By Daniel Teng Chin Loong and Nur Eastiharah Mohd Hairin

We are privileged to have interviewed Dato’ Prof. Dr. Mortaza Mohamed, UMK’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) for Students Affairs with regards to Students Affair Department (SAD) and the role of FASA in complementing his vision and missions.

Q1: What is your vision and missions as DVC for Student Affair in UMK?

DVC: I sincerely hope that our students can differentiate between a university community and high school community, also the difference between a  technical-university community vis-à-vis an entrepreneurial-university community and again, a skilled-institute entrepreneur against a graduated-entrepreneur. To me, I would like the students to understand that a university is a place where we can hold talks and discuss on any matters freely without the influence from outside. Students should have the confidence to talk on matters pertaining to the Nation’s Interest such as food shortage, consumers interest, economic stability and so on. These are than discussed through seminars and talks that students organize, and should be backed up with information and data in an academic way.

Q2: SAD plays a vital role in developing students’ personality and providing necessary services to them. What are the programs, services and facilities provided by SAD towards achieving its vision and mission for the coming academic year of 2008/09?

DVC: The main duty of Student Affairs Department (SAD) is to nurture a university community that posses a strong culture of knowledge as well as a conducive environment that promotes the traits of a great graduate-entrepreneur.  Apart from the available Counseling Unit, SAD seeks to put in place a Student Health Unit by July 2008.  What the SAD provides is for the general student community and the need of the majority. Since our student population is still very small, we cannot have special programs to cater for students from any specific groups.  I hope that the peculiar needs of the students in FASA will be looked after by the Faculty.

Q3: How do you prepare yourself to meet challenges in student numbers in the future?

DVC: What ever the student numbers, SAD seeks to provide the basics as our immediate and top most priority; food, shelter, and safety. Food here refers funds where SAD has worked hard to expedite applications for PTPTN or any other financial means. For Shelter, we are not satisfied with what we have offered which is why we will provide the new hostel by July 2008.  We are planning better facilities for the permanent campuses in 2010. Meanwhile safety is also our priority. Our safety measures are adequate at present but it is still in the improvement stage.  We have strict regulations but please do not regard these rules as nuisance and hindrance as it is in place with regards to students safety.

Q4: There have been complaints made by the students about certain activities by the SAD.  Can you comment on this matter?

DVC: We will be cutting down on the sudden events that involves the participation of our students. The main reason we sent our students to participate in such events were because the Director General of Higher Education needed to make sure our presence was felt by the public and other universities. We (UMK) were expected to perform and participate as though we are already a very established university like UKM, UM, UUM and USM.

Q5: For the next academic year, students will be staying in the new hostel which is currently under construction.  Is that true?

DVC: Yes, that is true. Our policy on students’ residence is very clear. Accommodation for all students from year one to the final. This is a strong commitment from the University Management and SAD because we believe in providing adequate shelter for all our students within the compounds of the university so that we can live in one community, the university community.

Q6: FASA Club (Kelab FASA) was established in the 1st semester of 2007/08 academic session.  Maybe DVC would like to give some comments as well as advices to our club.  At the same time, what type of support will SAD provide to the club?

DVC: The SAD truly regards the club as a good example to follow for students activity of a faculty.  However, the SAD gives high priorities to societies and clubs that promotes the interest of the majority and serves the university as a whole.

Q7: What will be DVC’s advices to FASA’s students as well as other UMK students in order that the students will benefit from the programs and services conducted/provided by Student Affair Department?

DVC: Our two flagship programs are Community Outreach and University Student Enterprise.  I urge the students to give their full support to these programs.  The Community Outreach will expose our students to the society, understand matters on the ground, their needs and match our contributions, comprehend the socio-economic factors and identify business opportunities along the way for mutual benefits.  We are in discussions to have the Community Outreach as an international volunteerism program that will put our students on the world map.

Whereas, the University Student Enterprise is our university niche, the only competitive edge that we have against other universities locally or abroad.