Faculty Day gets Foundation students off to a good start

Miri – 20 April 2016 – Over 200 students enrolled in the Foundation programme in the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) started their university careers during the Faculty’s recent Faculty Day.

The event was facilitated by staff of Curtin Sarawak’s University Life Department and Curtin Volunteers! (CV!) student volunteers, and academics from the Faculty’s Foundation in Engineering and Science Department.

It was kicked off with a welcoming speech by Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Associate Professor Ir. Lau Hieng Ho, followed by an introduction by Head of the Foundation in Engineering and Science Department, Foad Motalebi.

“Our Faculty Day is held to introduce our new students to their lecturers and brief them on essential matters like class lists, timetables, resource access, rules and procedures. This is done through various activities such as lectures, information sessions and games to make it as interesting and interactive as possible,” said Foad.

As the students would be using the Faculty’s laboratories quite extensively, a briefing on lab safety was given by Lab Manager Helda Puyang Jau and Senior Officer for Standards and Conduct Samson Philip.

The students were also given talks on aspects of the student experience such as challenges they are likely to face in the course of their studies and use of campus facilities by lecturers Lai Zhenyue and Kamaroizan Mohamad.

The Faculty Day closed with a group activity designed to get the students to recap and apply the information garnered throughout the day. They learned how to compile their own timetables, identify the times and locations of classes, complete simple tutorials and make appointments with lecturers. This helped them familiarise themselves with the Faculty’s administrative procedures and adapt more easily to their studies.

It also encouraged them to bond with their course mates and faculty members. The highlight was a ‘F.U.N. Hour’ session involving groups competing in a game based on the hit Korean TV show, The Running Man.

Student volunteer Dheeraj Chhabra commented that it was important for new students to be aware of applicable policies and procedures, which could be very helpful for efficient schedule planning, completing assignments and scheduling consultations with lecturers.

“Another benefit is getting to know their peers before classes start, which will in turn get them comfortable with working together on future assignments,” added Dheeraj.

Curtin Sarawak, the largest branch campus of Curtin University in Western Australia, offers a quality Australian education closer to home. It offers Foundation programmes that feed directly into its degree programmes.

The Foundation programmes at Curtin Sarawak are designed for school leavers to gain the essential skills and knowledge for a smooth transition to tertiary education, providing the best fundamentals to undertake a Bachelor’s degree.

Curtin Sarawak offers Foundation programmes under its Faculty of Engineering and Science and Faculty of Business and Humanities, both of which are recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

Welcoming new students at Faculty Day.

New-found friends at Faculty Day.