School of Business Newsletter - Summer 2010 (May – July) Volume 1

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    SCHOOL OF

    BUSINESS

    SB Newsletter

    Its Official: Sunway

    University College on par

    with top public universities!!!

    Contents

    Special Interest Articles:

    Sun-U Tier-5 MQA Rating 1

    SB Visitation to LUMS 2

    Departmental Highlights:Accounting & Finance Dept. 4

    Business & Marketing Dept. 4

    Law Dept. 5

    Management & Economics Dept. 5

    University Compulsory Subjects 6

    Individual Highlights:

    Mr. Jason Cheok - AUP 7

    Dr. Phang Siew Nooi - SB 8

    Ms. Low Mai Yen - UCSU 9

    Back Cover Story 10

    Enquiry & Editorial 10

    Thirteenth of July 2010 will go down into history as a pivotalmilestone in the illustrious history of our Sunway University Collegeas it was given par excellence status alongside the revered publicuniversities in the likes of Universiti Malaya, as well as branch

    campuses of foreign universities such as Monash University SunwayCampus and the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

    Of the twelve University Colleges (UC) rated by the MalaysianQualifications Agency (MQA), only two UCs made it to the Tier 5Excellent category in the Rating System for Institutions of HigherLearning (Setara) 2009 that is Sunway University College andTaylors University College.

    The Executive Director of Sunway University College, Ms ElizabethLee, was quoted in the Vine intranet website as attributing thissuccess to its staff from across all Schools, including the School ofBusiness, and added that a special thanks goes to the team whometiculously documented all the good practices. It must be said here

    that they worked tirelessly to ensure that no stone was leftuncovered in telling the authorities about what we do in Sunway toensure (academic) quality and standards in especially the area ofteaching and learningin the University.

    She further acknowledged that this Setara rating is an officialacknowledgment & recognition of the level of performance of all staffand students of Sunway and hence everyone is hereby commendedand congratulated on this very fine achievement.

    (Continue on page 3)

    Summer 2010 (May July)

    Volume 1

    Cover Page 1

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    SB Visitation to LUMS:

    A partnership growing in strength

    2

    More Photos @ LUMS:

    PhD students and LUMS staff presentingresearches at the Faculty Research Conference

    Contemporary design and conducive ambience

    at the spacious LUMS Student Learning Centre

    A typical state-of-the-art lecture theatre for

    classes of the Master Programmes at LUMS

    The visit was an eye-

    opener and has helped us

    learn a great deal more

    about teaching,

    admissions, and research

    standards, which will help

    us make the transition to

    university status and

    strengthen the partnership

    with LUMS.

    Dr. Foo Yin Fah

    Head of School of Business

    The four Heads of Departments at SB, namely Dr. Foo Yin Fah of

    Accounting & Finance Department, Mr. Nagiah Ramasamy of

    Management & Economics Department, Mr. Paul Linus Andrews of

    Law Department, and Dr. Cheah You Sum of Business & Marketing

    Department, made a meaningful and eventful working trip to the

    Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) in England

    between 28 June and 1 July 2010. During this four-day visitation to thesprawling LUMS campus located just north of Manchester City, our SB

    Heads had numerous meetings with both the academia and students

    at LUMS.

    While the main objective of the visitation was to enhance the working

    relationship between the two schools, new grounds were also covered

    to explore further collaborations in research and staff development

    activities between LUMS and SB.

    The SB holds regular meetings and visitations with LUMS several

    times each academic year to ensure that the education levels of all

    LUMS-validated degrees offered at SB are of highest possible quality

    globally. Students enrolled into SB degrees often take comfort knowingthat the School offers best value for their education investments!

    At present, LUMS validates three undergraduate degrees offered by

    SB to ensure that the quality of its homegrown academic programmes

    is on par with LUMS. Upon completion of the SB degree programmes,

    SB graduates will receive two degree certificates concurrently, one

    from the Sunway University College and another from Lancaster

    University. The School of Business also collaborates with LUMS in

    offering three post-graduate degrees: Master in Management, Master

    in Management with Law, and Master in Money, Banking and Finance.

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    MQA Rating System SETARA09

    3

    The MQA Rating System for Higher Education Institutions inMalaysia for 2009 (SETARA 09) was implemented by using a ratingmechanism to measure the performance of undergraduate teachingand learning in universities and university colleges in Malaysia.

    Although the SETARA 09 exercise is a continuation of the previousexercise, (SETARA 2007 using 2006 data), there are majordifferences as to its focus, composition of the universities anduniversity colleges, its domains and measuring indicators.

    The SETARA 09 rating exercise was carried out between October2008 and June 2010. Data collected and used for the rating wasbased on the year of 2009. A total of 58 universities and universitycolleges participated in the exercise. However, 11 universities anduniversity colleges were excluded because they are new institutionswithout final year students yet and have not produced graduates;do not offer undergraduate programmes; or they are non-conventional institutions.

    SETARA 09 used a total of 25 criteria captured through 82indicators comprising the generic framework of Input, Process andOutput. Benchmark figures were established for the indicators.

    Data for the final analysis were sourced from the institutions aswell as the Academic Performance Audit (APA), the Generic Student

    Attributes (GSA) test score, the Tracer Study, and the EmployerSurvey. The Committee used the Expert Choice software, which isa decision support system programme, in making decisions on theweights of the generic dimensions, domains, criteria and indicators.The resulting rating system uses a six-tier category with Tier 6identified as Outstanding and Tier 1 as Weak.

    The position of the universities and university colleges in therespective tiers was based on their scores. The final results showthat out of the 47 universities and university colleges rated, 18institutions achieved a Tier 5 category representing approximately38% of total population rated. No university was rated Tier 6.

    Benefits of Tier-5 Status:

    Those in Tier Five will be exempted

    from certain provisions in thePrivate Higher EducationalInstitutions Act 1996 (Act 555), andbe able to receive incentives suchas:

    be able to enrol local and foreigngovernment sponsored students,

    have access to governmentgrants,

    can determine their postgraduatestudent intake

    need not have to apply forteaching permits for lecturers,

    can determine the salary offoreign lecturers, and

    set course fees.

    Source: www.mqa.com.my

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    Dr. Foo Yin FahDEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

    4

    1) How long have you joined the School of Business, and how long have you been the HoD forthe Accounting & Finance Department?I joined the School of Business in July 2009 as Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance,and subsequently took up the position of Head of School in February 2010.

    2) Where is the Department now (2010), and where do you want to bring the Department to bynext year (2011)?The School has grown tremendously over the past two years - largely driven by the increase instudents enrolling into the BAF programme under the Department of Accounting and Finance. Themajor focus for the coming year is to consolidate the department by putting the right people in place,reviewing the present curriculum, and increasing academic staff to face the challenges in the coming

    years. Accounting and finance will be a major driver for the development of the School in the future.

    3) Can you please share your grand vision on bringing greater value and vibrancy within yourDepartment?The vision of the School is that it will one day be a highly regarded and respected business schoolknown for the quality of its programmes, the reputation of its faculty, innovative research works, andthe employability of its under-graduate and post-graduate students. The School will focus on theareas of good governance and sustainability, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.

    4) What is your greatest satisfaction since joining the School of Business?My greatest satisfaction is having the support of my colleagues in trying to put the School of Businesson track to achieve its vision.

    Words of Wisdom:

    Let us work together as acohesive team to achieveour shared vision.

    Let us have our studentsbest interest in mind in

    whatever we do.

    SB NEWSLETTER SPECIAL #1:

    EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH OUR TOP

    ECHELON & THEIR SHARINGS ON SB

    Words of Wisdom:

    I have often used the wordsincerity; that is sayingwhat you mean andmeaning what you say.

    Once sincerity is put inplace, many great thingscan be achieved.

    Dr. Cheah You SumDEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS & MARKETING1) How long have you joined the School of Business, and how long have you been the HoD for

    the Business and Marketing Department?Ive joined the School of Business for two years now; exactly two years on July 3rd! I am a recentaddition to the Headship, and the department too is newly created due to the growth in studentnumbers in our programme. I have been Head of the Business & Marketing Department for 2 months.

    2) Where is the Department now (2010), and where do you want to bring the Department to bynext year (2011)?The Department is currently overseeing the Diploma in Business Administration (DiBA) and theBachelor of Science (Honours) Business Studies (BBS) where we currently enrolled more than two-hundred students in these programmes. By 2011, we hope to offer the BBS with Marketing as anadditional option for students seeking an exciting career in marketing. We see marketing as an

    essential programme since a career in marketing is always in demand - even in challenging times.

    3) Can you please share your grand vision on bringing greater value and vibrancy within yourDepartment?We will be busy over the next few months as we are gearing ourselves in the redesign of our currentprogrammes. What is in store is a very exciting BBS programme which focuses on key specialistareas in marketing. We aim to be different and working jointly with LUMS. We are confident that ourprogramme will be creatively different and industrially significant for our students. Apart from that, weare gearing up for more productive research output and we will also be working hand-in-handwith LUMS to roll out research projects that will elevate the status of our teaching in this School.

    4) What is your greatest satisfaction since joining the School of Business?That has to be working with great colleagues. I have learned so much from them and they are eversupportive.

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    5SB NEWSLETTER SPECIAL #1:

    EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH OUR TOP

    ECHELON & THEIR SHARINGS ON SB

    Words of Wisdom:

    Aluta Continua whichmeans the strugglecontinues.

    1) How long have you joined the School of Business, and how long have you been the HoD forthe Law Department?I joined the School in December 2006 as the Head of the Law Department (ie. approaching 4 years).

    2) Where is the Department now (2010), and where do you want to bring the Department to bynext year (2011)?Owing to the moratorium imposed on the offering of new law programmes by the Ministry of HigherEducation (MOHE), we have not been able to start the proposed Sunway LL.B. Presently thedepartment facilitates the delivery of law modules within both the undergraduate and the postgraduateBusiness programmes. By next year, we hope to try to introduce Masters in Law programmes.

    3) Can you please share your grand vision on bringing greater value and vibrancy within yourDepartment?Well, essentially it is to encourage the establishment of a Law School that encourages scholarlydebate on issues that are not just limited to business and commerce, and we hope we can achievethis vision step-by-step with the first step via a proposed LL.M. in Human Rights.

    4) What is your greatest satisfaction since joining the School of Business?Witnessing the continuous growth in student numbers, and watching the first few batches graduatedfrom our Schools homegrown programmes and subsequently secured employment.

    Mr. Paul Linus AndrewsDEPARTMENT OF LAW

    Mr. Nagiah RamasamyDEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

    1) How long have you joined the School of Business, and how long have you been the HoD forthe Management & Economics Department?I joined the School on 3 January 2007, and became the Head of Department on 1 April 2010.

    2) Where is the Department now (2010), and where do you want to bring the Department to bynext year (2011)?The Department of Management and Economics is growing. It is currently restructuring the B.Sc(Hons) Business Management (BBM) programme to better differentiate itself from the B.Sc (Hons)Business Studies (BBS) programme, as well as making it more holistic and comprehensive. Changesand improvements will be introduced into the core, and electives will be included. With the inclusion ofmore electives, improved teaching and learning approaches, and better marketing effort, thedepartment is poised for further growth. Quality of teaching and research is paramount in our quest tobe a top notch university. While the level of teaching in the BBM programme is generally high, weneed to improve our position as a contributor to management research. We are looking into having a2-semester system, which would enhance the quality of work life for both the staff and students.

    3) Can you please share your grand vision on bringing greater value and vibrancy within yourDepartment?We have a great team. Staff members, both academic and administrative, are committed to raisingthe bar in teaching and service quality. Tomeet the teaching needs and growth potential of the BBMprogramme, there is an ongoing exercise to identify and recruit suitable faculty members. To furtherenhance student learning, industry visits to engage the industry players will be further augmented.University education is about shaping a students character. To encourage students in SB toparticipate in the many university activities will require changes to the structuring of the programme.

    4) What is your greatest satisfaction since joining the School of Business?There were very few students when I joined the School. I have seen it grow from strength to strength.My greatest satisfaction is to hear from employers of the high quality and capabilities of our students.As a staff member who helped put into place some of the processes and procedures in the School,seeing the first batch of graduating students take their rightful place in industry is most satisfying.

    Words of Wisdom:

    I believe in life-long learning.If I do not continue to educatemyself in my field, I canneither expect to be an

    effective role model nor havea genuine desire to impartany knowledge to mystudents.

    No man can be a goodteacher unless he has

    feelings of warm affectiontoward his pupils and a

    genuinedesire to impart tothem what he himselfbelieves to be of value

    (Bertrand Russell)

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    6

    English Language

    A Differentiation in

    the Job Markets

    A 2008 study on Malaysian

    graduates employability

    skills found that graduates

    rate their employability

    skills higher than employers

    do. This means that the

    graduates think that they

    are more capable than the

    employers think they are.

    The study also found that

    among the employability

    skills investigated,

    graduates rated their

    communication and

    leadership ability as the

    skills they possess the least.

    Yet, other than knowledge

    of their field of study, these

    are the skills employers

    look for the most.

    In a few words, a headline should accurately represent the contents of the story and

    draw readers into the story. Develop the headline before you write the story. This way,

    the headline will help you keep the story focused.

    Examples of possible headlines include Product Wins Industry Award, New Product Can

    Save You Time, Membership Drive Exceeds Goals, and New Office Opens Near You.

    One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse

    content from other marketing materials, such as press releases and market studies.

    While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or

    services, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your reader.

    Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site.

    Microsoft Word offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication.

    So, when youre finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

    The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include

    stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.

    Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the

    message youre trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of

    context. Microsoft includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose,

    and you can import them into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use

    to draw shapes and symbols .Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the

    article. Be sure to place the caption for the image near the image, too.

    SB NEWSLETTER SPECIAL #2:

    EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH UCSU

    & THEIR WAY FORWARD

    1) How long have you joined the School of Business, and how long have you been the HoD for theUCSU?

    Technically, I am not part of School of Business per se but my unit is physically located within the

    School of Business. The Unit is actually an integral part of the Language and Compulsory Subjects

    Centre. I was appointed the Head of University Compulsory Subjects Unit (UCSU) when it was

    first set up back in April, 2007. The role of the unit, in the beginning, was to look into the soft

    skills development of Sun-U degree students, namely language and communication skills, as well

    as leadership. The Unit has grown over the years, and it is now also responsible for the language

    development of Sun-U diploma students. We now have 11 academic staff, all of them with

    specific areas of expertise in English language teaching.

    2) Where is the Department now (2010), and where do you want to bring the Department to bynext year (2011)?The Unit has come a long way since 2007, when we offered only 4 courses at the degree level.

    We now offer 7 courses at degree level and 9 courses at diploma level. Students from the School

    of Business will be familiar with some of those compulsory courses: Study Skills, Business English

    1 and 2, English for Business and Management Studies, Communication Skills and Leadership. By

    next year, I hope to get all the academic staff in UCSU to engage more actively in action research

    related to their specific interest. I believe teaching should be an informed activity. Hence, action

    research will help to keep the lecturers informed about their own unique environment.

    3) We understand that UCSU subjects are deemed as compulsory (e.g. Study Skills) for students?Do you have any words of comfort to share with the students?

    Understandably, the word compulsory may not be viewed favourably by students for the lack of

    choice. One of the most common responses from students is that they have already taken

    English subjects in high school and that these subjects are taking too much of their time which

    they need to focus on their core subjects. However, there is very good reason why these

    subjects are made compulsory. Going into the competitive job market these days is like going to

    war, and students need to ensure that they equip themselves with all the necessary weapons to

    make them more desirable in the eyes of their employers. Comprehensive knowledge and

    practical skills related to their field of study are two of those weapons. The courses offered by SB

    take care of these two weapons. However, whether we like it or not, we need to admit these

    two weapons are not enough. So, my words of comfort are that compulsory here means

    necessary the University Compulsory Subjects unit provides students with the necessary soft

    skills to put our graduates in a better position vis--vis graduates from other institutions.

    4) Can you please share your grand vision on bringing greater value and vibrancy within your

    Department?

    I have no grand vision. It is very simple and very much related to what I have mentioned earlier.

    Together with my colleagues in UCSU, and with the support of Dr. Stephen Hall who is Director of

    the Language and Compulsory Subjects Centre, I would like to help students realise that:

    1. High language competency is necessary for professional success (although it is not the onlything necessary).

    2. Language competency is something that needs to be worked on instead of taken for granted.

    3. Being competent in English Language does not automatically translate into being an effective

    communicator; thus this is something that needs to be worked on as well.

    Working on these 3 areas alone is challenging enough to add vibrancy within the Unit, as I m sure

    my colleagues will agree.

    5) What is your greatest satisfaction since joining the School of Business?

    Ive had many great moments of satisfaction, but one that is related to the School of Business

    occurred last year. One of the recent graduates from the BBM programme came to visit while I

    was teaching a Communication Skills class. This was a particularly bright and hardworking

    student. She told the class, You better pay attention and learn what you can because youre

    going to need it. I have learned a lot but it is still not enough. That really made my day.

    Ms. Annyza TumarUNIVERSITY COMPULSORY SUBJECTS UNIT

    Words of Wisdom:

    One of the professors in myuniversity used to sayrepeatedly, You can learn a lotby watching people. It sounds

    really simple but I find that themore I practise this, the more Idiscover how much truth thereis in this simple statement. I tell

    my students the same thing.

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    A Little About VU-Sunway

    The VU Bachelor of Business degree

    was first offered at Sunway

    University College (Sunway) in 1994

    as a "1+2" programme. Since 1999,

    students were able to complete the

    entire VU degree in Sunway under

    the "3+0" programme. For the past

    15 years, many local and

    international students havecompleted their degree at VU-

    Sunway and have established

    promising careers in Malaysia and

    other parts of the world.

    The VU-Sunway degrees at Sunway

    are approved by the Ministry of

    Higher Education (MOHE) and fully

    accredited by the Malaysian

    Qualifications Agency (MQA), and

    recognised by the Jabatan

    Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA). The VU

    programme at Sunway was audited

    by the Australian Universities Quality

    Agency (AUQA) and was

    commended for delivering a "high

    quality international partnership and

    offshore teaching. The VU Bachelor

    of Business in Accounting is

    recognised by professional bodies

    such as CPA Australia and the

    Association ofChartered Certified

    Accountants (ACCA).

    The passions of teachingneed to come from theheart

    Jason Cheok

    ACADEMIC PEER

    SHARINGS

    7

    1) When did you join the Sunway family, and how long have you been inthe academic industry?I joined Sun-U in late 2002 and I have been in the industry for about 8 years.

    2) What aspires you to be an academician (eg. any specific event/personthat influences you down this path)?I knew for a long time that I enjoy sharing of knowledge with people. Forexample even in my previous commercial job, I enjoyed training the newemployees and imparting my knowledge to them.

    3) Being an academician, we have to deal with a lot of instructional and

    administrative workloads, and some of us even have a family to tendto. In this aspect, how do you juggle your time between your career andyour family throughout these years?I think like anything else in life, learning how to prioritizing your workload andbalancing your life are the best solutions. More importantly, we have to knowhow to get the right tools (i.e software) to help us do our work more effectivelyand more efficiently. Discipline is the other important factor that helps us copewith workload. We have to be multi-tasking and multi-skilled these days!

    4) What motivation/satisfaction do you get as an academician?The satisfaction and motivation for academician are often non-monetary. Forme, being able to contribute to a young students budding life in seeinghim/her graduate and step into the working world and start his/her career lifegives me a great sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction.

    5) What are the challenges of teaching the students from the SB?Perhaps one of the challenges that I faced these days is the new mode ofsocial communication media where I lack proficiency - such as Facebook andTwitter. These social networks are fast becoming the main communicationtools for todays youngsters who are seen as IT-savvy netizens!

    6) Any memorable academic experience/incident (eg. funny, tense,awkward, etc) when teaching the students of SB?I had many awkward incidents when I tell a joke in class and none of thestudents get the joke! I ended up laughing alone in the whole class.

    Academic Peer #1:

    Jason Cheok Australian University Program

    ACADEMIC PEER SHARINGS

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    Academic Peer #2:Dr. Phang Siew Nooi School of Business (Research)

    8

    1) When did you join the Sunway family, and how long have you beenin the academic industry?

    Prof Phang joined the School of Business on 1 June 2010 as a

    Professor. Prior to her current position in Sunway University

    College, She was also a Professor in the Department Administrative

    Studies and Politics at University Malaya and has been in the

    academic field for the past 35 years.

    2) What are the challenges of teaching todays generation?Many students are lacking enthusiasm in learning or in seeking new

    frontiers in their field of interest. They are passive towards listening

    and accepting without questioning or challenging views put forth by

    lecturers. Lecturers should encourage students to be more

    opinionated during class to enhance the overall learning process.

    3) What are you most passionate about for our School of Business tomove forward?

    Given time and the right working environment, I would like to see SB

    step up and move forward into the research realm with a stronger

    presence. As part of a University College moving towards full

    University status, SB has over the last one year put in place a

    renewed vigour and pace into the research area, and academic staffare encouraged to consider taking up relevant research works that

    are fundamental. I believe research excellence can be attained over

    time through collaborative research activities, research paper

    presentations at international conferences/seminars/symposiums,

    and last but not the least, publication in international journals.

    4) Any parting words of wisdom to share with your fellow peers andstudents alike?

    If you are passionate about something, never let it go and always

    achieve the highest performance level!

    CREATING A RESEARCH

    ENVIRONMENT

    At the School of Business, the

    academic and administrative

    staff take cognisance of theneed to create a conducive

    knowledge-based environment

    in order to foster and to create

    vibrant and sustainable research

    works that constantly push the

    literature frontiers across all

    disciplines.

    The recent high rating of a Tier-

    5 Excellent category by the

    Malaysian Qualifications Agency

    (MQA) is a testament of the

    depth and width of SBs talent

    pool in terms of faculty

    adequacy, faculty capability,

    faculty experiences, and the

    supports given by the Sunway

    University College towards SB.

    This rating allows SB to tap into

    public research grants in future.

    Way forward, SB shall continue

    to encourage its academic staff,

    especially those who are

    interested in research works and

    publications, to apply for both

    fundamental and pilot

    fundings/grants from the public

    and private sectors alike.

    ACADEMIC PEER SHARINGS

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    A Little About Seychelles

    9

    1) When did you join the Sunway family, and how long have you been in the academic industry?I joined the Sunway University College in February 2010 upon returning to Malaysia after an absence of 20 years from my home

    country. My teaching career started in 1982 when I was assigned my first posting to Terengganu where I taught English at aresidential secondary school for 3 years. Then I took up the post ofGuru Bahasa (Language Instructor) at UKM Bangi for 5years before leaving Malaysia in 1989 to work as an expatriate English teacher in Seychelles (an archipelago of 115 islands inthe Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenyarefer map on top right). In Seychelles, I taught English at secondary levels 1 to 4 until2004. From 2005 to 2009, I was lecturer-cum-teacher-trainer at the National Institute of Education in the Seychelles where Itaught English pedagogy. I also tutored adult learners to prepare them for the International General Certificate of SecondaryEducation IGCSE (English as a Second Language). So, I have been in the teaching line for almost 30 years.

    2) What aspires you to be an academician (eg. any specific event/person that influences you down this path)?

    I believe I have stayed on in this field for this length of time due to the fact that theres no limit to learning. There are always newstrategies to implement in my classroom approach, through trial & error; new theories to discover in the field of teaching; newexperiences to learn from the encounters with students and colleagues. The pages of my life have been coloured by the fruitfulexperiences in my line of work. My quest for learning and discovery has not been satiated yet, so Im here to stay in this field tocontinue with that pursuit. In addition, I enjoy interacting with people - especially of different nationalities & from various walks oflife. Having a profession in the teaching field has definitely nurtured that trait in my character.

    3) What motivation/satisfaction do you get as an academician?As most educators would say, its the fulfillment and pleasure of seeing ones students become mature and skilled individualsdue to ones impact on their lives. Over the years, I have witnessed the successes of many and unfortunately, the failure ofsome. There is a feeling of pride to hear of former students becoming prominent individuals in society, holding key positions ofauthority in institutions like the Central Bank, or off-shore investment companies and acknowledgement of me as their formerteacher is not forgotten wherever they meet me.

    4) What are the challenges of teaching the students from the School of Business?No particular issues specific to the School of Business. The student generation is alike everywhere, I guess. Be they internationalor local students, in the various schools here at Sun-U, there are the good ones and not so good ones. It is adapting teachingmaterials to individual needs.

    5) Any memorable academic experience/incident (eg. funny, tense, awkward, etc) when teaching the students of SB?After the 20-year absence from contact with student population in Malaysia, I suffered a mild attack of culture shockwhen I hadmy first batch of SB students at Sun-U between March June this year. As a language instructor, I am vigilant to the choice ofwords used by students regardless of age. It was an eye-opener to realise that the present generation uses offensive words andderogatory terms openly in jest by both male and female students towards each other. When I tried to enlighten them on the lackof etiquette and savvy when those terms are used, I realised that we belong to two different cultural time zones. As the sa yinggoes, Rome was not built in a day. So, I was inevitably doused in occasional showers of verbal blessings in my classes.

    God doesn't look at how much wedo, but with how much love we do it

    MotherTeresa

    Academic Peer #3:

    Low Mai Yen University Compulsory Subjects Unit

    ACADEMIC PEER SHARINGS

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    BIDDING ADIEU @ SB OFFICE10

    b) Having been a SB Alumni and now being able to contribute back to the School, what was the feeling like?

    It feels great working with the people I know. I was a graduate from the Bachelor of (Hons) Business Management

    programme, and working with my fellow lecturers at the SB Office is an advantage since I know their working style and

    behavior. In fact, two of my close lecturers are Dr. Cheah and Mr. Nagiah. They are now the new Heads in the School of

    Business. I am happy to work at the School of Business, since I received ample knowledge and skills from this School.Therefore, it was a pleasure for me to contribute my services back to this School that is the fountain of my knowledge.

    c) With hindsight, what was the most valuable working & personal experience you garnered over your brief tenure at

    our School?

    I learnt how to communicate and handle students since every student may have different issues that need to be

    addressed differently. These issues are learnt over time during my tenure at the SB Office. The questions and issues

    brought up by the students are unpredictable and cannot be learnt ahead of time. Overall, my experience here has taught

    me to be proactive and stay alert as the working life is different from a students life - which is based much on theories.

    Note: For those of you who missed Theresas last day at work and would like to touch base with this amicable ex-SB alumni, SB

    Newsletter has gotten her prior consent to share with our readers her contact: [email protected]. Please feel free

    to contact her anytime as she misses all of us the SB Family

    SB NEWSLETTER

    Address:

    The Editorial Board

    SB Newsletter

    School of Business

    Room 335, 3rd Floor, North Building

    Sunway University College

    No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway

    46150 Petaling Jaya

    For general enquiries, feedbacks,

    and contributions:

    +6 03 7491 8622 (ext. 8335)

    [email protected]

    Find us on Facebook name below:

    Sunway Business School A

    Shared Vision

    Our motto:

    To inform is to share

    Editorial Board Members:

    Coordinator: Mr. Kai Chung ([email protected])

    SB Representative: Mr. Chong Soon Meng ([email protected])

    AUP Representative: Ms. Haslinda Yunus ([email protected])

    UCSU Representative: Ms. Mazlin Mohd. ([email protected])

    BACK PAGE STORY

    When the SB Newsletter team first got whiff of the imminent departure of a

    nice and industrious young lady at the SB Office, our dispatcher managed to

    catch up with her in the nick of time on her last day of work (8th June 2010)

    for a brief yet interesting exit interview. Below are parting views and

    sharings by our very own ex-SB alumni Ms. Theresa Jerome:

    a) When was your first working day at SB?

    5th April 2010

    From the Editorial DeskIf there is ever a moment of unwavered certainty of doing good forthe School of Business by a few for a few from a few, it will simply be this our very own SB Newsletter for our SB family.

    What started as a simple one-email proposal has now culminated into a School-wideendeavour and fervour. Its power of galvanising both the administrative andacademic staff surpassed even the most optimistic of our Board members.

    The final product, as you read here, is truly the sweat and toil not just of the EditorialBoard, but of every SB staff who has a simple story or vision to tell to share andto spread. It is this spirit of unrelentless sharing that makes us all wanting to be part

    of the education industry.We are glad to be able to roll this inaugural issuance off the (PDF) press timely, andonly hope that it serves its role of informing the SB family well.

    We certainly look forward to share more with our SB readers in many, many moremonths ahead! Happy reading & see you all in our next issue in October!

    The Editorial Board

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]