Awangku Alizul Azahari bin Awangku Matali,
Exco I, Academic and Career,
Student Representative Council, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (SRCUTP)
Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (MPPUTP)
What’s CM?
CM is Consequence Management, introduced by PETRONAS to the PETRONAS scholars. CM has been implemented since January 2008 by using July 2007’s result. CM has 3 stages, first CM, second CM and third CM.
How it is implemented?
Any PETRONAS scholars, who get GPA below 2.5 for the first time, will get a suspension of their monthly pocket money (RM500/month). If their GPA is still below 2.5 for the next semester, their pocket money will be cut-off, but their tuition fee is still running. Let say if their GPA is still below 2.5 for the next semester, their scholarship will be terminated by PETRONAS and will be considered as “Breach of Contract (BOC)”.
Last year, during the engagement session with Education Sponsorship Un it (ESU) from PETRONAS, they have announced that the benchmark of the CM will be increased from 2.5 to 2.7 and will be increased again until 3.00. Tentatively, this semester’s result will be used in implementing the CM with the benchmark of 2.70 and the result of January 2010 will be used in implementing the CM with the benchmark of 3.00.
What are the benefits of CM?
The academic reputation of UTP students will absolutely increase because they have been forced to achieve excellence result or else they will not getting any meals for the next semester. Students will put their concentration more to the academic field. UTP can produce more graduates with the flying color result, in parallel with the need of many multinational company requirements, one of the requirement is excellent in academic.
How CM can give negative impact to UTP students?
i.Being forced
Student kind of being forced to achieve the level of academic which meet the ESU requirement, and if this situation is continued, it is possible that UTP students can be a nerd student.
ii.Quality of graduates
Besides, the quality of graduates is not necessary can be judged by looking to the result only. A lot of criteria need to be judged in order to produce quality graduates. Some of the academicians in UTP saying that UTP students is actually need to be sharpen in term of the academic quality. For example in the assignments, how many students do their assignment by themselves? How many students being caught because of plagiarism during examination? How many students tend to practice “copy and paste” for their reports, projects and so on, just for getting highest mark in their coursework mark? If they managed to run away from CM, they can not being categorized in the group of quality graduates.
iii.Reduce the concentration
For those who are involved in the group of first CM, they will not give their 100% concentration to their study anymore (if their source of money is only from PETRONAS), because they need to find another way to fill in their stomach. This can drive them to be involved in the second CM and maybe until third CM, which can destroy their future. Some interviews have been conducted towards the students who are involved in CM for the third time. Some of the interviewees claimed that they could not give full concentration on their study once they have involved in CM because they need to find source of money.
iv.Subject constraints
How about if there is one subject which is a tough subject with 4 credit hours in his or her particular semester. He or she managed to get a good result in other subjects, but because of he or she could not make a good result in the tough subject, his or her result will drop, below about 2.45-2.49. He or she will be considered as one of the member of the CM group. For sure he or she will be de-motivated.
What’s MPPUTP official statement regarding CM?
MPPUTP have attended several meetings with ESU whether UTP desk or ESU KL office. We have discussed about the changes that ESU want to apply on the current CM and the results of the CM for three semester, whether the CM have achieved the objectives or not. On behalfMPPUTP, we are totally agree with the implementation of CM with the benchmark of GPA 2.5 and beside introducing the CM, we hope that UTP management can create and enrich the culture of intellectual and the desire of getting knowledge to the whole of UTP community in producing quality graduates. When there are no students who are getting GPA below than 2.5, ESU may increase the benchmark of CM up to 2.7 or 3.0.
Therefore, we hope that ESU can put into consideration about the implementation of CM, especially the increment of the CM benchmark, from 2.5 up to 2.7 and 3.0. We hope that ESU can hold this action, until there no students in the group of GPA below 2.5.