Thursday 28 February 2013


FACULTY OF ACCOUNTANCY UiTM  AND ACCA

UiTM history with ACCA dates back to the 1960s. The then Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) was the first learning institution in Malaysia to offer ACCA tuition. ITM first director (now UiTM Pro Chancellor Tan Sri Datuk Arsyad Ayub) bestowed a legacy to Malaysia when he introduced ACCA courses at ITM. His pioneering move enabled Malaysians wishing to become professional accountant, the opportunity to study in Malaysia for the first time. He had the vision of producing professional accountants long before Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme forecast for 60,000 professional accountants by 2020.
The Faculty of Accountancy has since then carried the torch of this Man of Vision and gave birth to the Department of Professional Accounting Studies. Over the years, the department has flourished into a remarkable hub for professional accounting programmes.

I would like to congratulate  all the staff and lecturers of the Department of Professional Accounting Studies for their profound passion in producing quality graduates.  On top of consistently achieving exam results targets set by ACCA, meeting or exceeding worldwide pass rates, our Department of Professional Accounting Studies is brimming with pride and joy when a number of our students were awarded the ACCA and CAT, Malaysian and World Prize Winners. We proudly had Mr. Khalid Kamaruzzaman as our most promising student. As the Faculty produces more and more world class professional workforce, the profile of UiTM  will be rising higher and higher on the world map.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

BLENDED LEARNING 

Blended learning is a hybrid of traditional face-to-face and on-line learning so that instruction occurs both in the classroom and on-line. It is the process of incorporating many different ways in which people learn through the use of “blended” virtual and physical resources that contain a variety of learning activities with the use of technology, lecturer and peer interaction. As such, more than one delivery mode is being used with the objective of optimizing the learning outcome, efficiency, flexibility and cost of program delivery.


Assoc. Prof. Dr Noor Aziah Alias, the Head of i-Learn Unit, UiTM, successfully conducted an introductory workshop on the benefits of using Blended Learning as an instructional medium to the academic staff of Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM Shah Alam. The i-Learn Centre, together with Academic Affairs Division, are gearing towards the Blended Learning concept by introducing it to UiTM students and lecturers since 2009. The workshop received overwhelming response from all the lecturers. Although skeptical at first, most of them opined that blended learning could contribute to an efficient and flexible learning experience to both facilitators and learners alike.


 Professor Dr. Rozainun Abdul Aziz, the Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy, in her sharing session with the faculty members, said that blended learning does not replace the tutorial session but rather an extension of the learning time enjoyed by the students. This approach is actually an asynchronous learning time for the students to be able to continue with their learning and communicate with their respective lecturers beyond the classroom time. As such, it enhances the learning experience of learners. She also believed that with the coming of the information age, technology has the potential to transform the classrooms on a bigger space and platforms. Blended learning is thus a flexible approach to course design that supports the merger of different times and places of learning, offering some of the convenience of fully on-line courses without the complete loss of face-to-face contact. This is one of the reasons that blended learning courses have been well-received.

Monday 25 February 2013





Role of Accountants is Crucial in Combating Corruption and Enhancing Economic Sustainability – YB Dato’ Paduka Mukhriz Tun Mahathir

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), YB Dato’ Paduka Mukhriz Tun Mahathir applauded vigorous effort taken by the Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM, in producing industry leaders in the field of accountancy. He emphasized that accountants’ role is important in fighting corruption regardless of whether they are in the public or private sectors. Speaking at the Luncheon and  Engagement Session with Association of Professional Accounting Students (APACS), Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM, Shah Alam today, he highlighted that the strong persistence of Malaysia’s economic growth in the international trade sector is very much contributed by the competitiveness of our export products in the international market. He reiterated that Malaysia has a positive balance and trade surplus in its international trade activities where most of its products are being exported overseas to countries like China and India. The exported products are not only commodity based products but also electrical and electronic products which are high in demand in those countries. He added that Malaysia has been enjoying trade surplus continuously for 200 months since 1994. He also believed that the strength of our economy and international trade were contributed by the strong and stable political grounds in Malaysia.

Earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy, Prof. Dr. Rozainun Abdul Aziz in her welcoming speech said that the Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM has been producing accounting graduates and professionals that are of highest quality and their presence in all sectors of the industry helps developed the country’s economic well-being. She is proud that the faculty has contributed a lot in producing accounting professionals that plays a vital role in developing the country.



GLOBALIZATION

Globalization is a key topic of concern in all businesses today. In a globalised business environment higher education plays an essential role in shaping and developing economic development.  At the Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM, our programs and curriculum are designed to prepare students to be successful in a global economy. Our faculty, one of the top accounting schools in the country is the pride of UiTM.

The faculty offers undergraduate, professional and post graduate courses. The faculty’s undergraduate courses include the Diploma in Accountancy program, Diploma in Accountancy Information System program and the Bachelor in Accountancy (Honours) Program.  These programs are offered in ten (10) UiTM branches and in the main campus, Shah Alam. The unique aspect of these programs is that each program’s curriculum is designed to closely match the syllabus of the UK Professional qualifications namely the CIMA and ACCA. As a result, our undergraduates are granted the maximum subject exemptions from the two largest UK accounting professional bodies.

As the demand for professional accountants is growing globally, our faculty has long recognized that a professional qualification will give our undergraduates a competitive advantage when managing their career. Hence, we are proud to claim that the Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM is the only public university which currently offers the UK Professional programs. This commitment has moved the faculty to a higher level of excellence, reflected by our highly sought after (marketable) graduates. A large number of our undergraduates who have successfully completed their degree and professional examinations have found employment with the Big Four audit firms.

In the height of white collar crimes, the demand for forensic accountants is growing.  Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM is proud to respond to this trend by offering the Masters in Forensic Accounting and Financial Criminology program which is designed to train accountants to investigate white collar crimes. We also offer the Masters of Accountancy Program, a popular program which is widely recognised by employers.  The Faculty started its PhD in Accounting program in 2002. In a very short period of time our post-graduate programs have grown from strength to strength.  This success is partly attributed to the large number of PhD qualified lecturers readily available at the faculty.  We have currently 75 PhD qualified lecturers teaching in the Shah Alam and branch campuses.

Besides academic excellence, our students are also actively involved in co-curriculum and student activities. The ABAccs, AFTAS, APACs and SMF are four prominent accounting student societies which organise various student development activities and programmes, including networking with industry participation.   The student societies also introduce and promote Islamic values as part of their quest for academic excellence.

We are proud to claim that the Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM is one of the oldest and largest accounting schools in the country.  Our commitment to quality accounting education is reflected in the dedication of our highly esteemed team of lecturers, many of whom have more than twenty five years of teaching experience.  Besides teaching, our lecturers are also actively involved in consultancy, research, innovation and publication, areas which are important for academic excellence. A number of our lecturers have received research grants from various funding agencies. Our lecturers are also actively involved in international conferences and seminars, thus putting our faculty and the university on the world map.

The Faculty of Accountancy, UiTM is proud of its long list of distinguished graduates which include captains of the industry, prominent figures in the market and strong support for the accounting profession.

As the Dean of the faculty, I welcome you to join us on an exciting frontier of innovative knowledge and training that prepares sustainable accountants of the future. We also look forward to developing our network relationships with organisations both locally and internationally.

Prof Dr Rozainun Haji Abdul Aziz
Dean,
Faculty of Accountancy