction

Management• Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Electronics• Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Mechatronics• Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Telecommunications

• Graduate Diploma in Electronics• Graduate Diploma in Telecommunications

Actively involved in the accreditation process of its computing degrees, the School has obtained full accreditation for six of its undergraduate degrees within the last two years. All computing degrees are recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). These degrees have been endorsed by the Programme Standard of MQA. Some courses have also been renamed to better reflect their contents and learning outcomes, such as the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Multimedia Development, Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Networking, Bachelor of Software

Engineering (Hons) and Bachelor of Information Systems (Hons). In 2017, the School reduced credit requirements for two of its MBA programmes, MBA-MPM and MBA-CM, from 47 credit hours to 41 credit hours. This move allows a shorter endeavour for students, who can now fulfil the course requirements and earn a part-time degree within 2 years.

Highlights

• As of December 2017, all computing programmes in SST have obtained full accreditation from MQA and MOHE.

• Effective second semester 2017, degree plans of two Master’s programmes - MBA in Manufacturing and Production Management and MBA in Construction Management – now require a reduced 41-credit hours.

International Linkage and Global Outreach

Selected course materials have been franchised to Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning, with the latter’s purchase of 23 courses under the Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Information Systems and 7 courses under the MBA in Construction Management.

On another positive note, the School is finalising collaboration plans with Kiron Open Higher Education to bring WOU programmes to refugees in Southeast Asia. WOU shall authorise a learning agreement with Kiron to facilitate credit transfer of courses undertaken by refugee students under the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), to its Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Computer Systems and Networks programme.

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SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


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WOU is also close to inking an MoU with the Lubeck University of Applied Sciences and University of South Africa. This MoU will permit joint collaboration between the three parties in the development of an international programme for academic development as well as the supervision of postgraduate studies.

Engagement with Industry and Community

SST was the key organiser of an Academia-Industry Dialogue (AID) on Managing Technology and Reinventing Education, held on 14 September 2017. A total of 22 industrial representatives including directors, vice presidents, COOs and CEOs of invited companies participated in this event alongside professors and heads of department from public and private universities.

Three influential industry players took turns to present keynote speeches on the day:

• Dato’ Yoon Chon Leong, Advisor and Founder of Penang Science Café (PSC), presented Creation of a Better Market: Aligning Education Industry to Meet Future Demands

• Dr Mazlan Abbas, co-founder and CEO of Favoriot, nominated among the 50 Most Impactful Smart Cities Leaders by World CSR Congress 2017 and ranked among the Top 10 in IoT Top 100 Influencers by Postscapes 2017, delivered a talk titled Generation-IoT: The Key to Business Survival in 21st Century

• Dr Yeong Che Fai, a Senior Lecturer cum Entrepreneur at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), presented An Academician’s Journey to Entrepreneurship – Building Research into a Commercial Venture

Prior to this event, Tan Sri Andrew Sheng (Distinguished Fellow of Asia Global Institute, The University of Hong Kong) also shared timely and relevant insights with the School and DISTED College on the theme of Industry 4.0, on 11 September 2017.

Additionally, School members also remained actively involved in various training sessions and seminars related to Industry 4.0 throughout the year.



1. Chandarasageran Natarajan (2017). “Network Memory: Two Decades of Research Trend Evolution and Development” (Best Paper), 1st Australia and New Zealand Conference on Advanced Research (ANZCAR 2017) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

2. Chandarasageran Natarajan, Nanthini Muniapan (2016). “Scalable Network Memory System Virtualisation Framework Using P2P RDMA Protocol”, PROCSIT 2016, Progress in Computer Sciences and Information Technology International Conference proceedings, Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia (Also Published in Advanced Science Letters).

3. Choo-Jun Tan, Chin-Wei Bong, Ting-Yee Lim, and Teik-Kooi Liew (2016). “Soft Computing Model in Educational Data Mining: A Distance Learning Experience” (Best Practise Award silver medal), 30 th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), Manila, Philippines.

4. Chin-Wei Bong, C. C. Liew, H. Y. Lam (2016). “Delineation Of Ground Glass Opacity Nodules In CT Images (POSTER)”, 24th Annual Meeting of Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS 2016) in conjunction with 9th AATS/ASCVTS Postgraduate Course as well as 4th Asian Single Port VATS Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan.

5. Yik Lai Kuan, Toh Pek Lan, Lee Chee Leong (2016). “Enhancement of second harmonic generation in nonlinear photonic crystals with two defective layers”, IEEE 6th International Conference on Photonics (ICP), Kuching, Sarawak.

JOURNAL AND BOOK CHAPTER PUBLICATIONS

1. Chee-Leong Lee, S.Y. Chee, M.K. Lee (2017). “Alteration of the refractive index of polyacrylate and poly(styrene-co-acrylate) films via molecular structure modification”. Polym. Bull., 74, 857. (Impact Factor: 1.4)

2. Choo-Jun Tan, Ting-Yee Lim, Chin-Wei Bong, & Kooi-Teik Liew (2017). “A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm-based soft computing model for educational data mining: A distance learning experience”. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, Vol. 12. Pages 106-123.

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3. Chee-Leong Lee, Wee-Sheng Goh, Swee-Yong Chee, Lai-Kuan Yik (2017). “Enhancement of light harvesting efficiency of silicon solar cell utilising arrays of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid) nano-spheres and nano-spheres with embedded silver nano-particles”. Phot.Nano.Fund. Appl., 23, 36. (Impact Factor: 1.7)

4. Choo-Jun Tan, Siew Chin Neoh, Chee Peng Lim, Samer Hanoun, Wai Peng Wong, Chu Kong Loo, Li Zhang, Saeid Nahavandi (2017). “Application of an evolutionary algorithm-based ensemble model to job-shop scheduling”. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Pages 1-12. Springer. (Impact Factor: 3.35)

5. Chin-Wei Bong, C. C. Liew, H. Y. Lam (2016). “Ground

Glass Opacity Nodules Detection and Segmentation using Snake Model”. Bio-Inspired Computation and Applications in Image Processing (Chapter 5). Pages 87-104, Elsevier.

6. Ting-Yee Lim, Mohammed Azmi Al-Betar, Ahamad

Tajudin Khader (2016). “Taming the 0/1 knapsack problem with monogamous pairs genetic Algorithm”. Expert System with Application Vol. 54, Pages 241-250. (Impact Factor: 3.928)

7. S.Y. Chee, M. K. Lee, Chee-Leong Lee (2016). “Thermal

Properties of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate-co-Butyl Acrylate-co-Acrylic Acid) Modified with Dinyl Benzene and Vinyltrimethoxy Silane”. J. Macromol. Sci., Part A., 53:2, 82. (Impact Factor: 0.8)

8. Farhad Pourpanah, Choo-Jun Tan, Chee Peng Lim, Junita Mohamad-Saleh (2017). “A Q-learning-based multi-agent system for data classification”. Applied Soft Computing 52, 519-531. Elsevier. (Impact Factor: 3.541)

9. Siew Chin Neoh, Choo Jun Tan, Manjeevan Seera,

Chu Kiong Loo (2016). “Web-Based Career Path Model for Human Resource Management”. Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering (JTEC) Vol. 8, Iss. 12. Pages 23 – 26. (SCOPUS indexed)

10. WC Ng, SY Teh, HC Low, Ping-Chow Teoh (2017).

“The integration of FMEA with other problem solving tools: A review of enhancement opportunities”. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 890 Iss.1 Pages 012139, IOP Publishing.

11. Jit-Ping Siew, Heng-Chin Low, Ping-Chow Teoh (2016).

“An interactive mobile learning application using machine learning framework in a flexible manufacturing environment”. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, Vol. 10 Iss. 1-2, Pages 1-24. Inderscience Publishers (IEL)

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ADVISORY PEER GROUP

Dato’ Wong Siew HaiGovernor, American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce; Chairman, Malaysian-American Electronics Industry (MAEI); Formerly Vice President, Technology & Manufacturing Group, and General Manager, Assembly & Test Manufacturing, Intel Malaysia

En Muhamed Ali Hajah MydinChief Executive Officer, Penang Skills Development Centre; Former Managing Director, Mutiara Smart Computing Sdn Bhd

Dr Khong Yoon LeongChief Executive Officer, TechDome, Penang; Former Vice Chancellor, KDU University College; Director, Global Manufacturing Engineering, First Solar

Dr Mazlan AbbasChief Executive Officer, REDTone IOT, Selangor; Adjunct Professor, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia; Former Senior Director, Wireless Communications Cluster, MIMOS Berhad

Dato’ Ir Goh Chye KoonNon-Executive Director, Sunway Construction Berhad; Former Director, IJM Corporation Bhd; Former Chairman, Working Group for Construction Projects; Member, Construction Industry Master Plan Committee, Construction Industry Development Board, Malaysia (CIDB)


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ACADEMIC PROFILE

Overview

The School of Education, Languages and Communications (SELC) was established to support the University in enriching knowledge and scholarship in education, languages and communications. It seeks to achieve this through developing and delivering programmes targeted towards the award of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Professor Santhiram Raman is the current Dean leading the School, which boasts a staff strength of seven academics and an administrative executive.

Programmes

The following programmes are offered by SELC:

i) Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE);ii) Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Primary Education

(BEPE); iii) Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Studies (BAES); iv) Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); and v) Master of Education

The Master of Education (TESL) was offered from July 2012 to an initial intake of eight students. It has since grown to a current intake of 60 students. The Master of Education (Educational Management) was launched in July 2014. Two other specialisations, E-Learning and Education for Sustainable Development, are being developed and will be launched in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The Diploma in Early Childhood Education was launched in January 2017 with an initial intake of 158 students.

The School, in collaboration with the Centre for Graduate Studies (CGS), has been offering a PhD programme by research since January 2013.

Through upholding the quality of its programmes, SELC aims to become a leading institution in the field of education, languages and communications both within Malaysia and globally.



1. Tan Saw Fen & Lim, C. S. (2017). “Enhancing teachers’ reflection through lesson study: Is it feasible?” Paper presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME 41): Mathematics Education Research – Learning, Instruction, Outcomes & Nexus, 17-22 July 2017, Singapore.

2. Tan Saw Fen & Lim, C. S. (2016). “The content of teachers’ reflection in lesson study: A case study.” Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Teacher Learning and Development (ICTLD), SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, Malaysia.

3. Phalachandra B, Mohan Menon, Jasmine Emmanuel and Ch’ng Lay Kee (2016). “Effectiveness of a capacity building intervention for OER search and integration for course materials development”. Paper presented in the PCF8 Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

4. Mohan Menon and Phalachandra B (2016). “A study on the adoption and integration of OER materials in course development”. Paper presented in the PCF8 Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

JOURNALS

1. C. T. Ong (2017). “Representation of culture, gender and identity: An analysis of Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hil”l, International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, 3(3), 143-148.

2. Ooi, L. H., Arathai, D. E., Vighnarajah, S., Goh, L. H. & Ong, C.T. (2016). “Qualitative findings on the dynamics of online facilitation in distance education”, International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design, 6(4), 1-18.

3. Albury, N. J., & Ooi, L. H. (2017). “The widening gap between Malaysia’s international tourism brand and domestic multicultural policy”, Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 9(3), 318-330. DOI: 10.1080/19407963.2017.1344245.

4. Fong, S. F., & Por, F. P. (2016). “Effects of a Pronunciation Learning Management System among Students of Different Language Anxiety Levels”. Jurnal Kinabalu, 22/2016.

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BOOK

1. Phalachandra B and Ishan Abeyawardena (2016). “Open Educational Resources in the Commonwealth”, Commonwealth of Learning, Canada.

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

1. R. Santhiram & Tan Yao Sua (2017). “Race-based Policies and Practices in Malaysia’s Education System” in Moses Samuel, Meng Yew Tee & Lorraine Pe Symaco (Eds.). Education in Malaysia: Developments and Challenges, Springer, Singapore.

2. R. Santhiram & Tan Yao Sua (2017). “Political Accommodation and Education for Ethnic Minorities: Lessons from Malaysia” in Ryszard Kucha & Henryk Cudak (eds.) Educationalists versus Politicians – Who should integrate Europe for Wellbeing of all Inhabitants. Clarkson University & Spoleczna Academia Nuak. Lodz, Poland.

3. R. Santhiram & Tan Yao Sua (2017). “Education of ethnic minorities: Contesting issues in a multiethnic society”, in Suseela Malakolunthu & Nagappan C. Rengasamy (eds.) Policy Discourses in Malaysian Education: A nation in the making. Routledge Critical Studies in Asian Education. UK.

4. Tan Yao Sua & R. Santhiram (2017). “Globalisation, Education Language Policy & Nation-Building in Malaysia”, in Lee Hock Guan (ed.) Education and Globalisation in South East Asia: Issues and Challenges. ISEAS Publishing. Singapore.

5. R. Santhiram, Goh Lay Huah & Phalachandra B.(2017). “Investigating the effectiveness of the Tablet in enhancing Open Distance Learning”. Asia Pacific Handbook of Contemporary Research, Vol 1. Asia Pacific Institute of Advanced Research. NSW. Australia .

RESEARCH PROJECTS

GRANTS

1. Phalachandra B., Ooi Li Hsien, et.al. WOU Innovative Research Initiative Grant (IRI Grant) 2017, “A Study of factors that are hindering the students’ success in ODL programmes of WOU and designing strategies to enhance students’ successes rate”. RM30000, January 2017 – February 2018. Co-recipient.

2. Suma P., Ooi Li Hsien & Ng Khar Thoe, SEAMEO QITEP in Language Research Grants (SEAQIL REGRANTS) 2016, “Exploring Language Trainees’ Literacy Beliefs and Perceptions Using a Values Based Approach in Online Teaching and Learning”, USD$2400, May 2016 - December 2016. Co-recipient.

3. Fong, S. F., & Por, F. P., 2016-2017. “A Comparative Study on Academic Stress between Adolescents in International Schools and National Schools”.

4. Fong, S. F., & Por, F. P., 2017-2018. “The Effects of an Internet-Linked Reading Intervention on Students’ Metacognitive Reading Skills”.

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ADVISORY PEER GROUP

Emeritus Prof Dato’ Dr Ibrahim BajunidDeputy President, INTI University College (INTI-UC) Laureate International Universities

Prof Dr Molly N N LeeFormer Coordinator, Asia-Pacific Programme of Education Innovation for Development (APEID), Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO Bangkok

Dr Hj Mohd Johan ZakariaDirector, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science & Mathematics, SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang

Assoc Prof Dr Mariani Mohd NorDean, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

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SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Overview

In view of lifelong learning and to provide students with a well-rounded, balanced education that develops their potential to the fullest, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) is offering degree programmes in the humanities. These include the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Psychology, as well as the Doctor and Master of Philosophy in Arts and Humanities. Led by Associate Professor Dr S Nagarajan, the School boasts nine full-time faculty members.

Programmes

The BA (Hons) in Liberal Studies broadens students’ perspectives by allowing them to explore a range of courses across various disciplines in Humanities and Social Sciences; it also includes a cluster of business courses from School of Business and Administration (SBA).

Besides basic major/general education courses in liberal studies, learners are required to take courses from at least any two clusters. The multi-disciplinary course structure aims to nurture students’ critical and analytical thinking and deepen their awareness of societal issues beyond basic academic knowledge. Other learning outcomes include fostering effective communication skills and the ability to anticipate and solve wide-ranging problems.

The BA (Hons) in Psychology programme aims to equip working professionals across various industries with diverse skill sets to help them succeed in the demanding global environment. Upon completion of this programme, students can pursue a Master’s or Doctorate’s degree in various psychology branches and other related specialisations according to their personal and professional interests.

SHSS also offers the mandatory University and Mata Pelajaran Umum (MPU) courses for all undergraduates. To enhance learners’ readiness for tertiary studies, the School conducts a Headstart programme before they are due to embark on their respective degree programmes.

Other Career Development Programmes

To prepare students adequately for full-time employment upon graduation, SHSS offers the soft skills development programme “Professional Competencies for the Workplace”, as well as short courses in communication and English language proficiency, besides public seminars.

Developments In The Near Future

Having obtained formal approval from the authorities to launch 2 new degree programmes, namely the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Counselling and the Master of Arts in Psychology, preparation is now under way for the launch in September 2018. We are pending MQA approval to introduce the Bachelor of Communication (Hons). Other lifelong learning programmes, including courses of varying lengths as well as degree programmes, are currently in the works. The objective of these courses is to expand students’ knowledge and life skills while enhancing their workplace proficiency.



1. Emmanuel, J.S., Chng, L.K, (2016). “Facilitation across cultures in a blended learning environment: a preliminary study of cultural and linguistic competency”, 9th Malaysia International Conference on Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Languages, Literatures and Cultures: Engaging Threads and Trends,16th-18th August, Penang.

2. Emmanuel, J.S. (2017). “21st Century educators and their characteristics”, International English Language Teaching Conference,19-21 April, Penang.

3. Emmanuel, J.S., Ch’ng, L.K, & Loh W.H, M. (2017). “Holistic Assessment – an idea from the WOU experience”, Redesigning Assessment for Holistic Learning Conference, 20-21 November, Petaling Jaya.

4. Nagarajan, S., Ooi, C.Y., & Pramela, K. (2016). “Improving the Efficiency and Quality of Feedback for Tutor-marked Assignments”, 26–29 October, 30 th Annual Conference of Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), Manila, Philippines.

5. Ooi, C.Y., Nagarajan, S. & Cheah, S.L. (2016). “Assessing the co-curricular course experience of distance learners: A Wawasan Open University Model”, 26–29 October, 30th AAOU Conference, Manila, Philippines.

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AWARDS

1. Emmanuel, J.S., Ch’ng, L.K, & Loh, W.H, M.(2017). “Holistic Assessment – an idea from the WOU experience”,Redesigning Assessment for Holistic Learning Conference, 20-21 November, Petaling Jaya.

Silver medal for Poster Competition Silver medal for Voster (video-poster competition)

ADVISORY PEER GROUP

Prof Emeritus Dato’ Dr Abdul Halim OthmanFellow, Counselling and Psychology Services, Counselling Centre, Kolej Universiti Insaniah, Alor Setar

Dato’ Dr Abd Halim Mohd HussinDirector, Psychology Division, Public Service Department (JPA), Putrajaya

Prof Dato’ Anwar FazalDirector, Right Livelihood College, Centre for Policy Research & International Studies (CenPRIS), Universiti Sains Malaysia

Prof Dato’ Dr Ghulam-Sarwar YousofAdjunct Professor, Cultural Centre, Universiti Malaya

Dr Tan Liok EePresident, BOLD Association for Children with Special Needs, Penang

Dr Mustafa Kamal AnuarFellow and Head of Nusantara Studies, Penang Institute

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CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Established in May 2007, the Centre for Graduate Studies (CGS) provides academic and administrative support for postgraduate studies in WOU. It serves as a coordinating body for all postgraduate programmes and activities and maintains close contact with the University’s four Schools.

Currently, CGS manages the following postgraduate programmes, with academic support from these Schools:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Arts and Humanities• Doctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences• Master of Philosophy in Arts and Humanities• Master of Philosophy in Social Sciences• Commonwealth Executive Master of Business

Administration (CeMBA)• Master of Business Administration in Construction

Management (MBA-CM)• Master of Business Administration in Manufacturing and

Production Management (MBA-MPM)• Master of Education• Post-Graduate Diploma in Education

A leader in open education, WOU is also the only Malaysian institution of higher learning to offer the CeMBA programme. Through active collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Vancouver, Canada, the University has revised and updated specific course contents in the programme, for use by all countries in the consortium.

Since 2010, a total of 820 postgraduate students have successfully completed their studies at the University, including 116 in 2015, 155 in 2016, and 202 in 2017. CGS will continue to partner with the University’s Schools to deliver market-focused postgraduate programmes. Through close collaboration with other institutions, professional bodies as well as stakeholders in the private sector, WOU hopes to contribute new knowledge through research and thus empower the nation’s workforce for the better.

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INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

The eighth meeting of the University Council held on 25 August 2007 approved the recommendations of the Senate to establish the Institute for Research and Innovation (IRI). In approving this recommendation, the Council (now referred to as the Board of Governors) also noted that the new Institute would be an integral part of the University and pursue specific areas of research.

It was stipulated that (i) the Institute would be managed by a Board of Management; and (ii) the Director would serve as chairperson and be directly accountable to the Vice Chancellor. The specific role of the Board of Management would be to:

1. Develop suitable research policies for the Institute. 2. Approve and support research agenda and projects.3. Approve the admission of research students.

The IRI Board of Management was formally established in August 2010. It comprises both internal and external stakeholders with expertise in research and related industries.

The inaugural meeting of the IRI Board of Management was held in April 2011.

Members of the IRI Board of Management (2016-2017)

Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj DhanarajanHonorary Director, IRI (Chairman) – Year 2016

Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn ChyeVice Chancellor, WOU - Acting Director, IRI (Chairman) – Year 2017

Prof Madhulika Kaushik (until July 2017) Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), WOU

Prof Santhiram R RamanDean, School of Education, Languages and Communications, WOU

Assoc Prof Dr Wendy Bong Chin WeiDean, School of Science and Technology, WOU

Dr Andy Liew Teik KooiRegistrar and Director, Quality Assurance and External Relations, WOU (Secretary to IRI)

Dato’ Dr R RatnalingamFormer Honorary Consul for Norway and Sweden at Penang (w.e.f. year 2017)

Dato’ Wong Siew HaiChairman, Malaysian-American Electronics Industry

Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Shukri Mustapha KamalDeputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & International Affairs), USM; Professor, School of Physics, USM (w.e.f. April 2017)

Datin Dr Kam Suan PhengFormer Senior Research Scientist, The World Fish Centre (w.e.f. year 2017)

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Terms of referenceThe overall terms of reference for the IRI Board are as follows:-

1. To develop and review the University’s policies pertaining to research and development, especially in technology-assisted and mediated teaching; to identify and patent research outcomes of commercial value, where applicable.

2. To facilitate applications for research funding from faculty staff.

3. To develop and maintain infrastructure conducive to seeding new projects and developing a culture of research.

4. To lay out the Univerisity’s research priorities and divert staff attention to areas of high potential for further development.

5. To provide direction and advice on the allocation of research funds and other related resources.

6. To assist University submissions for seeking of external funding in accordance with the priorities identified.

7. To determine and develop suitable channels for disseminating research-related information to University staff and the wider community.

8. To consider and recommend submission of payment-related applications for conferences, meetings or other outreach events.

9. To encourage projects that will enhance scholarship amongst academic staff, and organise seminars, workshops and forums to nurture professional networks.

10. To co-opt members as per existing guidelines and establish other sub-committees where necessary.

Status of IRI Research Grants Approved

To date, a total of twenty four (24) projects have been approved under the IRI research grants. This amounted to a total of RM638,489. The details of the projects are as follows:

Year Project Titles Amount (RM)

2011

1. A Study on the Determinants of Learning Management System (LMS) Use amongst Students in Open Distance Learning Institutions: The Case of Wawasan Open University

26,930

2. Transformation by Applying Innovative and Sustainable Mobile Learning in Manufacturing Process and Machine Maintenance

30,000

3. Supra-YHz Superconducting Mixers for the ALMA Telescope 30,0004. Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) Conceptualisation and Implementation to Promote Resource

Sharing and Green Computing in Open Distance Learning (ODL) Environment30,000

Total research grants approved in year 2011 RM116,930

20125. Applying Social Constructionist Theory of Learning to Improve Student Learning Experience: An

Elgg Experimental Study12,000


2013

6. Broadening Access to Open Educational Resources through Effective Searching of Materials 25,0007. Setting up a WOU Institutional Repository using WEKO, an Open Source Software developed by

the Japanese National Institute of Informatics (NII)50,000

8. A Study on Cost-effectiveness and Feasibility of using Tablets for Student Learning in Wawasan Open University

39,900

9. Characterising Key Features of Student Isolation in Distance Education 20,400Total research grants approved in year 2013 RM135,300

2014

10. Mobile-learning in ODL Environment 29,23411. Investigating the Online Forum Moderation Techniques and Feedback Types for Tutor Marked

Assignments29,300

12. Designing and Developing a Question Bank: A Pilot 15,000Total research grants approved in year 2014 RM73,534

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Year Project Titles Amount (RM)

2015

13. Information seeking behaviour of Wawasan Open University ODL students to support learning and research activities

15,500

14. A Soft Computing Modelling for Clustering 30,00015. Emerging Trends in Higher Education Pedagogy 20,250


2016

16. Enhancement Of Optical Efficiency Of The Photovoltaic Cell Utilising Self-Assembled Nano- Or Micro-Spheres

30,000.00

17. A Study Of Educational Data Mining 25,000.0018. Trends In The Governance Of Asian Open Universities: A Study Of Both Public And Privately

Sponsored Open Universities In Asia25,000.00

19. A Study of Factors that are Hindering the Students’ Success in ODL programmes of WOU and Designing Strategies to Enhance Students’ Successes Rate

30,000.00

20. Scale Development and Validation of Online Learners’ Psychological Capital 30,000.0021. Stakeholder’s Expectation on Employee Well-Being: A Case Study of Open Distance Learning

(ODL) University 30,000.00

22. Roundtable on Emerging Trends of Technologies in Supply Chain Management 20,000.00Total research grants approved in year 2016 RM190,000

2017

23. Discourse Analysis of Student-led Online Seminars in Online and Blended Classrooms 14,975.0024. Robotic Hand Control Using Sensing Technology 30,000.0025. Service Quality as Antecedent of Student Engagement: Towards Understanding Student Attribute

Outcomes16,044.00

Total research grants approved in year 2017 RM61,019GRAND TOTAL RM654,533

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CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

ACADEMIC PROFILE

The Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education (PACE) serves as a bridge between the University and the community. Extending the learning resources of Wawasan Open University beyond its distance-learning environment, it delivers quality short courses and training programmes to meet the needs of the public and private sectors.

Designed in collaboration with both internal stakeholders and external professional bodies, PACE’s programmes are specially customised to meet the evolving requirements of today’s fast-paced business landscape. By combining a broad range of topics with a collaborative approach, students gain critical insights and mental agility needed to navigate the professional workplace. In 2017, some 13 training sessions were conducted for academic and operational employees to help upgrade their skill sets, including a short training course on Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) for participants from AIMST University.


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REGISTRY

The Registry is responsible for a host of student functions from admissions and convocation to scholarship administration, examinations and maintenance of student records. In day-to-day work, it liaises closely with the Regional Centres to support student and tutor-related operations. It has a total of 17 staff and is led by Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi.

Advanced Standing

The recognition of prior learning (RPL) through the award of advanced standing as well as credit transfer has been widely adopted by many Commonwealth countries. The practice helps reduce the duplication of study, saving time and expenses for WOU students.

The Advanced Standing Office of the Registry has successfully facilitated a total of 4,070 cases of advanced standing/credit transfers involving 295 external institutions at the diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The Advanced Standing Office also manages the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Credits Award or APEL(C). APEL(C) recognises the individual’s informal and non-formal learning, which often takes place beyond the formal classroom setting specific to a course, within the programme of study.

Admissions and Enrolments

The University had an inaugural intake of 721 Open Distance Learning (ODL) students in January 2007. This number has since risen steadily.

As of the July 2017 semester census date, a total of 20,914 ODL students have experienced open distance learning at WOU. The University offers a total of 50 programmes which comprise eleven (11) postgraduate degree programmes, twenty-seven (27) undergraduate degree programmes, nine (9) graduate diploma programmes, two (2) graduate certificate programmes and one (1) diploma programme. Out of these, 44 have been fully accredited by MQA. In addition, there are a number of new programmes that are currently awaiting approval from MOHE and MQA.

The University currently offers six undergraduate programmes for the On-Campus full-time students and a total of 383 students have experienced on-campus learning at the University’s main campus in Penang.

Tutor Management

In line with its mission to become the ‘people’s university’, WOU has enjoyed increased participation from esteemed academics and professionals throughout Malaysia, following the expansion of its premises.

Since its inception, a total of 1,770 academics and professionals have served as tutors at WOU. From 2010 till now, approximately 650 tutors and project supervisors have been appointed each semester to provide tutorial learning support services to students. Over 300 tutors have rendered their services to the University for a period of 4 to 12 semesters since January 2007.

Scholarships and Grants

From 2016 to 2017, a total of 2,530 study grants were awarded to new students pursuing their studies at WOU. The grants were meant to encourage students to enrol in WOU’s courses by easing their financial burden as much as possible.

Continuing students at WOU who face financial difficulties were also awarded scholarships in the form of tuition fees waivers if they have demonstrated a level of academic excellence. Between 2016 and 2017, a total of 99 students were awarded the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship.


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LEARNING AND LIBRARY SERVICES

The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Library is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of users and transforming for the better. Recent statistics show an increase in the number of visitors, circulation of library materials and inter-library loan usage. While the existing integrated library system (ILS) manages only a portion of the library’s materials, a new generation of library service platforms has been created to manage digital/electronic information resources, in addition to print media.

Enhancing Support for Student Learning

In response to patronage numbers, concerns about the use of library facilities, resource usage and service efficiency, the Library increased the quantity of open access desktop computers at the main campus branch from 20 to 26 units in 2017, with plans for further increase in the future. Resources, facilities and the range of information services are key aspects that are primed for improvement. Additionally, the main campus library in Penang and four other libraries at WOU regional centres in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, and Kuching are also set for upgrade.

In July 2016, the subscribed EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) search engine widget, which allows students to locate desired library resources, was integrated with the Learning Management System (Moodle). The new e-learning platform will serve as a learning space, helping to increase the Library’s visibility and strengthen its role in the University. It will also enable a more productive and wider scope of information retrieval through library resources and services, thus strengthening collaboration with other stakeholders of the University. The change led to an increased usage of library resources; 544 inter-library loan requests of materials were received, reaching a larger audience of remote library users. Furthermore, a significant uptake in many services was observed in monthly usage statistics over this period, as published on the University staff portal. To facilitate the transition, reference librarians provided information literacy instruction sessions and webinars on the use of library resources to students, tutors, part-time lecturers and new academic staff.

To expand the breadth of knowledge available to users, the Library Subject Guides collection, a resource available on the library website, has been expanded to 22. The enhanced collection encompasses topics such as Human Rights, Islamic Banking, Business Law and Philosophy.

The Library continues to play an active role in upholding academic integrity and high ethical standards in research writing. The web-based plagiarism tool, Turnitin, is being used for the sixth consecutive year to manage submission and tracking of students’ assignment papers. The practice helps create an honourable culture and instil academic honesty among students, tutors and staff alike.

Collections Strength

• Printed and Digital Resources

Responding to the growing need for relevant resources in print and digital format, the Library added to the printed materials collection and increasing reference books in the subject areas of Education, Computer Science, Psychology and Social Sciences. A new e-database, EBSCO ebooks Academic with Business Collection, was added to the library collection in year 2016 to replace Ebrary database, while maintaining existing core databases such as Books24x7, EBSCO Journals (Business and Computer & Applied Science), JSTOR (Art and Sciences), as well as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Humanities and Social Sciences). 26 new e-books were also purchased and added to the electronic collection, increasing collection strength to 748. Through sharing library services with DISTED College, more materials are made available to users. This is on top of donated books from individuals (311 till date), which undergo evaluation and processing before reaching users.

• Open Educational Resources (OER) Repositories

The two OER repositories that house research, teaching and learning materials have been growing steadily. The institutional repository, WOU OER Repository, currently holds 417 records, while the OER@AsiaHub repository currently holds 23,336 records. Set up as a federated repository for Asia network community, it aims to promote awareness, creation, reuse and sharing of OER among educators in the local and regional institutions, especially those without a repository system. Linked to another two functioning networks’ repositories, the Open University of Japan and Universiti Putra Malaysia, its rich archives consist of postgraduates’ project


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reports, thesis and conference papers in English, Malay and Japanese languages. As observed from the OER repositories usage reporting tool, the repository’s contents have been accessed, viewed and downloaded globally from the likes of countries including Denmark, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, Romania, UK, Venezuela and US. This shows WOU taking the lead in encouraging and increasing the visibility of the OER movement globally. In 2016, Library staff also took part in training activities for external institutions such as Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and Asia e-University to further the repository’s development.

In compliance with the asset policy of the University, the Library has completed its sixth annual stock-taking programme for the Main Campus library in Penang and the Regional Centre libraries at Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, and Kuching.

Overhaul of the Library Website

The Library website was revamped to include an improved content structure featuring clearer navigation and new sections. These include new book highlights, trial databases, interactive video tutorials from publishers on the use of databases, new external membership, poll and online user feedback forms to solicit responses on the use of digital databases and WOU publications. To date, over 31,000 page views in analytics have been recorded. It will continue to be updated to create a better user experience.

Existing sections of the website are updated periodically with materials such as past year WOU examination papers databank, electronic theses and dissertations (ETD), news clippings, image databank, Repository@WOU and OER online resources (externally published OERs identified for staff use).

On the international front, the Library’s service of providing online access to two academic OER resources was recognised in the 26 Breakthrough Innovations at the World’s Open Universities report (dated September 2017, published by Contact North Contact Nord, Canada) under the “Innovations in Learning Support Services” category.

Community Collaboration and Engagement

In April 2016, Think City Sdn Bhd, Penang, initiated the Penangpedia digitisation initiative project, a planned partnership with the University to set up a centre for digital archives to preserve Penang’s knowledge legacies and make them freely available on the Internet. However, due to material copyright issues with external stakeholders, the collaboration did not materialise. Nevertheless, the Library remains open to other similar digitisation collaborations in the future.

Award and Publications

In an accolade worthy of mention, the Library clinched a silver medal award in the Best Practice category at the 30th Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (26-28 October 2016, Manila, Philippines) for the following research paper presented:

• Chew Bee Leng, Marnisya Abdul Rahim and Vighnarajah (2016). “Integration of EBSCO Discovery Service widget into the learning spaces of LMS: A case study of Wawasan Open University”.


JOURNALS

1. Chew Bee Leng, Marnisya Abdul Rahim and Vighnarajah (2017). “Integration of EBSCO Discovery Service widget into the learning spaces of LMS: A case study of Wawasan Open University.” Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 12(2): 137-153.

2. Vighnarajah, Farzanah Ali Hassan, Norhasni Abdul Aziz and Ooi Siew Lee (2016). “Profiling information seeking-behaviour of distance learning students in Wawasan Open University.” Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 11(2): 122-135.

3. Chew Bee Leng, Kamsiah Mohd Ali and Ch’ng Eng Hoo (2016). “Open access repositories on open educational resources: Feasibility of adopting the Japanese model for academic libraries.” Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 11(1): 35-49.


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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLISHING UNIT

The Educational Technology and Publishing Unit (ETPU) oversees the publishing and instructional design of course materials for students. The Unit is led by Grace Lau and staffed by 14 members.

In 2016 and 2017, ETPU embarked on a series of new projects with the following aims: • Facilitate publication of academic and scholarly works

under the University’s publishing arm WOU Press (WOUP).

• Coordinate CeMBA Online programme on Open Learning platform.

• Enhance online course materials with illustrated cover page and 3D icons to improve students’ receptiveness. Install additional plug-ins on WawasanLearn to create interactive learning objects.

New and Revised Course Materials

ETPU published a total of 24 new undergraduate courses and 4 postgraduate courses in 2014 and 2015 respectively. In addition, ETPU also made revisions to 47 courses (36 undergraduate and 11 postgraduate courses) from the Schools. Some of the revised courses have included the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) materials.

WOU Press (WOUP)

Established in 2016 under WOU’s Institute for Research and Innovation (IRI), WOU Press furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research and knowledge advancement by publishing scholarly and academic works. These works are published by ETPU under the WOU Press, and are meant primarily for members of the public who are interested in concentrated research fields. WOUP has two current e-publications to its name: Vignettes of Selected Asian Experience and Emerging Trends in Higher Education Pedagogy.

CeMBA Online

WOU launched the CeMBA online programme in January 2017 using the Open Learning platform. These courses were coordinated by ETPU staff and delivered online to WOU students via the Open Learning platform. ETPU has since published 7 courses under the CeMBA Online programme.

Training

A key tenet of the blended learning pedagogy is to combine face-to-face and e-learning for students. In tune with this, ETPU shall activate a WawasanLearn upgrade in the following semester to empower online learning modules. It has since conducted a series of training sessions in video production for Course Coordinators and tutors, including a hands-on H5P interactive content training held in September 2017. The new H5P plug-ins will enable Course Coordinators to create more engaging interactive learning content for students in WawasanLearn, in line with plans to improve teaching and learning support as well as strengthen student engagement in upcoming semesters.

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DIRECTORATE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Committed to providing a rich academic learning experience for students, WOU strives to maintain high quality academic standards benchmarked against international best practices. The Directorate of Quality Assurance and External Relations (DQAER) has clearly defined its vision and mission statements as follows:

Vision

We aspire to inculcate and sustain a culture of excellence in academic standards and quality of teaching, learning and research.

Mission

To establish a quality assurance framework; coordinate, monitor and conduct procedural and operational reviews in line with the University’s defined QA objectives.

DQAER reports directly to the Vice Chancellor and works closely with various Schools and Departments to promote a quality culture within the WOU community. Its core responsibilities are to coordinate and oversee implementation of QA policies across the University, monitor compliance and recommend continuous improvement measures.

DQAER’s duties encompass the following areas:

- To direct, coordinate and manage QA functions of both the open distance learning and on-campus learning delivery provisions of the University;

- To be the University’s focal point in managing all external relations, especially with government bodies; and to be a leading training facility on QA;

- To serve as secretariat to the Senate Committee on Quality Assurance, Teaching and Learning and oversee all QA matters relating to the overall academic, administrative and operational activities of the University.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance at WOU is a shared responsibility executed in a centralised and decentralised manner. The Vice Chancellor and senior management play a major role in driving the University’s quality assurance system, while all members of the University community are expected to recognise and promulgate best quality practices.

Even though procedures and systems can be introduced, the active involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the University is strongly required to upkeep quality assurance. To meet evolving standards, the Department shall focus on improving the status quo rather than censuring areas of weakness. A system of internal and external peer scrutiny is employed.

Internally, quality assurance is implemented through:

• School Board• Management Board• Quality Assurance, Teaching and Learning Committee• Senate• Board of Governors

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External peer review is implemented through the following measures:

• External Advisory Peer Groups (APG) for each academic School reviews and advises on the curriculum especially in the development of new programmes and courses.

• An External Course Assessor (ECA) system ensures that each course (developed by a team of specialists that includes instructional designers/technologists, academic content experts and language editors) is peer assessed during its development by an experienced external subject expert with respect to relevance, appropriateness, depth and treatment to ensure that it meets acceptable standards used by reputable universities.

• An External Examiner (EE) and External Programme Assessor (EPA) system ensures adherence with local and internationally accepted benchmarks.

• Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) programme accreditation and periodic external institutional reviews to assess the entire organisation for relevance and efficiency of its quality assurance systems and processes.

While academic benchmarks are important, the University comprehends that quality assurance cannot be limited to merely that. In view of this and to achieve DQAER’s vision, Quality Assurance Policies in key areas covering both academic and operational aspects have been developed and carried out to reflect international good practices. These policies focus on the following major areas:

• Programme planning and development• Course design, development and production• Course delivery• Examination and assessment• Tutor assessment• Staff development• Programme accreditation• Research, development and community service

The DQAER maintains a regularly updated Policy Register which is easily accessible in electronic format through the staff portal. This ensures all existing University-wide policies are transparently recorded and centrally monitored. The Learning and Library Services Unit also carries out its role as Records and Document Repository of the University by being the main custodian of all master copies of the University’s policies and procedures.


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OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

MARKETING AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONSWith a staff strength of 9 members, the Marketing and Corporate Communications (Marcom) Department is led by Director Chong Kong Hoong. The Department boasts six Marketing employees and three from Corporate Communications.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

The objective of the team is to present WOU as a vibrant learning community to the public via different media channels. Core messages will highlight the University’s innovative approach; its ethos of inspiring lifelong values as well as one that is socially responsible and committed to students.

The Department liaises with academic and administrative staff at the headquarters, Regional Centres and Regional Support Centres to develop effective communication messaging and marketing strategies. This coordinated effort serves to ensure that the University’s capabilities and strengths are well-exhibited to the right audience, so as to meet pre-defined targets.

Educational Events that Inspire the Public

For the period 2016-2017, the Department successfully organised, co-hosted and/or supported over 70 events in WOU, including:

• Launch of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series at the main campus by WOU Chancellor, Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, on 14 May 2016. This series is organised by the Centre for Dialogue (C4D), which comes under the umbrella of WOU’s Institute for Research and Innovation (IRI), and is fully supported by the Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF).

• Inaugural public lecture on 14 May 2016 titled TPPA: Future or Fraud by Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a leading economist/development expert, in conjunction with the launch of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series.

• Public lecture on The Constitution at a Crossroad as part of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series held at the main campus on 10 September 2016. The keynote speaker was Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, Senior Professor of Law and Legal Advisor, Universiti Teknologi MARA.

• Public lecture on Why East and West Will Meet in George Town by Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, Chief Advisor to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, held at the main campus on 3 December 2016. The speaker shared insights and explored what constitutes the optimum mindset in creating a brighter future for both individuals and communities.

• Free public talks on various topics at the main campus, such as Malware-proof Computing and Secure Data Communication by Prof Wolfgang A Halang, Chair of Computer Engineering, Fern Universitat, Germany; Saying Goodbye to Stress and Chronic Pain by US-trained clinical psychologist, Associate Prof Dr Gabriel Tan; and Agile Leadership by Jonathan Yap, Executive Director, Group Internal Audit, DBS Bank, Singapore.

• The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tan Chong Group (TCG) to strengthen the development of human resources and to improve employee retention in all the subsidiary companies of TCG. The signing ceremony was held at the main campus on 4 May 2017.

• Milestone celebration of the University’s 10th anniversary cum Appreciation Dinner on 6 December 2017 attended by some 150 staff and guests. Thirty-two staff were honoured for their long and dedicated service, with 14 being recognised for 10 years’ service and 18 being lauded for 5 years’ service.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Managing the University’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives is another key task of Corporate Communications. The Department partners with various charities and NGOs to organise charitable events as well as provides venue and monetary sponsorship. In 2016 and 2017, the Department provided financial and moral support to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, which assists cancer victims and survivors.


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Providing a Succinct Corporate Voice

Corporate Communications handles all media relations for the University, including its corporate website, staff portal and 12-page quarterly newsletter (WawasanLink) as well as official social media channels (Twitter and YouTube).

As part of WOU’s Green Living Campaign, the Department has initiated various campus-wide exercises to reduce its carbon footprint through e-WawasanLink, WOU e-News and WOU e-Card.

MARKETING

Marketing plays an integral role in the development and execution of marketing plans for WOU. From creating brand awareness to executing promotions, it works tirelessly towards boosting student enrolment. Through studying the behavioural trends of WOU’s target market, it generates creative solutions and applies specialised marketing concepts, principles and tactics that resonate with prospects on all mediums and platforms. Its end goal is to deliver effective marketing programmes that will enhance WOU’s reputation and growth.

Through the Customer Service Unit (CSU), the team also aims to provide prompt and helpful responses to prospective and existing students who get in touch with WOU via the toll-free Careline, online chat system, e-mail and various social media platforms. In addition to this, CSU is also responsible for reporting enrolment statistics and conducting relevant market research to generate insights for WOU.

Marketing also plays an active role in education fairs, career fairs, roadshows and other related exhibitions.

Corporate Marketing Updates

The establishment of the Valued Partnership Programme by the University in 2012 has garnered collaboration with more than 200 companies, including partner financial institutions such as Maybank, Public Bank and CIMB Bank, as well as multinational corporations like Intel, Dell and Agilent. The success of this partnership is reflected in WOU’s student enrolment numbers, which currently includes 1,240 employees from the various MNCs and SMEs which have partnered with WOU.

Employees from the partnership companies who enrolled at WOU enjoyed a tuition fee rebate of RM1,000 as long as they have signed up for a minimum of 2 courses. A total of 420 new students benefited from this fee rebate during the years 2016 and 2017.


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FINANCE

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

The Group Financial Services Centre (GFSC) is a key pillar of the University. It provides support through effective guardianship and management of financial resources belonging to the University and its Group of Companies.

The Centre was formed in September 2016 via the integration of WOU’s and DISTED College’s Finance Departments. Led by Chua Saw Nee and a team of 18 staff, the GFSC provides a broad spectrum of services to WOU, DISTED and their respective subsidiary companies. These include financial accounting, procurement and payment processing, accounts receivables, payment collections, treasury, budgeting and monitoring functions. The Centre is also responsible for formulating and standardising the Group’s business policies and practices, regulating internal controls and ensuring the latter’s full compliance with financial and tax regulations.

Its other duties include the following:

1) Ensure good corporate governance and effective handling of risk/controls.

2) Drive value creation and continuous progress of the University.

3) Create high-calibre insight and analysis for enterprise reporting.

4) Maximise the functional efficiency of resources and ensure overall sustainability.

5) Ameliorate performance management.6) Strengthen business-related aspects of University

management.


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OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

GENERAL SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION

The General Services and Administration (GSA) Department is the key subdivision which manages all the University’s assets and buildings. Entrusted to look after its infrastructural facilities and tasked to handle project and estate management as well as administration and services, the GSA drafts and implements various Policies, Procedures and Systems which govern the management and operations at both the Main Campus and all Regional and Support Centres, to ensure efficient and effective utilisation of resources. It plays a key role in helping the University create a safe, conducive and comfortable work and study environment, in line with its “Green Living” philosophy

The most notable initiative in 2017 was the decision by the Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) in May to submit an application for MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) Malaysia Cybercentre status for the Albukhary Building in WOU's main campus. This came about as a result of discussions with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) senior officers after the opening ceremony of MSC-status world-renowned automotive software developer Luxoft's office on the 12th floor of the Albukhary Building in February 2017. The aim was to attract more MSC-status firms and activities to WOU to further enhance WOU's research and learning capacity in high-end IT and software applications.

Since a key component of the MSC requirements is to ensure uninterrupted power supply, WEF and WOU Sdn Bhd decided to commit to the installation of an additional 750 kVA gen-set which was completed in November 2017. After an on-site audit, MDEC granted Stage 1 approval for the Albukhary Building in mid-December. Pending subsequent Stage 2 approval, WOU's Albukhary Building would be the first MSC-status building in George Town by early 2018.

The Department is led by Andrew Joseph and a dedicated team of technical and administrative staff.

Project management, property and estate management

The Department primarily ensures that all facilities are well optimised to meet the University’s needs. It also liaises with external parties where feasible to generate additional revenue sources for the University. Another indispensable role is the planning of various infrastructure facilities to cater for the expansion of the current campus to accommodate growing needs. Some plans in the pipeline include the acquisition of new space as well as space reorganisation, which is expected to take place among operational departments.

The Department has also implemented various innovative and “out-of-box” methodologies to resolve building maintenance issues, applying in-house resource deployment and competitive outsourcing. These measures keep operating costs low despite the ageing and increasing wear and tear conditions of the institution’s buildings and facilities.

Policies and Resource Administration

In keeping with the strategies and objectives of the University, the Department has put in place various policies, systems and procedures to meet current and future operating needs. These arrangements are periodically reviewed to cater to the University’s evolving needs and to leverage recent trends and practices in management.

Health, Safety and Environment Initiatives

To create a safe, healthy and conducive environment at the University, the team has worked tirelessly to execute numerous initiatives under the “Green Living @ WOU” thematic campaign. These practical measures include cultivating a ‘smoke-free’ environment, recycling waste and reducing energy usage, promoting an awareness of good health and hygiene habits among all stakeholders as well as environmental conservation efforts.

University and Public Events

To date, the Department has managed many local and international events successfully owing to the competency of its staff who continuously uphold quality services that meet the expectations of internal and external stakeholders. To the satisfaction of the event organisers, the Department promptly ensures the conduciveness and cleanliness of the University environment besides providing sophisticated and up-to-date audio-visual systems, in addition to other required facilities.


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The Human Resources department oversees and manages the recruitment of high-calibre employees for the formation of a qualified academic team to fulfil governmental guidelines. Currently, the team provides support for over 200 full-time staff and 1,000 part-time academic staff nationwide.

Apart from recruitment duties, it also plays a key role in talent and performance management as well as reward schemes that recognise the achievements of staff. Additionally, the team implements policies and activities that encourage academic staff development, such as staff educational assistance programmes. By facilitating staff participation in regional and international conferences, seminars, engagement in research or consultancy projects and part-time teaching duties, it helps optimise staff potential to the fullest.

Another scope of the department is in organising the annual service awards ceremony which celebrates the service milestones of dedicated staff. In the year 2016, 31 staff received 5-year service awards and 13 received 10-year service awards, whereas in 2017, 14 and 18 staff were recognised for 10 years’ service and 5 years’ service respectively.

Major initiatives undertaken by the Department in 2017 include:

Launch of Client Service Charter for WOU Staff

The Human Resource Department was tasked to head the launch of the Client Service Charter at WOU as part of ongoing efforts to tackle declining student recruitment and retention numbers. This is imperative to the upholding of service excellence, a key cornerstone that enables quality learning in the University.

The project was launched in June 2017 with a town hall session where top management representatives shared the main objectives and principles of the WOU Client Service Charter with staff. This is one of the ways WOU aims to maintain quality education and service standards so as to distinguish itself as a preferred destination for prospective students.

To enhance efforts, the Department had made arrangements for staff to attend the training workshops on the Client Service Charter, in batches, between July and October 2017. To ensure high levels of awareness about delivering excellent service to both internal and external stakeholders, staff attendance was made mandatory across the nation.

Introduction of Monthly Sports and Recreational Activities

The Department also initiated the in-house Monthly Sports & Recreation Activities in 2017 to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle among staff.

Fun fitness activities such as Zumba, Tabata, kayak competition, Piloxing, Heritage Trail Hunt and mini Spartan Race were held to encourage participation; these activities further improved staff engagement and teamwork.

OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION (OBE) TRAINING BY MQA TRAINING CENTRE

While OBE trainings have been conducted in-house at WOU previously, a different approach was taken for one of the modules in 2017, with an MQA Training Centre instructor being invited to train a group of academic staff on their premises. The one-day training session, which was conducted on 30 November 2017, enabled staff to gain a more comprehensive, in-depth understanding of the subject.

Participants returned with positive feedback about the eye-opening experience and praised its practicality. The response encouraged Management to make academic staff attendance mandatory, with two more classes scheduled and held in the months of January and February 2018.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

HUMAN RESOURCES


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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

The Information Technology Services (ITS) department is responsible for all IT-related duties, including IT service and support, IT management, planning and execution, etc to ensure the University’s vision, mission and business strategy objectives are met. Aside from its role as the custodian of the University’s core information systems and IT assets, the Department further acts as an enabling driver in implementing relevant emerging IT technologies, to improve the University’s overall operational efficiency.

The Department, under the leadership of Tan Pooi See and his technical team, offers a range of integrated services related to administrating, delivering and sustaining the University’s IT operations. These encompass the following scopes of services:

• Standard Software for Computing Laboratories• Office Application and Desktop Management• Email Messaging Service• Open Access Computing• Audiovisual Communication Collaboration Service• Wireless Connectivity and Internet Access• Network, Voice (VoIP) and Data Communication

Service• Servers & Data Storage Area Network (SAN)• Network Shared Drives/Folders and Printing Service• Helpdesk Support/Assistance• Student, Tutor/Lecturer and Staff Portals• Student Learning Management System• Online Assignment Submission System• Online Self-Service Applications such as Student

Account Management, MyEnrolment (for re-enrolment) and MySupplementary Exam (online registration for supplementary exam)

• Business Critical Applications like Student Information, Library, CRM, ERP and HR systems

Ameliorating the quality of its services, the Department has undertaken several key initiatives during the period. Among these are:

• Setting up ResourceSpace, an open source-based library digital asset management system which archives the University’s digital photographs and images for the purpose of preservation.

• Setting up a new SST networking/computing laboratory at the Main Campus to cater for full-time on-campus study.

• Upgraded the Main Campus Wireless LAN Controller and Access Point to improve the coverage and provide better interoperability for most wireless devices and enable better throughput and data transfer speeds.

• Carried out the technology refresh programme for computers at the Regional Centres in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. A total of 87 units have been replaced with new computers.

• Upgraded the Learning Management System to Moodle-based version 3.2 to take advantage of new additional features, further enhancing and enriching the students’ learning experience.

• Upgrading of the Internet connection at the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre and Johor Bahru Regional Centre to 100Mbps fibre high speed broadband service.

Enhanced Frontline Application System

To enhance the students’ self-service learning experience, a few key application systems were developed and introduced:

• MyAddCourse System enables students to add courses online.

• MyOutStanding Payment System allows students to check their outstanding amount and make payments online instead of having to be physically present at the Regional Centres.

• APEL Admission Assessment System caters for the entire APEL process from application and payment collection to assessment and interview in line with the University’s move to replace the Open Entry admission system with APEL commencing from 1 January 2016.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT


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There are currently five Regional Centres and two Regional Support Centres throughout Malaysia, located in Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Bandar Utama, and Klang respectively.

The Regional Centres are an important first point of contact for prospective students and also offer a range of student support services.

The physical facilities offered by the Regional Centres include:• Computer labs• Tutorial rooms• Library and study areas• Computer facilities• Video conferencing facilities• Counselling room/student service room• Mini theatres• Male/female prayer rooms• Parking facilities• Wireless Internet service

REGIONAL OPERATIONS

IPOHPENANG KUALA LUMPUR

KUCHINGBANDAR UTAMA

SC College

PENANG SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

CENTRE

JOHOR BAHRU

KLANG

STRADFORD INTERNATIONAL

COLLEGE

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT


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An estimated 4,000 new students visited the various Centres in 2016-2017 with nearly two-thirds from the Klang Valley and the Northern Region, and the remaining one third from Ipoh, Johor Bahru and the Kuching Regional Centres. Apart from the Regional Centres and Regional Support Centres, the University has also established three WOU Learning Centres, namely Penang Skills Development Centre (Bayan Lepas), SC College (Alor Setar) and Stradford International College (Prai) in 2017. These learning centres will serve as a key touch-point for students and prospects besides providing the learning support facilities.

The new student enrolment for Open Distance Learning (ODL) in 2017 increased by 6% compared to 2016, while the total ODL student enrolment remained relatively the same with about 650 students completing their studies in 2017.

The On Campus Learning (OCL) full-time student enrolment continues to grow since its launch in 2013. Over the last two years, the new enrolment grew by more than 20% with more than 200 students enrolled in the various OCL programmes. In 2016, the University produced its first batch of 45 OCL graduates, followed by another 40 in 2017.

Given the market concentration and geographic spread in the urban areas, there is still much untapped potential in the corporate sector and adult learners’ market throughout Malaysia. In an attempt to expand the market reach in townships where the University has not penetrated extensively nor has any presence, especially in East Malaysia and the east coast of the Peninsular, Regional Centres have been actively seeking collaboration with potential partners within their local territory to further strengthen the University’s presence.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT


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WOU continues to make concerted efforts to engage with established, credible academic and professional organisations, underlining the University’s commitment to excellence and the provision of lifelong learning opportunities for working Malaysians.

These partnerships strengthen the University’s efforts to provide market-driven tertiary education that meets the needs of industry, benefiting the Malaysian economy as a whole.

University of Mauritius Botswana Open University

WOU signed an agreement for licensing its course materials with University of Mauritius as well as with Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (now renamed Botswana Open University) in May 2016. Both institutions are already using the course materials produced by WOU for selected disciplines in their universities for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Tan Chong Group

WOU formally welcomed Tan Chong Group (TCG) into its corporate education partnership programme (CPP) with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 4 May 2017 to strengthen the development of their workforce and to improve employee retention in all subsidiary companies of the Group. The MoU aims to pave the way for WOU to provide quality education and training courses/programmes for employees under the Group, while TCG in turn will promote WOU’s programmes, in addition to hosting programme previews and roadshows.

KinderJoy Education Group

The University inked a Memorandum of Understanding with KinderJoy Education Group (KinderJoy) on 26 October 2017 to appoint KinderJoy as a learning laboratory for the teaching of WOU’s Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) programme in Ipoh.

WOU has appointed a partner institution for each of its five Regional Centres situated in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Ipoh, to serve as learning laboratories. These institutions are equipped with the necessary facilities to support the teaching of the DECE courses.

Lubeck University of Applied Sciences, Germany KIRON Open Higher Education

WOU held discussions with Lubeck University of Applied Sciences (LUAS), Germany, and KIRON Open Higher Education, an NGO in Europe, in 2017 to jointly develop courses for online delivery to various student target groups, including refugees in Southeast Asia.

Corporate Education Partnerships

As of end 2017, over 200 local companies and multinational corporations (e.g. AirAsia Berhad, Penang Skills Development Centre, Dell Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, CIMB Bank Berhad, Public Bank Berhad, Maybank Academy, Jabil Circuits, Agilent Technologies, etc.) in the country have entered into educational partnerships with the University to encourage their employees to pursue higher academic qualifications at WOU.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Dato' Dr Lim Weng Khuan (2nd from left) and Prof Dato' Dr Ho Sinn Chye sign the MoU.

Signing of the documents by Prof Ho (2nd from right) and Ms Stephanie Liu of KinderJoy.


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Courtesy Call by OUM Vice Chancellor

Newly-appointed Open University Malaysia (OUM) President/Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Mansor Fadzil paid a courtesy call on WOU Vice Chancellor and also met up with the top management during a visit on 28 January 2016. The purpose of the visit was to explore how the two institutions could work together to strengthen collaboration.

Dream Catcher Visit

WOU welcomed a three-member delegation from Dream Catcher Consulting Sdn Bhd, a provider of technical training, on 2 February 2016. They discussed potential collaboration in the training of working adults, particularly fresh graduates, to equip them with job-specific skills sets that will enhance their employability.

Inter-varsity Sports Championship

Nineteen full-time, on-campus learning (OCL) students of WOU took part for the very first time in the northern zone inter-varsity sports championship from 27 to 29 February 2016. Organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, it was held at the Penang branch campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College in Tanjung Bungah.

GST Certification Course

On 10 March 2016, WOU held meetings with KAC Advisory Services Sdn Bhd, a HRDF-approved training provider, to explore offering a course on Goods and Services Tax (GST) certification for the public.

Visit from Kong Zi Institute

A four-member delegation from Kong Zi Institute, Universiti Malaya (UM), held talks with WOU’s top management on 16 March 2016 to explore offering an elective course on Teaching Mandarin as a Second Language to WOU students and the public. The delegation was led by Mr Chen Zhong, Chinese Director, and Associate Prof Datuk Dr Azarae Hj Idris, Director (Malaysia) of the Institute.

OpenLearning Platform

Adam Brimo, co-founder and CEO of OpenLearning, gave a briefing about his online learning platform to WOU’s top management on 15 April 2016. He elaborated on the use of the platform to deliver engaging and interactive courses to student, and how it can enable the offering of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to the public.

Sharing Expertise with MNU

A four-member delegation from Maldives National University (MNU) met up with WOU’s senior management from 20 to 22 April 2016 to discuss ideas and initiatives to further improve the delivery of online higher education. MNU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Aishath Shaheen, who led the team, expressed interest in teaming up with WOU to strengthen the delivery of its ODL programmes.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

WOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye (right) chats with Prof Mansor (centre) at his office.

The Dream Catcher team explores ideas with the WOU management.

Mr Chen Zhong (seated, left) presents his suggestions.

Ms Aishath gives an overview of Maldives National University.


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AeU Visit to Study WEKO

A three-member delegation from Asia e University (AeU), Kuala Lumpur, visited WOU from 11 to 12 May 2016 to gain insights on the WEKO open source repository system. Keeping ahead of technological changes, WOU has built and now runs the University digital repository using WEKO.

Productive Visits from Laos and Nigeria

On 2 June 2016, WOU hosted a four-member delegation from Panyathip International Group of Schools, Laos, led by its president and founder/director, Pathana Panyathip. The Group’s purpose was to acquire insights into the successful management of the University.

A 10-member delegation from National Open University of Nigeria’s (NOUN) Governing Council on the Regulations of Conditions of Service visited WOU on 20 and 21 June 2016. Led by Council Chairman Prof Godwin Sogolo, the delegation called on WOU to learn more about staff regulations in the varsity.

Chinese Consul-General Calls on WOU

WOU welcomed a visit from China’s Consul-General for Penang, Mr Wu Jun, on 15 July 2016. Mr Wu expressed his support for the University’s bid to explore tie-ups with academic institutions in the People’s Republic of China.

‘Superheroes’ Family Day

Some 200 staff and students of WOU and DISTED College, along with their family members, attended the joint Family Day event themed ‘Superheroes’ at the Penang Youth Park on 20 August 2016.

Annual Safety, Security & Health Campaign

Some 70 staff listened to talks on Healthy Eating and Active Living, Ergonomic Safety and Workstation Usage & Safety by external experts during WOU’s annual safety, security and health campaign held on 29 September 2016. Eight exhibitors also set up booths to promote awareness of health and safety issues.

Inaugural Career Fair

The inaugural WOU Career Fair from 8 to 9 October 2016 saw exhibitors and speakers from professional bodies across various industries give the University’s students some precious insights that would assist them in their professional futures.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Mr Wu (right) presents a souvenir to Prof Ho.

Muhamad Nor Hikshan elaborates on ergonomics.

WOU staff participate in the games.

An exhibitor entertains queries from the students.


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Exploring Opportunities for LUAS Collaboration

A four-member delegation from Lubeck University of Applied Sciences (LUAS), Germany, visited WOU on 14 October 2016 to explore collaboration in the offering of an international online Master’s Degree Programme. The delegation was led by Prof Rolf Granow, Academic Director of the Institute for Digital Learning (IDL), LUAS.

University of Hull Visit

WOU explored a few potential areas of collaboration with UK’s University of Hull (UoH) that will deliver benefits to both institutions, particularly to the student body. This came about during a meeting of WOU’s top management with Prof Mark Lorch, Associate Dean, International Engagement, Faculty of Science and Engineering, UoH, on 3 November 2016.

South African Ministry

WOU welcomed a 10-member delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Training, South Africa, from 22 to 23 November 2016. The visitors, led by Trudi van Wyk, Acting Chief Director responsible for open learning, were given a closer look at the various learning facilities and support services in WOU’s open distance learning model.

Joyous Cheers at WOU’s Seventh Convocation

A total of 622 graduates received their much-anticipated scrolls during WOU’s seventh Convocation ceremony held at the main campus from 24 to 26 November 2016. This included the first batch of 45 graduates from the full-time, on-campus learning programmes, and also the first batch of ODL graduates from three Bachelor’s degree programmes – English Studies, Multimedia Design, and Networks & Data Communication. Two global women leaders, educationist Prof Asha Kanwar and humanitarian Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood, were each conferred the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree, in recognition of their contributions to education.

An Ode to Dedicated Service

Thirty-one staff received 10-year service awards and another 13 also received 5-year service awards during the Annual Staff gathering held at the main campus on 15 December 2016.

Call to Build on WOU’s Strength

The Vice Chancellor issued a clarion call to the management and staff to help the University achieve sustainability and future growth, particularly in the next decade, during a town hall session on 15 December 2016. About 100 staff from the main campus attended the session, which was also streamed live to all Regional Centres.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

The visitors from LUAS with the top management of WOU.

Prof Lorch from University of Hull.

Prof Asha Kanwar is conferred an Honorary Degree by WOU.

Marnisya Abdul Rahim (ETP) is congratulated by Dato' Seri Stephen Yeap.


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Appreciation Dinner for Tan Sri Raj

The University paid tribute to the immeasurable service of Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Dr Gajaraj Dhanarajan - who retired as Chairman of WOU Board of Governors on February 28 - with an appreciation dinner held at E&O Hotel, Penang, on 16 March 2017. The event was attended by senior management staff and Board members of WOU.

Committing to Client Service Charter

WOU staff members were acquainted with the precepts of the Client Service Charter during a town hall session at the main campus on 14 June 2017. The speakers were Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye and Chief Operating Officer Yeong Sik Kheong, Training workshops on the Charter were conducted in the following months of July and August to familiarise staff with the ‘WOU Promise’ of being prompt, accurate and respectful in all their interactions.

OCL Food and Cultural Fest

A group of about 60 full-time OCL students staged a mini Malaysian Food and Cultural Fest at the main campus on 30 June 2017 with the aim of sharing about the festivals and cultures of different ethnicities. Proceeds from on-site sales went towards supporting activities of the OCL Student Council.

Benchmarking Visit from MEDIU

A seven-member delegation from Al-Madinah International University (MEDIU) visited WOU on 3 August 2017 to learn about the University’s learning management processes, systems and student support services. The visit was led by the Deputy CEO for Research and Development, Assoc Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Ismail.

Capitalising on Seafront Campus for Kayaking

The University officially launched its kayaking activities at the seafront main campus on 12 August 2017.

Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye calls on staff to be prompt, accurate and respectful in their interactions.

One of the makeshift food stalls at the fest.

The team from MEDIU.

Tan Sri Raj (2nd from right) is presented a gift by Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Staff participate in a kayaking competition at the seafront campus.


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First Campus Relay

The picturesque WOU main campus was the setting of a 4 x 400m relay sprint race on 14 August 2017, organised by the On-Campus Learning (OCL) Student Council. The event saw the participation of six teams including four teams comprising full-time students and the remaining two featuring staff members of WOU.

Family Day Spirit

The DISTED-WOU Family Day, organised by DISTED College at its premises on 26 August 2017, attracted some 150 people to be part of the festivities.

MCOE Study Visit

Three Directors from the Methodist Council of Education (MCOE) made an exploratory visit to WOU on 13 October 2017 to look into equipping their teaching staff with relevant teaching qualifications from WOU. They were led by MCOE’s Private Education Director, Jenny Qua.

Ready to Soar: WOU’s Eighth Convocation Ceremony

The eighth Convocation ceremony from 23 to 25 November 2017 witnessed the graduation of 688 students and the conferment of the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree on renowned economist Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram.

Bidding Adieu to the Vice Chancellor

About 150 staff and guests attended WOU’s 10th year Anniversary and Appreciation Dinner at G Hotel on 6 December 2017. They also paid tribute to outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye who retired at the end of the year.

Celebrating Dedicated Service

A total of 14 staff members were honoured with 10-year service awards and another 18 with 5-year service awards during WOU’s annual staff gathering on 6 December 2017. Among them was Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye, who joined the University on 5 February 2007.

Jenny Qua (right) and the team from MCOE.

Dr Jomo (3rd from left) poses with WOU’s top management after receiving his Honorary Degree.

Prof Ho is presented a leather briefcase by Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (right).

Prof Ho (centre) with the 5-year service award recipients.

The relay within the scenic main campus.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS


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Protect Data Securely with Safe Operating Systems

A visiting expert from Germany warned that even firewalls cannot protect intranets against external attacks, therefore new appropriate architectures for their hardware and software are needed. At the in-house public lecture titled Malware-proof Computing and Secure Data Communication on 14 January 2016, Prof Wolfgang A Halang, Chair of Computer Engineering from FernUniversität, Germany, highlighted how computer systems of large corporations could also fall victim to hacking attacks.

Treasure the Moment

The maxim that one should cherish each and every moment in life found renewed meaning when eminent physicist, Prof Alan Paige Lightman, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, elucidated it during his public talk on 29 January 2016. The author of the hugely successful book, Einstein’s Dreams, spoke about the inspiration behind his work and the importance of living in the moment. Over 70 people attended the talk organised by WOU’s School of Science & Technology.

OERs for Course Development

Benefitting from two half-day workshops titled OER Integration in e-Learning Materials hosted by WOU on 23 and 29 February 2016, 13 academic and academic support staff who attended the sessions gained valuable insights on the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in preparing course materials for students.

Developing Professionals for the New Pedagogy

Some 50 practising educators from WOU and other private institutions attended a roundtable workshop on Emerging Trends in Higher Education Pedagogy at the main campus from 25 to 26 February 2016. The workshop, themed Innovative Learning Environments in Higher Education, was organised by WOU’s School of Education, Languages & Communications, and funded by the Institute for Research & Innovation (IRI).

Tackling Stress: Insights from an Expert

Viewing stress as part and parcel of life, and finding ways to alleviate stress-related tension through developing coping strategies, are the most effective ways to defeat the malady. Touching on the bugbear of our times, US-trained clinical psychologist Associate Prof Dr Gabriel Tan shared insights during his public lecture on Saying Goodbye to Stress and Chronic Pain on 27 February 2016. Organised by WOU’s School of Humanities & Social Sciences, the lecture drew a huge crowd of over 200 attendees.

Participants from WOU pose with the keynote speakers.

Prof Lightman calls on the audience to cherish their moments.

Prof Halang talks about the threat of malware.

Dr Tan offers pointers to relieve stress and chronic pain.

WORKSHOPS/TALKS


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Chancellor’s Lecture Series kicks off

The Chancellor’s Lecture Series, an initiative of WOU’s Centre for Dialogue (C4D), was officially launched by the Chancellor on 14 May 2016. This was closely followed by an inaugural lecture under the public series to highlight the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Titled TPPA: Future or Fraud, it was delivered by prominent economist Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram who raised concerns on trade issues, intellectual property rights and investor-state dispute settlement arrangements.

Leadership Agility the Key to Success

To drive organisational success, leadership ranks must remain agile in order to bring the best out of its staff, accommodate different stakeholders’ viewpoints, as well as enhance the customer’s experience. This was expressed by Jonathan Yap, Executive Director, Group Internal Audit, DBS Bank, Singapore, during a public talk organised by WOU’s School of Business & Administration on 11 June 2016 that was attended by a 60-strong audience.

Planning for Financial Freedom

A professional consultant on personal finance gave some 30 staff and full-time students of the University a few valuable pointers on how to achieve financial freedom and build up savings through proper planning. The public talk on Personal Financial Planning by Loh Pei Luan, Associate from Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB) Penang, was organised by WOU’s School of Business & Administration on 29 July 2016.

Monitoring Higher Education

Some 150 academics and administrators from various institutions attended the public lecture on Quality Assuring Higher Education in the New Millennium organised by WOU at the main campus on 15 July 2016. In his lecture, Prof Hazman Shah Abdullah, MQA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (QA), shared about the many emerging challenges in the accreditation of higher education institutions and programmes, and about MQA’s reinforcement division which actively monitors websites, information in the mass media, blogs, ads and claims of accreditation.

The Malaysian Constitution

The Federal Constitution is being undermined by surreptitious amendments, questionable insertions of clauses and poorly drafted laws, declared Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, Senior Professor of Law and Legal Advisor, Universiti Tekonologi MARA, Shah Alam. He was presenting a public lecture on The Constitution At A Crossroad, one of the highlights under WOU’s Chancellor’s Lecture Series, held on 10 September 2016.

DECE Programme Briefing for Teachers

The University conducted a series of briefings on its Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) programme that was set to be offered via ODL in the January 2017 intake. Addressing principals of kindergartens and nursery centres, the first briefing-cum-tea talk session was held at the main campus on 3 November 2016, with similar briefings held at other Regional Centres throughout December.

Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram (seated, right) listens as the moderator invites questions during the Q&A.

Loh shares on how to manage finances.

Prof Faruqi speaks about safeguarding the Federal Constitution.

Dean of the School of Education, Languages & Communications, Prof Santhiram Raman briefs on DECE.

WORKSHOPS/TALKS


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Mobile Campus in Hand

The experiences of Korea National Open University (KNOU) in progressing to a highly advanced stage of mobile learning (m-Learning) for open distance learning proved to be both eye-opening and motivational for the staff of WOU. Prof Tae-Rim Lee, from KNOU’s Department of Information Statistics, presented an illuminating in-house lecture on Mobile e-book for Open & Distance Learning on 29 November 2016.

Upholding Democracy with Soft Laws

Audiences got a different glimpse of democracy and were shown a few tools of upgrading democracy during a public lecture titled Upgrading Democracy: Soft Laws, Good Laws and Human Rights at the WOU main campus on 1 December 2016. Organised by Penang Institute and WOU, veteran lawyer Roy Lee shared with the 40-strong audience how soft laws, good laws and human rights are the three key features and upgrades in modern democracy, and that the best reference for countries is international standards.

Changing Mindsets for a Brighter Future

A respected Malaysian economist cautioned Penang to not fall into focusing overwhelmingly on the property sector, with inadequate emphasis on developing innovation and talent. Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, Chief Advisor to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, brought up Penang’s geographical advantage but reiterated that it is not real estate but rather its people and talent which are key to creating wealth. He presented his public lecture on Why East and West Will Meet in George Town under the Chancellor’s Lecture Series on 3

December 2016, which was attended by about 70 people.

Emerging New Technologies in SCM

The University, through its School of Business & Administration, organised a roundtable on Emerging trends of technologies in supply chain management (SCM) from 12 to 13 January 2017, in collaboration with the Penang Skills Development Centre. Some 50 industry experts and SCM practitioners attended the event to review emerging trends and technologies in SCM, and the unfolding implications for practitioners and academics.

Lawyer Lee (seated, right) responds to questions.

Discussion between academics and industry representatives.

Tan Sri Andrew Sheng delivers his lecture.

WORKSHOPS/TALKS


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Laying the seed of WOU

A 150-strong audience heard how Yeap Chor Ee and Tun Tan Cheng Lock shared a passion to bestow an educational gift for future generations of Malaysians. The public talk titled Within the Walls of Tun Tan Siew Sin’s Ancestral Home was based on the book of the same name co-authored by Cheng Lock’s granddaughter Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo and Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Lee Yow Ching. Prominent speakers at the event held on 27 July 2017 included Yeap Chor Ee’s grandson Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap and WOU Pro-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

Making Strides in Open Distance Education

WOU organised an in-house seminar themed The Future of Learning: Learning from Others on 25 August 2017 to update academics and senior management staff on recent happenings in open distance education. Some 50 staff attended a talk on Making Education More Open and Innovative and picked up lessons shared from the example of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), USA.

Academia-Industry Dialogue

WOU, through its School of Science & Technology, organised an Academia-Industry Dialogue (AID) on 14 September 2017, which saw 50 representatives from industry and academia brainstorm on technological drivers and challenges for the higher education sector. Held in conjunction with the event was a public seminar themed Managing Technology and Reinventing Education, where experts shared about the Internet of Things, a market-aligned education industry, and building research into a commercial venture.

Cyber Bullying Forum

Easy connectivity has caused targets of cyber bullying to come under pressure 24 hours a day, with most victims afraid to speak out and seek help for fear of appearing weak. This issue was highlighted by four panellists during the public forum on Cyber Bullying: Stand Up! Stand Tall! organised by WOU’s School of Humanities & Social Sciences on 11 November 2017. The event was attended by about 50 people.

Dr Lee (2nd from right) and Datin Paduka Tan (4th from right) with their book.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon introduces the two speakers (seated), Mr Wong Hun Heng (left) and Dr Andy Liew (partly hidden).

The dialogue in progress.

WOU lecturer Irmadura Ramli (seated left) with the four panel speakers.

WORKSHOPS/TALKS


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Green and People Friendly

As part of the University’s commitment to provide an ecologically friendly environment, various initiatives were put in place and some further intensified to ensure the provision of a conducive learning and quality environment. Some of the initiatives taken to-date include:

• To reduce electricity consumption, appropriate measures have been taken such as the effective use of the chiller system for the centralised air-conditioning, use of energy saving lights, switching off lights and office equipments when not in use, and promoting energy conservation among staff and students.

• The shift towards a paperless environment for all learning materials and related office operations.

• Disseminating up-to-date health information among staff, students and visitors and ensuring various preventative hygiene measures are taken.

• Ensuring all staff and students are familiar with emergency procedures including fire drills, assembly area, location of First Aid Kits and sick bay. This includes organising training periodically for the in-house Emergency Response Team members by BOMBA and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society in order to keep them updated with knowledge and skills.

• The ongoing Green Living @ WOU campaign has actively encouraged staff and students to reuse, recycle and reduce (3Rs) everyday objects to minimise the University’s carbon footprint.

• In providing a disabled-friendly access, WOU’s Main Campus and Regional Centres are all equipped with disabled-friendly ramps, lifts (with Braille) and designated washrooms as part of efforts to be an inclusive university.

• The well-maintained landscape on the campus ground provides a conducive, healthy and fresh-looking environment for students and staff.

TOWARDS A QUALITY ENVIRONMENT


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Giving Back to the Local CommunityWOU participated actively in a number of community-related causes, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives as well as to promote a caring culture among faculty and students. A few of these are listed below.

Fundraising Efforts for Charity Home Expansion

Fifty-five full-time, on-campus learning students raised approximately RM11,500 towards the building extension project of Penang Shan Children’s Home in Mount Erskine. The amount was raised mainly through two events. The first was a charity food fair held at the main campus on 12 March 2016 and another was a charity gala dinner held at a private hotel on 3 April 2016, which was attended by a 280-strong audience.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye led a delegation of over 20 staff and students to the Home on 14 April 2016 to present the cheque to the home’s chief executive officer, Krish Rethina.

Putting their Best Feet Forward

Showing its support and solidarity in the fight against cancer, the University participated in the Relay for Life event organised by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) Penang branch and Penang Hospice Society, for the 10th consecutive year.

Standing behind Relay for Life Penang as a gold sponsor, WOU also sent a 20-member team of staff and full-time students to participate in the walkabout at Youth Park on 23 July 2016.

A Life-Saving Gift for the Community

A group of 10 open distance learning (ODL) students organised a blood donation campaign themed ‘Be a Hero, Be a Donor’ at the main campus on 15 October 2016, with the support of Penang Hospital. About 50 people turned up to participate in the blood donation drive.

Another blood donation campaign, aimed at encouraging action and raising awareness with the slogan ‘One pint saves three lives’, was held at the main campus on 10 September 2017. Put together by a group of 9 ODL students from the Diploma in Early Childhood Education programme in collaboration with Seberang Jaya Hospital and Bukit Mertajam Hospital, it attracted about 45 individuals who came to donate blood, in the spirit of community service.

Sharing is Happiness

Doing their small part for charity, a group of 7 full-time students at WOU managed to raise RM715 through a food sale and cash donations, and also accepted gifts-in-kind including toys, stationery and watches for distribution to the children of Sunshine Cottage Welfare Society, Kulim.

Associate Prof Dr S Nagarajan, Dean of the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, joined the students involved on their visit to the Home on 17 March 2017 and presented the funds raised to the Chairperson of the Welfare Society, Maria Benedicta George. Bringing cheer to young residents at the home, each child was also presented with a gift.

Fighting Cancer Together

WOU extended its support for the 11th consecutive year towards the Relay for Life Penang event held on 30 September 2017. Themed ‘Fighting Cancer Together’, the event was once again organised by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) Penang branch and the Penang Hospice Society. The Relay was held for the first time at Athletics Stadium, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Showing its commitment as a silver sponsor, WOU also sent a team of about 15 participants, comprising both staff and full-time students, to join the walkabout.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVES

A student donates blood during the campaign in 2017.

Staff and students raise the WOU banner high during the walkabout.

Prof Ho and the full-time students get acquainted with kids at the Home.


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Cumulative Enrolment by School (2007-2017)

SBA – 12,528 Students (58.83%)SST – 5,584 Students (26.22%)SHSS – 1,677 Students (7.87%)SELC – 1,228 Students (5.77%)CGS – 6 Students (0.03%)PACE – 274 Students (1.29%)

SBA – School of Business and AdministrationSST – School of Science and TechnologySHSS – School of Humanities and Social SciencesSELC – School of Education, Languages and CommunicationsPACE – Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education

Based on the total cumulative enrolment of 21,297 students (20,914 ODL and 383 OCL) who have benefited from WOU’s unique educational experience from January 2007 to December 2017.

STUDENT ENROLMENT & GRADUATION

Total Graduates

Postgraduate Undergraduate2010 38 -2011 80 702012 100 2652013 81 2602014 92 3082015 116 3772016 154 4682017 202 486

Total 863 2234

Open Distance Learning (ODL): Total Enrolment from 2007-2017 = 20,914 students

On Campus Learning (OCL): Total Enrolment from 2013-2017 = 383 students

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

1,930

2,397

1,924

2,032

2,017

2,052

1,584

2,244

1,452

1,909

1,373

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017 104

92

85

4656

SBA SST SHSS SELC CGS PACE

SBA SST SHSS SELC CGS PACE

7.87%5.77%

0.03%1.29%

26.22%

58.83%


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STUDY GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

From 2016 to 2017, a total of 2,530 study grants were awarded to new students pursuing their studies at WOU. The grants were meant to encourage students to enrol at WOU and to reduce their financial burden.

Continuing students at WOU who excelled in their academic studies and were financially needy were also awarded scholarships in the form of tuition fees waivers. A total of 99 students were awarded the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship from 2016 to 2017.

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FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Financial Highlights73

Statement of Financial Position

74 Statement of Comprehensive Income

75


Over the past year, the University recorded a total revenue of RM30.5 million - a decrease of 0.6% as compared to 2016’s RM30.7 million.

Tuition income formed its primary income source, apart from facilities rental income. Rise in student enrolment numbers and increase in tuition fees for both ODL and OCL students contributed to the growth in tuition income in 2017.

The University has taken various steps to enhance vigilance in managing its business expenses, through implementing effective cost controls while optimising resources and improving operational efficiencies. Through these efforts, it has contained operating expenses (before taxation) at RM30.8 million in 2017, close to that of the previous year’s RM29.9 million.

The University posted a loss before taxation of RM0.29 million in 2017 compared to profit before tax of RM0.73 million in the year 2016.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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2017 2016

RM RM

Revenue 26,205,782 25,787,082

Other item of income

Other income 4,289,063 4,895,386

Other items of expense

Employee benefits expense (18,163,141) (17,117,358)

Depreciation and amortisation expense (1,025,640) (1,111,605)

Other expenses (11,594,248) (11,718,799)

Profit/(Loss) before tax (288,184) 734,706

Income tax expense (183,170) (182,528)

Profit/(Loss) after tax, representing total comprehensive income for the year (471,354) 552,178

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOMEFOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 31 DECEMBER 2017

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONAS AT 31 DECEMBER 2017

2017 2016

RM RM

Non-current assets

1,444,788 719,649

Property, plant and equipment 1,176,653 1,376,384

Intangible assets 11,000,500 11,118,500

Investments in subsidiaries 13,621,941 13,214,533

Current assets

Inventories 71,004 172,068

Trade and other receivables 3,207,046 1,367,814

Other current assets 364,702 371,126

Cash and bank balances 6,409,154 6,726,324

Tax recoverable 4,890 16,588

10,056,796 8,653,920

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables 4,698,341 2,847,096

Grants 117,273 259,175

Other current liabilities 10,250,934 9,680,151

15,066,548 12,786,422

Net current liabilities (5,009,752) (4,132,502)

8,612,189 9,082,031

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity attributable to equity holder of the Company

Share capital 104,000,000 104,000,000

Accumulated losses (95,435,782) (94,964,428)

Total equity 8,564,218 9,035,572

Non current liabilities

Other payables 47,971 46,459

8,612,189 9,082,031

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Inspiring Greater Success through

Lifelong Learning

Biennial Report 2016-2017

Wawasan Open University (KPT/JPT/DFT/US/P01)Wholly owned by Wawasan Open University Sdn. Bhd. (700364-W)

54 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang, Malaysia.

1-300-888-968 (WOU)wou.edu.my

Documents

Inspiring Greater Success through Lifelong Learning · Wawasan Open University The period of January 2016 to December 2017 had been challenging indeed for the Wawasan Open University