Light shed on resource fees

At the beginning of the new academic semester in March 2021 at Taylor’s University, Year 2 and Year 3 students were surprised to find some of their lecture classes reduced to an hour on top of most of them not being able to utilise campus facilities despite having to pay the same semester fees, if not more.

This financial debate has been echoed throughout since the beginning of the first Movement Control Order (MCO) back in March 2020 where Taylor’s University students first integrated their classes online, causing several uproars amongst students and parents alike.

Around the same time, students of Taylor’s protested online to express their disappointment and frustration with the unchanged fees.

A Taylorian who goes by the alias, Charity Y, started an online petition with over 400 students who signed.

A screenshot of a student promoting the petition

(Source: @06.25th’s via Instagram Story)

Later on, a fellow law student of Taylor’s University, Ong Hui Heng, took it upon himself to advocate for the majority facing this issue on Instagram with the hashtag #RefundTaylors that gained traction with Taylorians within a matter of days.

Ong Hui Heng’s advocating on Instagram

(Source: @nikonboyboy’s post via Instagram)

“This is not a rebellion; this is an initiative to create awareness among the students that we are not alone, and that the management of Taylor’s University should take the students’ voices into account in any decision-making. Especially in this critical situation when poor parents are living from hand to mouth.”

Several parents are still unsatisfied and upset with the fact that they are being charged the resource fees of an average of RM3.5k despite most students only attending online classes, as well as some lectures ending earlier than their set timing.

“I understand how this can also be considered unfair, as they’re taking a fee from each student that amounts to a large figure.

But it’s equally important to be understanding of the changes we’ve had to face, and equate whether this resource fee was justified or not,” says a parent of a Taylor’s University student.

Phillip Gan Chee Keat, Programme Director of Mass Communication and a lecturer of Taylor’s University, has shed some light on this matter:

“Common misconception on students’ part is that, “I am not using the resource so why am I paying for it?”

The simple reason is that your resource fees go into the maintenance and utility fund that keeps your facilities and equipment running, that maintains the licenses to all the softwares needed by lecturers and students.

All these will not go away simply because students are not on campus to “use it”.

You may not use it, but the library, the ICT staff, the maintenance workers, and the university in general still need to upkeep and maintain these resources.

That is why there will never be any discount on resource fees.”

According to an advertorial by MalaysiaKini, Taylor’s has been upgrading their online platforms to facilitate online classes.

Having pre-recorded lectures to lightboard video technology that helped implement the concept of Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) explains why some lectures are now cut short an hour.

Productivity and awareness of both students and lecturers have increased due to TLLM, and do allow more room for other activities apart from work.

Lecturers are now able to narrow down their lesson plans to critical areas to be taught while students gain skills in independent self-learning which will prove beneficial in any industry.

“TLLM has its benefits and the idea on paper is certainly practical and will be the way forward to encourage greater independence amongst students to learn on their own, with academics taking on more the role of mentor and facilitator rather than an actual teacher.

Now, if the TLLM concept is extended to primary and secondary levels of education, I have no doubt it will be revolutionary,” says Gan.