KUALA LUMPUR: Students undergoing courses in the Architecture and Design Faculty in UNITAR International University here were left stunned when the university decided to close down the faculty, less than a year after it was introduced.
It was understood that the reason behind the closure was that the university has no revenue to continue some of the programmes under the faculty.
A Foundation in Built Environment student, who declined to be named, said the students are demanding an explanation and compensation from the university.
“We want an answer and full compensation. We are left hanging here without any clear explanation on what is happening.
“We had to fork out a lot of money to travel from our homes to the university everyday, and even pay for our own assignments or projects. Who is going to pay us back for all our hard work?
“I am in my third semester already and I have another semester to complete my course. But, in under a year, they decided to terminate the course without ours or our parents’ consent. What can we do now? ” said the 19-year-old.
She said her parents were angry to learn about the incident and have also demanded clarification from the university.
Foundation in Design student, Rebecca Joseph, 19, also expressed her disappointment over the decision by the university.
The student, who is currently pursuing her first semester in the course, said she was hoping to graduate from the university.
“I am disappointed by the decision. I don’t think I want to continue studying here any more. I thought I had a bright future here,” she said.
A spokesperson from ILMU Education Group, when contacted, said the decision was made due to the low number of student enrolment in some of the courses offered in the faculty.
The spokesperson told the New Straits Times that UNITAR has offered the students several options.
These include completing the foundation programme at the campus by October this year, transferring to Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMUC) or UCSI University (for diploma and bachelor students), withdrawing from UNITAR (payment of full refund or full settlement of PTPTN) and changing to other programmes at the campus.
“We have already briefed some of the students’ parents last week on our decision to close some programmes in the faculty.
“The parents accepted the decision well and we gave them full refunds. We also gave them several other options,” said the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, in an immediate response, a Higher Education Ministry spokesperson said they would look into the matter soon. The ministry advised complainants to contact the ministry’s Enforcement and Inspectorate Division at uakbp_bpi@mohe.gov.my.