Quality education at affordable cost
THE questions “who are you?” and “what do you stand for?” matter a great deal to institutions aiming for success, such as Apple, McDonald’s and Coca Cola, which have attained global prominence through their easily recognisable brands.
Is it possible for others to achieve the same iconic status?
According to Amazon’s chief executive officer Jeff Bezos, a brand is “what people say about you when you’re not in the room”. In this context, I believe an organisation must ensure that the image perceived by the public accurately represents its brand identity.
For Open University Malaysia (OUM), our image must reflect our commitment to provide quality education at an affordable cost.
Achieving this requires an institutional commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, which we consider integral to the overall learning experience.
Through the university’s shared values, which are professionalism, integrity, caring, innovativeness and teamwork, OUM encourages a work culture that emphasises accurate, objective and effective execution of work processes. In addition, OUM staff are trained to always exceed learners’ expectations. While the importance of addressing
learners’ concerns is not unique to OUM, how we accomplish this can set us apart from other higher education institutions in Malaysia.
One area where we have given emphasis is programme accreditation. We want to assure our learners that all OUM programmes are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and delivered in compliance with the Code of Practice outlined by the agency.
As ensuring accessibility is another one of our hallmarks, we have invested significantly on expanding our physical presence. To date, there are 32 OUM learning centres in all major towns and cities nationwide. Only one other local public university has set up branch campuses in the country.
Open seven days a week, learning centres give learners an environment conducive to face-toface contact with tutors and facilitators as well as a channel for reaching university personnel.
Support services are accessible online through the learning management system, myINSPIRE, and mobile application, myOUM.
Moving forward, OUM will continue to focus on the quality of our services and keeping abreast of learners’ changing demands.
We will innovate and change as and when required, emphasising fit-for-purpose improvements to enhance and enrich the overall learning experience.
Programmes will undergo periodic reviews. OUM will introduce new programmes or new options under current programmes where appropriate.
The latest offering now open for enrolment is the Bachelor of Medical and Health Sciences programme, which has been specially designed for assistant medical officers to upgrade their knowledge and skills.
All courses will be delivered in English and Bahasa Malaysia. OUM will gradually develop bilingual learning materials and improvise assessment formats by adopting technologies appropriate for learning.
Additionally, we will strive to improve engagement with stakeholders through nationwide events.
Through the university’s shared values, which are professionalism, integrity, caring, innovativeness and teamwork, OUM encourages a work culture that emphasises accurate, objective and effective execution of work processes.
On Nov 10 and 11, OUM will be holding a national colloquium for tutors and learners to encourage the sharing of ideas and experiences within the OUM community.
In summary, our priority is to ensure that learners obtain the best possible education at a reasonable cost from an institution that values excellent learner support and that graduates are well equipped for the careers of their choice.
Prof Datuk Dr Mansor Fadzil is the president and vice-chancellor of OUM.