Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science welcomes new foundation students

Miri – 14 August 2017 – Newly-enrolled students of the Foundation in Engineering and Science programme at Curtin University, Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) were warmly welcomed and inducted into the campus’ Faculty of Engineering and Science during their week-long Orientation Programme or ‘O-Week’ recently.

The orientation was jointly facilitated by officers of Curtin Malaysia’s University Life Department, Curtin Volunteers! (CV!) orientation leaders, and academic staff from the Faculty’s Foundation in Engineering and Science Department.

The programme commenced with a welcoming speech by Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Ir. Professor Lau Hieng Ho, followed by an introduction by Head of the Foundation in Engineering and Science Department, Foad Motalebi.

As the students would be using the Faculty’s laboratories quite extensively, a briefing on laboratory safety was given by Laboratory Technical Officer Siaw Teck Ung.

Following this was a talk entitled ‘Transition from School to University’ by lecturer Loh Wan Ning.

“The beginning is always the hardest, but new students adapt to their new environment here rather quickly. The quality of the orientation experience is very important for them to feel welcome, to find their way around and start making friends, get all the information they need ln their programme, and get on track to independent learning,” said Loh.

The students were also given a talk entitled “Introduction to Moodle, Timetable and Rules & Regulations” by lecturer Nong Nurnie binti Mohd. Nistah.

“The aim of this session is to brief and expose students to the university’s online resource management system, Moodle, which they can use to access various types of information crucial to their learning experience,” said Nong. According to her, the students were very interested about some of the tools on Moodle and were eager to try them.

Other activities included a ‘FUN Session’ where the students worked in groups to complete 20 tasks such as drafting class timetables, logging onto Moodle, accessing the Open Educational Resources, hunting for a ‘mysterious’ lecturer and taking part in a Facebook photo contest.

Orientation leader Muhammad Falah Effendi Yunus bin Mohd Fathil said the new students took to the orientation programme very well and many remarked that the sessions were very useful and informative, not to mention fun and memorable.

Curtin Malaysia’s intake for its Foundation programmes is still in progress, having been extended to 11 September. SPM and O-Level school-leavers keen to enter the Foundation programmes in Engineering and Science, Commerce or Arts are encouraged to do so well before the closing date.

Though classes officially commenced on 14 August, newly-enrolled students will still be able to get up to speed through special mini-orientation sessions and special learning sessions for missed classes conducted at the Faculties of Engineering and Science, Business and Humanities.

Students successfully completing the one-year Foundation programmes are guaranteed places in undergraduate programmes of their choice in the Faculties.

Welcoming new students to the Faculty at the start of orientation week.