(15-16 January 2011)
More than 850 students embarked on a new journey to realise their dreams for better academic qualifications at WOU during the January 2011 semester.

WELCOMING THE NEW STUDENTS AT THE MAIN CAMPUS IN PENANG.
They converged at the main campus, regional offices (RO) and learning centres nationwide during the Orientation Day organised by the ROs on January 16th, and by the Kota Bharu Regional Office (KBRO) on January 15th.
At the main campus in Penang, about 250 students attended the day-long session to get to know their course-mates better and to become reacquainted with formal learning once again. They were briefed on WOU’s Open Distance Learning (ODL) model, university regulations and procedures and learning support and services.

STUDENT KISHIN SHAM GETS ACQUAINTED WITH WOU.
WOU student Kishin Sham Mahtani, 35, was excited and at the same time nervous about going back to school after 15 years. Having spent his childhood and most of his life in West Africa and the UK, Kishin, a publisher, returned to Malaysia in November 2009. He chanced upon a WOU advertisement on the Bachelor of Business (Hons) degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management while browsing the papers one day, and the rest is history.
Microsoft applications trainer Tan Poow Suan, 45, hopes to apply the knowledge she gains from WOU to her job at the Penang Skills Development Centre.

TAN POOW SUAN.
At KBRO, 15 out of the total 28 new students who had enrolled for the January 2011 semester turned up for orientation. KBRO director Azly Yong Abdullah welcomed the students; this was followed by a speech from student representative Tuan Haji Abdul Halim Omar who enrolled for the Commonwealth Executive Master of Public Administration programme. The oath-taking was led by Commonwealth Executive MBA student Ong Khang Woon.

AZLY YONG WELCOMES THE STUDENTS IN KOTA BHARU.
Azly later briefed the students on WOU’s rules and regulations, and its learning support and services while School of Business and Administration senior lecturer Prakash Arumugam talked about the ODL model and the CeMBA programme.
Meanwhile in Ipoh, 57 out of the total 92 new students attended Orientation Day at the Regional Office, and recited their oath led by CeMBA student Chuang Tuan Gian.

DEAN OF SST, PROF THAM CHOY YOONG, IN IPOH.
WOU’s School of Science and Technology dean Prof Tham Choy Yoong gave a briefing on the ODL model, and Ipoh RO director Ching Huey Ling presented the University rules and regulations. Then RO staff Ngow Chee Wei explained the learning management system and online assignment submission, while Zakiah Hanum shared about the library facilities and the ‘Turnitin’ software.