Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF)

60 59 General Issues and Challenges This section presents the themes extracted from probes on the general feelings towards Academic Programmes obtained from the FGDs. In terms of academic programmes offered at the kulliyyahs, all informants reported positive views in that all the programmes were well received by the public and that they were accredited accordingly either by Malaysian Qualification Agency and/or by the relevant professional bodies. In fact, there were kulliyyahs who claimed that the academic programmes that they offer were lauded by their respective regulatory bodies and even quoted as exemplars for other institutions. However, some informants cautioned the University against focusing on the graduates’ employability alone. They believed that some of the programmesorcoursesofferedmightnotbeaboutpreparingstudents for the job market but simply for providing education and for educating people. Thus, academic curriculum review should be conducted regularly and critically with the right objectives in mind. The focus should be on strengthening and making academic programmes relevant rather than meeting the market demands only. Teaching Methodologies Employed at the Kulliyyah Most lecturers were moving towards more contemporary teaching delivery modes. There was a general agreement among the informants that digital format materials were important and that they embraced the needs to change and adopt the new teaching methodologies. Unfortunately, to the informants, there were issues that hamper their progress in using the state-of-the-art teaching methodologies. Some of these issues concern infrastructure and facilities while others concern the decisions made by the kulliyyah s themselves. Most informants suggested obsolete computer facilities and software coupled with poor internet access as themain reasons for their difficulty in applying digital materials in class. Even when the necessary training was given to the members of staff, they would probably not be able to use the skills in the classroom as there were no facilities to allow them to do so. Specific to the medical-related kulliyyah s , the informants suggested that the University invested in the purchase of virtual reality equipment, simulators and models to upgrade their quality of teaching. The informants also commented on the difficulty in getting financial allocations to replace furniture in the classroom. There were also issues related to the decisions made by the kulliyyahs such as, the changing or maintaining modes of teaching delivery, the assignment of assessment weightages, class sizes and the provisions for staffing and training. Academic Programmes Areas for Improvement The comments in this section deal with matters that were not discussed in the other sections above. The informants suggested that there was a need to have a serious forum on the status of University curriculum given the present direction of the University and the feedback from the stakeholders. This involved the different required courses offered by the different units in the University and the kulliyyahs. And whether they were a part of the formal curriculum or co-curricular activities. Another issue that received the informants’ attention was the different understanding, and to a certain degree the misunderstanding, of terms and concepts related to IIUM academic framework such as University Required courses (UniCORE), free electives, minors, functions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the future of Islamisation. The informants seemed to be leaning towards allowing students to monitor their own academic progress and adherence to their study plan. The empowerment of students in this respect can only indicate the trust that the University has on IIUM students’ integrity and maturity. As an alternative, if the University does not believe the students are ready for this, the financial allowance of respective Academic Advisors ought to be reinstated as the responsibility of advising students is not an easy task. In terms of recognition from the public and the visibility of IIUM, the informants suggested that the University seek from the Bahagian Kemasukan Pelajar IPTA (UPU) the appropriate codes for our academic programmes. This will ensure the visibility of IIUM in the eyes of potential students. For international recognition, the informants recommended that IIUM embark on a more robust and aggressive marketing to bring in more international students. Since the issue of finance related to the purchase of new items, maintenance of the existing ones and recruitment of new academic and non-academic personnel have been going on for a long time, the informants suggested that a fresh new discussion between kulliyyah s and the relevant IIUM authority is needed. While it is generally accepted that IIUM, as other public universities do, is experiencing financial difficulties, it is also reasonable to recognise the requests from the different kulliyyahs in terms of facilities and new members of