Monday July 28, 2008 MYT 3:28:35 PM
Gerakan: Redefine 'students' in amendments
GEORGE TOWN: The definition of “students” in the proposed amendments to the University and University Colleges Act (UCCA) should exclude post-doctoral fellows and students pursuing distance-learning and off-campus programmes.
Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said post-doctoral fellows were no longer students even in the loose sense of the word.
“They are almost like faculty members as they often do research and work as teaching assistants as well.
“Moreover, students enrolled in distance-learning and off-campus programmes should also not be subjected to the same definition because they are only studying part-time while having a job and other responsibilities.
“They are also not on campus most of the time except for tutorials over weekends,” he said in a statement released here on Sunday.
Dr Koh also said distance-learning and off-campus students were usually given very flexible timeframes to complete their studies.
Thus, he said, they should be allowed to engage in other activities including participation in political parties.
“This way, we hope that our local universities will then be able to attract the best and the brightest including Malaysian scholars overseas to teach our students and to do research locally,” he said.
He welcomed the proposed amendments to the UUCA, saying it was a giant step in the right direction and long overdue.
“We welcome the proposed amendment whereby the vice chancellors and deputy vice chancellors will no longer be political appointments but appointed on the advice of a selection committee and deans in consultation with faculty members,” he added.
Earlier stories:
University Act to be amended to remove doubts
Parliament: Study university act amendment
Opposition can speak to students ... with caveats
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