Public University [UUM] part-time programs at Rezzen off-campus centers throughout Malaysia [KL, Png, Melaka and JB] :

What advantages?

Some six years ago,  UUM agreed to privatize the marketing of  two of its degrees, the Masters in Business Administration, followed by the Doctorate in Business Administration,  to our company, Rezzen.  The company in addition agreed to market the places to students wanting to take the course in centers in Penang, KL and Melaka.  From having a small class of 11 students in our first Penang center held at Vistana Hotel,  we have now grown to marketing 10 different degrees to 4 centers, starting from this semester, including JB.  Total enrolment at our classes top the  400 mark, including several courses that are  subscribed by corporations using HRDF funding. This last convocation,  Rezzen centers graduated  53 students in all.  Three of them gained the Doctorate in Business Administration degree, the first such graduates from UUM, 46 got the MBA degree, 3 gained the MS in IT and 1, the Masters degree in ICT.

We are often asked why students want to take  degrees at our centers instead of attending the on-campus programs .  One word answers it all:  CONVENIENCE.   They can study while holding their jobs at these urban areas. Most have had campus living experience, and now want to get on with their jobs and careers. This is because the courses at taught at weekends only.  There is no need to travel far. Part of the teaching is done by the elearning management system with lecturers using web tutorials with a combination of interactive conversations as well as posted forums on questions and topics which are then commented on by the lecturer in the online sessions.  Such group work defies distance, shifts learning time to when it is most convenient, heightens morale, and increases response time for students to ask questions from their lecturers.  Those who teach can capitalize on these tools which  allow teachers to stay in touch with  almost all students at once.  Team work is encouraged, instead of merely focusing on competition. Students may also opt for the speed with which they complete programs.  Normal track is practiced when students take no more than 2 modules per semester; fast track students can take up to 4 modules per semester.  This blurs the line between full time and part-time enrolment. Our students have been known to complete the MBA degree in  slightly more than a year and the DBA degree in three and a half years.  The MSc in International Business can be completed in one and a half years.

Classes are small enough for individual attention.  All bureaucratic procedures are handled by the course provider and forwarded in batches to UUM for attention.  This way,  the university is not inundated with requests for attention, since they are processed and lumped together for attention.  You would be surprised to know that each student  needs attention for so many various steps including adding and dropping courses,  changing enrolment details to adjusting  to work demands, such as travelling and absences due to company training and assignments.

Students also need all types of counseling.  Rezzen staff  are equipped to provide advice that conforms to UUM’s rules, regulations and procedures.  Our staff makes sure that all deadlines are complied with.  Students are advised to make sure that their average grades stays above the minimum grade required, which in the case of UUM, should be a CGPA of 3.0 or 70 marks  and above throughout each program.  Another question which needs attention is the deferment period allowed by the university.  This should not exceed 2 semesters or 6 months in total.  Exceeding this limit will incur penalties including being forced to withdraw from being registered and therefore dropping out.

With these arrangements, the University gets the best of all worlds.  The university’s  own lecturers teach in the program, ensuring the academic quality is maintained. Standards are not compromised.  At the same time, the University gets into its catchment, working adults with actual practical experience which they can share.  Such students who are highly motivated, spurred by high achievement, in turn generate and spread a culture of high achievement which leads to students with excellent results and a rapidly moving career path.  Lecturers recognize this culture and make this known to the classes, and have high expectations of students’ performances, which in turn challenges them to perform even better. It is no surprise that among last year’s graduates, a Rezzen student was awarded a gold medal, probably the first off-campus students gaining such an award.

With more corporations recognizing the worth of such programs,  the national workforce is upgraded, and productivity increased among cohorts of workers who are in gainful employment. With more such programs being organized, eventually the trained national workforce will help the country achieve a higher global competitiveness score.   Perhaps for this reason, government funding for part time students have increased.  PTPTN offers loans to part-time students.   EPF withdrawals for education are allowed without confining such loans to limitations such as amounts from only account 1.   HRDF funding is a boon for corporations that subscribe to the training levy.  The government contributes 50% of the company’s contributions, which doubles the amount available to the company for training, which now includes degree programs.

After graduating more than 200 students, Rezzen has now developed additional degree courses to cater for a wider range of demand from corporations. For a total list of Rezzen-delivered degree and non-degree courses, kindly surf our website www.rezzen.com.my or call 03-22614248 @ 03-22614248 [hunting]  or if you have questions kindly email them to answers@rezzen.com.my