The elections for new 2009 FABESAA committee has came out. There are as follows;
Bali trip (AS201)
The payment for Bali trip is payable to the account;
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Sdn Bhd
Acc Num: 512446-202208
Anyone who wanted to pay by cash can reach Laili or Mazlifah at the extension: 8963
Deadline: noon of March 12
Please pay that soon as the marketing department need to apply the visa for International students and report to the Indonesian Embassy who is going for the trip.
Any International students who havn’t submit their photocopies of passports, please find KhengWei or Emran - or directly Ms Rona from marketing department.
Group leaders chosen;
Mr. Faisal - Malcolm Lim Hon Hon , 0168929389, malcolm_charizard@hotmail.com
Mr.Harris - Fransisca Tjondro, 0162378971, fransisca_89@hotmail.com
Mr.Hailane - Margaret Ngendo Kambo, 0163959540, kngendo@gmail.com
Mr.Gary - Saras Kenia Budoyo, 0169129601, saras.budoyo@gmail.com
Mr.Najmi - Hilman Norman bin Insanul Kamil, 012-3178657, hil_man9116@yahoo.com
Mr.Jeremiah - Ivan Rennaldi Bumi, 0146418445, aldhie_jabrik@yahoo.com
Curtin Enrolment
Please bring
to the Curtin co-ordinator at Knowledge Research Centre (beside the library) before Friday, March 13.
Here it comes again! The FABESAA Rock The Vote for 2009 has started, be sure to know the nominees and vote them to represent your voice!
Nominees for FABESAA 2009!
These are some images taken from the facebook group; -
somewhat related photos;
As an ice-breaking event, fresh architecture students were assigned to design a flying vessel to fly the furthest and of course, containing the egg safely. The event was overwhelmed with students and lecturers from the Architecture Science stream with the refreshments sponsored by FABESAA.
Students were attempting a final fix to the aircraft and meticulously loading the passenger ‘egg’.
Lecturers examining the flying vessels before the launch.
The launch! What a shock when a group attempted a reverse flight!
Some enthralled observers!
A new resource and announcements section has been added for Architecture Design 201, so second year students; please check it out here!
Dear Arina:
Your PL, Mr Mohamad Faisal, had given you a supberb peice of academic advice, perhaps, more practical, albeit, understandably, your parents are equally concerned as the sole fund provider for your education. With such an appropriateness, I would suggest his instant e-mail reply be circulated to all our Faculty students for which I similarly extend herewith a copy to the staff on my address roll.
I am now 70 years; studied in Australia way back in 1960; I was once the PAM president in 77 and also on the LAM board for 9 years, serving on the CAEM and the CAA panel of examiners. I was a party having accredited for the recognition of UTM & USM. Once assured of our LUCT standards, I shall pursue PAM/LAM recognition, a desire targeted by us all.
In my days, I was among the 3 Asians graduated from Sydney University out of an initial intake of 17. Subsequently, only a quota of 3 Asians was permitted for annual enrolment into architecture. It was after Federal Government’s drastic reduction in subsidy fundings that each university started marketing their respective course for enrolments, which, admittedly, must have affected the quality of education correspondingly.
I am a practitioner in architecture for 44 years till this very day; I concur with Mr Faisal’s observation that in the private sector each is expressly rated by your productivity in contributions. Regrettably, this is a money game but a reality duly recognized not confining to architecture per se but to all businesses. Such is life; you are now only at the threshold of your career with a long journey ahead. You should take your steps one at a time, excel in each, before unneccessarily worrying your remote infancy in your career.
I can, perhaps, go on and on. As suggested by Mr Faisal, please see me for whatever clarifications you needed, so that I can help set your mind at ease and enable you concentrate on your studies at hand more productively.
Regards,
Professor Dato’ Ar. W.Y. CHIN
Head, Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment
Limkokwing University of Creative Technolog - Worldwide
Cyberjaya; Kuala Lumpur; London; Beijing; Botswana; Lesotho; Mbabane; Phnom Penh; Jakarta; Kuching; Bali
Tel: +603-78761175; +603-83178888 +603-83178997(DL); Fax: +603-78771618
E-mail: wychin39@hotmail.com wychin39@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 11:34:29 -0800
From: papapupu1@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: inquiry about curtin university.
To: arina.a.tai@gmail.com
CC: wychin39@hotmail.com
Dear Arina,
Department of Architecture Science, LUCT/ Curtin Offshore goes through an extensive accreditation exercise with CAEM every year to acquire PAM part 1 for students here batch by batch, similar to schools like the Architectural Association in England for one, going through with RIBA that is. Only four schools in this country have a five years blanket recognition. They are UTM, ITM, USM and only recently UM. It took these public universities more than ten years from the moment of CAEM’s first visit to full recognition. We are the second private university to go for this, the first being UIA. If I am not mistaken we now have two batches of graduates with PAM part 1. Your time is not up yet. That is why it is imperative for you to keep your works intact and your folios in order. That is precisely why we demanded that you document your folio well so that it could be reviewed justly by members of the board of accreditation toward the end of your tenure here.
As far as I am concern years from now, no practising employer is going to give two hoots about candidate employees whom excelled in environmental physics or Indochina history as a student, not unless you want to teach like us. The question then would be: can you draw, read drawings, research, inquire, articulate your architectural proposition(design ideas) through verbal communication, drawings and models: in short can you execute a task given by your superior or instruct your subordinate clearly and more importantly as I have stressed a million times, Can You Think. They wont care where you graduate from. It is never about the schools, it is about you. It doen’t matter where you study, it is what you make out of yourself within a very short period of time in school. They need to know if you can deliver the goods. That is why a convincing design folio is an important commodity.
As for your inquiries with what little you have or have not learned in the first year, I am glad that you are concerned. It shows that you care. This is a trait of a good student. Don’t worry about it. When I was in the first year, I felt nothing, let alone learned anything. I was completely oblivious to my surroundings. I had only started to be aware of Architecture after I started teaching, fifteen years ago.
You have only done first year of school. There are four more tribulating years to go, maybe more. After that another twenty years of practice in the industry. According to my professors, an inquiry was made by Harvard and they discovered that only after 26 years of exposure to this body of knowledge can a person be well verse in Architecture, from A to Z. You will be 45 by then as I will be in the not to distant future, and I am still oblivious to this vocation. Remember, people only took notice of Kahn and his works when he was 60. If you think that is too long to wait maybe you should quit now. However I must warn you that if you persevere the rewards are unimaginable. Not many people in this world gets to see their work immortalised literally in stone or in paper forever or until it erodes away, which is still a very long time. We don’t build buildings. We manifest them in our minds, draw them, detail them and instruct builders who do. For that we are paid a great deal of money.
Sleep on this issue. Give more thought to it a little while longer. If you are still unsure come in and talk to Dato Chin or Dato Musa, our joint Heads of School about it. They shall be more than happy to talk to you. We don’t want to loose you. Curtin will always be there. You should go there when you’re more mature and independent. This way you won’t worry your parents so much, something you will only understand when you have children of your own in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Mohamad Faisal Hishamuddin bin Tan Sri Talha
Program Leader Architecture Science
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
— On Thu, 12/4/08, Arina Amin-Tai <arina.a.tai@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Arina Amin-Tai <arina.a.tai@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: inquiry about curtin university.
To: papapupu1@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2008, 4:10 PM
Dear Mr Faisal,
I found out that this coarse isnt accredited as stated in the brochure (according to Taylors college) This is one of the main reasons why i chose LKW. After finding out about this, i am more worried. I just wants the best out of the payments my parents have met and hopefully not being cheated.
Design class has been great, its the other classes that i am concern of. I dont seem to recall much of what ive learn and almost all of the subjects i find that i hardly understand what i should be understanding i think.. i dont even feel like a real architecture student except for designing. or is this what 1st years are only exposed to?
Personally, what do u think would be the best choice for me? Move to curtin or stay in LKW? or maybe moving to curtin now is abit too late to settle the paper works?
Sincerely,
Arina
On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 9:21 PM, Mohd. Faisal <papapupu1@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Arina,
Do not let rumors and any personal issues the staffs have with the school get the better of you. Nothing is yet for certain. I might still be here and even if I’m not I have trained my unit controllers well. You are in safe hands. As far as Curtin is concerned they will be more than happy to have you even thought we are not. They are here now and we are talking to them about things to do next semester. It will be a good semester next year. I will speak to you soon, so don’t make any plans just yet.
Yours sincerely,
Mohamad Faisal Hishamuddin bin Tan Sri Talha
Program Leader Architecture Science
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
— On Wed, 12/3/08, Arina Amin-Tai <arina.a.tai@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Arina Amin-Tai <arina.a.tai@gmail.com>
Subject: inquiry about curtin university.
To: papapupu1@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 3:44 PM
Sir,
I am thinking of continuing next year onwards in Curtin Uni for a better quality education. You have been a great lecturer but I heard that you’re not going to be around next year, and the quality of education is going down according to the seniors. I am worried.
My mom said that she’ll pay for my education in Curtin but I need to know the pros and cons of going there now since Ive started here. I tried to email some of the Curtin people but no one have answered and I hope to get your opinion on this. Maybe you could tell me what to expect and how to transfer there. do i have to repeat my first year or can transfer my credits?
Your time is very appreciated. Thank you.
Arina
We, the students of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology; hereby demand for our rights to quality education. This includes our rights to an adequate amount of responsible and qualified lecturers; transparency within the management and faculty with regards to the hiring and termination of lecturers and other such matters pertaining to student welfare; facilities such as exhibition halls, resources for site visits and faculty social events; due respect and proper archiving of our work; and an overall sense of integrity with regards to our education, as detailed in the letter entitled ‘Voices of Concerned Students’.
Sign petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/fabe2008/petition.html
Dear Tan Sri,
Voices of concerned students-FABEsaa student’s discontent/disapproval/disappointment over FABE’s management
It has come to our attention that for the past three years, changes made at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment have taken a turn for the worse in regards to the quality of education received here. To make things even worse, reliable sources have informed us of lecturers being terminated or made to leave. It has also come to our knowledge that many lecturers who are currently teaching us might resign in the near future. We therefore appeal to you to address these issues
Quality Education.
1. It is in our best interest to have quality education, which includes proper facilities, efficient management, prompt service and good lecturers. We are entitled to receive all of this benefits as promised during registration at the beginning of our first day in this school. None of this is possible if there is no order within the faculty management and organisation. We are extremely concerned with the state of our well being, as we are at the receiving end of it all.
Financial support from faculty for school activities
2. Requests for funding during site visits are slow and regularly rejected. As you know site visits for projects, competitions, exhibitions and student meets are important to the program we are currently involved in. It provides us with the opportunity to broaden our experience.
3. We currently have no permanent gallery to exhibition of our vast collection of works. As a result we often have to be as to sent our work and help put up exhibition at a moments’ notice by the faculty. This is difficult as we constantly have submission of assignments.
4. There is no proper storage facility. Our work is not kept well, treated with utter disrespect and is disposed of instead of being archived properly.
5. Our classrooms are dire and the roofs are full of leaks. Only until recent air conditioning have been fixed and installed after three year of working under unbearable conditions.
Resignation of senior and valued lecturers
6. Another concern here is that many lecturers leave suddenly and under mysterious circumstances. There is a lack of transparency in the way the faculty runs. This clashes with the principles of honesty and integrity that we should see in the running of the school. These managers should not do as they please without being accountable to the students, who are the clients of this university. Taking and disposing of lecturers flippantly and carelessly is something that we definitely do not prefer. We are well aware of the shortage of staff in general moreover good ones.
7. In the past three years lecturers who have left due to their dissatisfaction with the faculty management includes Mr. Mior, Ms. Hanim, Mr. Zul, Mr. Dennis, Mr. Ramesh, Ms. Marsitah, Ms. Nora, Ms, Ayu, and many part time staff.
8. At the beginning of this semester Ms. Saedeh, Ms. Husna, Ms. Shikin and Mr. Siva have tendered their resignation. Mr. Chek has left in a similar manner as well, and his departure marked a downturn in the Computer Aided Design department. Even students who had not graduated at the time were called in by the management to start lecturing as a desperate measure because of the lack of qualified lecturers.
9. The most recent case which has occurred would be the termination of Ms. Suzy Sulaiman. She was terminated on grounds that she was never hired by the university to teach part time. The letter, in effect, terminated her services abruptly and without prior notice. No reasons or logical terms were given. This has cause problems in the subjects she was teaching.
10. These were teachers we value and appreciate. They are dedicated professionals, equally patient and extremely helpful to us. No doubt, this has affected the morale of the staff, and has cast doubt in the minds of newcomers. It is obvious that senior staffs are growing increasingly jaded with the way things are run here.
11. Mr. Faisal, the newly appointed Programme Leader for Architecture Science, has managed to recruit some of experience lecturers from the industry to compensate for void left by these lecturers. There are changes made to key personnel in design classes. Student tutors were introduced to assist us in the preparing our assignments. Workshops are held to teach us new skills. Classes are better managed and conducted by these new lecturers. It is evident in the work we produced. However, these efforts will be useless if more lecturers resign in the near future.
Delay in payment and contract approval for lecturers and student tutors
12. Part time lecturers and student tutors have also reported problems with contracts, delays in paperwork and payment. This, in principle, signifies tardiness and genuine disregard for the welfare of faculty members, who have worked for their dues.
13. In view of this callous treatment, we fear that these lecturers might leave. Should this happen where does it leave us then?
Poor leadership in faculty management
14. Many actions have been taken before by some of the lecturers throughout the years, but the school still does not realize the severity of the situation within the faculty. We require the faculty to be more sensitive to our needs and concerns.
We would be grateful if you could assist on this matter, and that a meeting would be held among said involved parties.
We strongly hope our appeal to you will be heard justly.
Signed,
The Students.
FABESAA has decided to set up a forum for the convenience of its members and students alike. Head over to http://www.fabesaa.com/forum/ to register yourself! A confirmed email is required for forum registration.
FABESAA members that are approved will be registered under the FABESAA Members group in the forum, while students without FABESAA membership can still visit the forum with limited functionalities. Registered lecturers will be granted access to FABESAA zones.
FABESAA is not responsible for what the users have posted in the forum, although we promised to try our best to monitor the forum.