UTAR BJ E-FORUM: Timetable Havoc in Faculty of Creative Industry

UTAR Petaling Jaya Campus Faculty of Creative Industry (FCI), 21^st Oct – The course registration has failed the students of FCI soon as the beginning of the new semester. Grumpy students infested the faculty general office waiting for their turn to sort out the clashing classes in their time table.

For the entire week, changes were made multiple times to the students’ timetable without notification from the faculty office. Information was only available verbally through the also ill-informed officers. The students were upset with the condition they faced. Many students solved their clashing classes with the faculty general office on day one itself, but the students faced the same clashing classes issue over and over again, each time changes were made.

In order to find out the reason behind the mess, an interview was conducted with the Dean of FCI, Dr. Carmen. In the interview, she pointed out 3 major causes. First, the initial class planning was done by a new untrained staff and the flaw was not notice until 2 weeks before the classes commence. Second, the Soft Skills Competency Department (DSSC) offered 2 extra units last minute aside from the initial 2 subjects. Thirdly, the number of October intake students was double the projection of the faculty; amendment needs to be done to accommodate all the students.

“Why that class keeps changing, these room problem all probably because they don’t have room or lecturers are not free, then other classes will be affected, it’s like a Domino Effect, you started changing one thing, the other will have to change too”, the dean explained the major shift in the student’s timetable.

The issue is resolved as all the timetables are stabilized. Attendance will be taken from Week 2 onwards and students will not be penalized for absence during Week 1 due to the faculty office’s mistakes, said the Dean.