Illustrated by Michael (@zp0904)

Given the amount of time and money students pour into Taylor’s University, it is only natural that students use their voices to shape it into the best environment possible, both academically and otherwise. 

On 27 April, students representing 14 programmes, as well as 59 clubs and societies gathered at the Student Representative Welfare Meeting (SRWM) in Lecture Theatre 1. Hosted by the Taylor’s University Student Council (TUSC), the event provided common ground for students to raise concerns or provide constructive feedback on campus life.

Breaking the ice with a recap of the previous SRWM in September 2023, event moderators Tan Zhi Ling and Darrshan Mahendran brought up changes that were being implemented based on given feedback like extending internet coverage to Syopz Mall and opening more X-Spaces at night during the examination weeks. 

The speakers also acknowledged some common sentiments and complaints from students, such as Arcadia’s high temperatures during the day due to lack of shade and fans. Concerns of stray dogs wandering campus grounds were currently being dealt with by the Auxiliary Police team as well. 

Moving onto the main agenda of the event, students raised concerns to the panelists Thannuj Raj, current TUSC president; Aflah Muhammad, Director of Campus Welfare; Yong Tung Joe, president of Taylor’s Orientation Leaders and Kok Qi Lam, Assistant Director of Campus Welfare. 

Beginning with a representative from the Taylor’s Symphony Orchestra, she mentioned the low response rate from management when securing venue bookings for their concerts as well as the delayed response from the Facilities Management (FM) team during events. A recurring topic throughout the discussion was the frustration towards the FM department on event logistics. 

Jeriel Fam from the Taylor’s College Student Council also shared the lack of professionalism of the FM department during their club events, whereby the requested equipment was not provided on time.

A representative from the Taylor’s Robotics Club (TRC) stated that most of their projects and components were disposed of by management during one of the recent semester breaks. With no storage space allocated to TRC and most of their members away for the holidays, they lost the bulk of their projects and components all in the span of a semester break.

“Taylor’s should notify us about this next time by directly sending an email to TRC’s official email address for us to do preparations or adjustments,” said the club representative in a follow-up statement.

Shifting to academics, a representative from the School of Medicine mentioned the slow loading speed of MyTimes after its recent update involving user interface changes. The English proficiency of students was brought up as well, most notably from the Komando 45 club and the School of Education. 

Students who are weak in English would fall behind during lectures and assignments, creating an unhappy situation for all students involved. Calling for action, one representative suggested increasing the English skill requirement for modules or providing extra tutoring for struggling learners.

After a short break, the meeting moved on to the topic of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS). Multiple students brought up the issue of air conditioning for classrooms, such as its frequent breakdowns and delayed repairs. One student had pointed out the compressors placed in hallways had “created a sauna-like environment that is incredibly uncomfortable to stand in.”

Another representative from Taylor’s Indonesian Society raised safety concerns regarding online gossip accounts that allegedly defame international students and affect Indonesian students, calling for management to take action.

These are among the many topics mentioned by students during the SRWM, with the panelists promising to follow up on each issue with the relevant departments. Going a step further, they ensured a quick response in a few months’ time for all concerns raised during the meeting.

Students with concerns or feedback are also free to contact TUSC at any time through this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVJ-qrPntJa6SCw8sA3GHrGu-1jBQPxn4kOUDa1ctTAzI-Eg/viewform