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2010SMUSA ANNUAL REPORT\\

FOR MEMBERS OF THE SMU STUDENTS ASSOCIATION


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CONTENTS

Editorial Note 3Outgoing Presidents Statement 46th Students Association Council

Vision & Mission 610th SMUSA Executive Committee

Vision 7Incoming Presidents Statement 87th Students Association Council

Vision and Mission 9Portfolio Reports

SMUSA Executive Committee (ExCo) 10CCA Constituent Bodies (CBds) 43School Constituent Bodies (CBds) 56

SMUSA Committee Reports 71Register of Students Association Leaders 96Financial Statements

Statement by Executive Committee 109Consolidated Income Statement 110Notes to Financial Statements 112

Notice of Annual General Meeting 118Acknowledgement form 119


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EDITORIALNOTE

Hi SMU,

SMU Students Association (SMUSA) finally celebrates 10 years of

establishment and student leadership.

Every fully matriculated SMU undergraduate is a member of SMUSA,

SMUs student body helmed by the Students Association Council

(SAC). The SAC comprises the SMUSA Executive Committee (ExCo),

6 School Constituent Bodies, and 4 CCA Constituent Bodies (CBds).

With 99 clubs and societies under its belt, the SAC provides strategic

direction, and promotes the welfare and interest for its members.

In 2010, we welcomed 3 new committees, namely the Constitutional

Review Committee, Administrative Advisory Committee, and

Sponsorship Committee. Cross collaborative initiatives across CBds

have been among the highlights of the year, such as the Events

Committee, and the Orientation Promotion Day organized for

incoming freshmen.

In line with our SACs mission of being approachable,

numerous people-based initiatives also surfaced. The CCA

Leaders Symposium and SMUSA-Staff Tea Session helped the

SAC build ties with many key stakeholders of SMU, and aided

our working relationships over the year. With the introduction

of the 1st International Students Secretary, we also witnessed

increasing events and initiatives amongst international students.

Trying to capture a year longs worth of events in the confines

of these pageshardly does justice to the hard work and passion

of our students. But I hope that our accounts will help trigger your thoughts- May you recall fond memories

and gather inspiration to strive more for our student life!

If you have noticed, this year

s annual report has adopted a smart, corporate slant, befitting of SMUSA

stransition into a new phase- its 11th year. For that, I would like to thankMs Vania Tanoto , my capable deputy, and

Ms Sophia Lo, President of SMUSA, for their invaluable help in materializing my vision for this annual report.

Happy reading!

Yours Sincerely,

Ms Emile Law Sui Huei

Honorary General Secretary10th SMU Students Association ExCo6th Students Association Council


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PRESIDENTS STATEMENT

Dear friends,

2010 has been a ride full of transitions for SMU; and for the SMUSA6th SAC and 10th ExCo, a journey of humble service and dedication.

Amidst our 10th anniversary celebrations, we have experienced the transition in leadership from SMU President Professor HowardHunter to Professor Arnoud de Meyer. We have adapted to thearrival of Bras Basah MRT and had a shift of our study benches alongthe concourse to SOE/SESS Level 1. We have tasted the transition ofour student cafes from Tree House to Glass Room, Screme toColours. Each of our inboxes had an increase from 100 MB to 10 GB.

All these, and many more.

Still, were in transit, gearing ourselves up for the next lap - thebeginning of a second decade for SMU.

As we embrace 2011, I am certain that the SMUSA Council andExCo will continue to stay committed in promoting the rights andwelfare of all students, so as to make SMU a community in whichevery student feels a sense of belonging.

May the legacy of many students who have dedicated themselves asleaders, recorded in the following pages of this annual report, continue to inspire you to believe and strive for

greater things in the days to come.

If you do not go after what you want, you will never have it. If you do not ask, the answer is always no. If you do not stepforward, you will always be in the same place

Never underestimate your every little action, participation and engagement, for they can bring a surge ofmotivation, new perspective as well as enrich the lives of others. No matter how big or small you think that changemight be, have faith that it will make a difference. Because it most definitely will.

Yours Sincerely,

Ms Sophia Lo Sing HuiPresident10th SMU Students Association ExCo6th SMU Students Association Council


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6th SMU Students Association Council

1st row standing (from left):

Eugene Wee Hui Yuan, SMU Sports Union President Claressa Wong Lifang, Student Welfare Secretary Joo

Doo Hyung Michael, Events Secretary Sarah Swee Ping Zhen, Honorary Finance Secretary Daniel Lee Boon

Onn, Deputy Finance SecretaryPyinnyar Kyaw, International Students Secretary Brenda Loh ChuanLing,

SMU Economics Society President Tommy Tien De Hui, IT Solutions SecretaryChiam Yan Wen, Student

Initiatives Secretary Brendon Png Lee Hong, Assets Secretary Irene Ong, Special Interest & Community

Service Sodality President Ernest Cai Kunrong, SMU Information Systems Society President Kwek Hyen Yu,

SMU Social Sciences Society President Low Soon Heng, SMUXtremists President Sheena Yeoh Shi Yun, SMU

Law Society President

2nd row sitting (from left):

Maria Meta Vania Tanoto, Deputy General SecretaryLee Cher Hern, Communications SecretaryEmile Law

Sui Huei, Honorary General SecretaryJacob Selvan Muthu, Deputy Events SecretarySophia Lo Sing Hui,

President Jack Moy Ting, Business SecretaryTessa Ang Cheng Ai, Vice President Julius Chen Yi Fei, SMU

Accounting Society President Jalene Alyssa Seah Wan Ping, SMU Business Society President Ken Chang Yuan

Shao, Arts and Cultural Fraternity President

Patrons Day 2010


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VISION

To ignite students passion in creating a holisticculture for all SMU students.

To be a credible body that safeguards andchampions students rights for the bettermentof the school.

MISSION

Strive for student developmentCultivate a good relationship with officesRaising visibility and increasing relevance

SAC Investiture 2010

SAC Leadership Exchange 2010, Hong Kong


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10th SMU Students Association

Executive Committee

VISIONAs the hear t of the student body, we aspire to be approachable and striveto empower the students to the best of their interests, thereby cultivating aunique and vibrant SMU identity.


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Hi friends,

On behalf of the 7th SMU Students Association Council (SAC), thank you for

giving us the chance to serve you and to make a positive difference to your

lives here in SMU. Please be assured that we will do our best to fulfill our

promises made to you during the elections.

Regardless of your interest and affiliation, you will be represented in the SAC

and your voices would be heard and acted upon.

The aim of the 7th SAC this year would be to cultivate a distinct and reputable

student identity for SMU students. In that, we will strive for holistic student

development both academically as well as in co-curricular activities to create

this very identity. In line with our vision, we will seek to internalize this mindset

in every student of SMU. By doing so, we hope to inculcate in you a sense of

pride and identity of being an SMU student.

Integration between the 6 Schools Constituent Bodies and 4 CCA

Constituent Bodies of SMUSA will also be essential in cultivating this identity. As such, do look forward to a tweaks in

your favorite events that aim to inculcate this sense of integration. The upcoming year promises to be an extremely

exciting one, filled with new initiatives and school-wide events seeking to explore uncharted waters.

All these might seem daunting and even impossible to fulfill by the end of one term in office, but we believe that by

setting the gears of change in motion, our successors would one day get to that ideal state that we have dreamed up for

the student population and SMU.

So join us on this leap of faith as we strive to make SMU truly a better place for all of you.

Mr Ryan Tan Yong DingPresident11th SMU Students Association ExCo7th SMU Students Association Council

7th SMUSTUDENTSASSOCIATIONCOUNCIL

VISION

To ignite students passion in creating a holistic culture for all SMU students.To be a credible body that safeguards and champions students rights for the bettermentof the school.

MISSIONTo cultivate a distinct and reputable student identityTo augment the prominence and relevance of the SAC through makingsubstantial improvements to student life.

INCOMING PRESIDENTSSTATEMENT


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1st row standing (from left):

Foo Jie Kai, SMU Economics Society President Yan Yuet Chiong Daryl, SMUXtremists President Rachel Teo

Liling, SMU Arts and Cultural Fraternity President Chong Zi Xin, IT Solutions Secretary Oh Jia Ying Jazmine,

Events Secretary Tan Hong Leng Gary, Honorary Finance Secretary Phua Yanqi, Deputy General Secretary

Neo Shu Jean, Deputy Events Secretary Chua Yun Zhi Amanda, Assets Secretary Pereira Mark Gregory,

Deputy Finance Secretary Nikhil Antony Jonas, Business Secretary Ho Ming Cai, Special Interest &

Community Service Sodality President Tan Peng Yong, SMU Social Sciences Society President Bryan Lim Shi

Ming, Communications Secretary Chia Hanfeng Shaun, SMU Information Systems Society President Kang Tai

Tat Clarence, SMU Law Society President Ang Kang Hao Glenn, SMU Business Society President

2nd row sitting (from left):

Danial Haris, SMU Accounting Society President Wu Kuan Liang, International Students Secretary Daniel

Christian Minardi, Vice President Ryan Tan Yong Dong, President Zizie Zuzantie binte Mohamed Said,

Honorary General Secretary Majella Tay Shen Ee, Student Welfare Secretary Daniel Kong Jia Sheng, SMU

Sports Union President


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Learn to forget the tough times, but never forget

what they taught you

A challenging year it was, yet fulfilling it has been.

And now it is a tad pity that the time has come to

move on.

E

xecutiveCommittee

P

ORTFOL

IOR

EPO

RTS


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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|11

PresidentMS. SOPHIA LO SING HUILee Kong Chian School of Business |2008

s the 6th Students Association Council(SAC) and 10th SMU Students

Association Executive Committee (ExCo), myteam and I set out with the broad picture ofapproachability in mind as we started our term toreach out to students and to champion for theirbest interests.

As the heart of the student body, we aspire to be

approachable... - a vision that we faithfully held onto throughout our term of service.

We hoped that every SMU student would seeSMUSA as trustworthy friends, as well as anavenue for problem-solving and value creation.

FOR THE LITTLE THINGS OF STUDENTLIFE THAT TRULY GO A LONG WAYWe believe that it is the small things that arecrucial and attainable for the betterment of thestudent body. Instead of promising wonders, wepromised realistic deliverables, which included the

following:

BOSS BIDDING SURVEY

In our June bidding season, the number of biddableseats allocated for each section was reducedsignificantly, leading to many of our peers having 0

or 1 modules even after several rounds of biddings,and second major students faced even greaterdifficulty in obtaining their classes.

We immediately conducted several online BOSSBidding Feedback surveys to identify specificcourses that lacked sufficient class sections. Armedwith the survey results, the SAC worked closely

with Registrar and school administrators toincrease class sections and biddable seats where

needed.

Based on our suggestion, Registrar offered a 10 e-dollar incentive to students who indicate modules

they were going to bid for in their coming term.With better predictability in course demand, theAY2010-2011 2nd semester bidding situationimproved greatly.

MORE STUDY SPACES DURING EXAMPERIODS

There arent enough spaces in the library! is a

familiar lament as the exam period draws neareach time.

With the support of Dean of Students (DOS) Prof

Low Aik Meng, Office of Facilities Management(OFM), school administrators and professors, we

have managed to secure seminar rooms (SRs)which are not used by professors to be opened upto students for their examination revisions.

AY2010-2011 2nd semester saw an average of 20seminar rooms being made available in Week 14as a study area. We hope this aided your revisionprocess significantly.

NO MORE MID-TERM EXAMS IN WEEK 8

Our inaugural Student Leaders Symposiumhighlighted an issue of an increasing number ofprofessors who were conducting mid-term

examinations in our recess week (Week 8). Assuch, clubs faced a dip in student participation rate

for the events that coincided with that period.

Students stress levels have also increased withexam preparations in recess week.

With the support of the University Student LifeCouncil (USLC) and Professor Pang Yang Hoong,we managed to get a guarantee that mid-termexaminations will no longer be held during the

weekdays of recess week.


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CONTINUITYCOLLABORATIONS WITH OUR ALUMNI

In a bid to extend relations to our very successfulSMU Alumni Association (SMUAA), I have initiated

the FIFA World Cup screening, an event which

marked the beginning of the SMUSA-SMUAAslong-term collaboration. The event was held insummer and it enabled SMUSA to tie-up with

SMUAA for the first time, thereby bringing the twobodies together.

We hope to be able to further establish closer ties

for future collaborations where we may providetwo-way learning and assistance through various

avenues left to be explored.

HEARTFELT APPRECIATIONTo all SMU students: Thank you for giving the 6th

SAC and 10th ExCo the opportunity to serve theschool. Thank you for raising pertinent schoolissues to us, be it through our conversations,emails, online channels, dialogue sessions or

feedback surveys. Your participation, support andencouragement have kept us going in our humbleterm of service.

To all who have served the school alongside us - CBdExCos, SMUSA committees, SMUSA event

committees and organizers, FTB facilitators, all clubsand societies: Thank you for all your hard work,

time, passion, and commitment in creating amemorable and meaningful student life. Yourcontribution has made all the difference.

To then President Howard Hunter, President Arnoudde Meyer, senior management, the Office of Registrar,

Office of Facilities Management, Office of Finance,Office of Career Services, Office of CorporateCommunications, Integrated Information TechnologyServices and Leasing Business Unit, Thank you for

your concern for student development, and all the

valuable meetings in making decisions alongsideSMUSA for the betterment of SMU.

To Prof Low and Bernie: Thank you for all yourguidance and for giving us your trust every step of

the way, and empowering us in our drive to makechanges for the school.

To all the Office of Student Life (OSL) Managers:Thank you for all the help and for giving us the

drive to progress with every event we haveorganized.

To Mr. Wong Yew Tong: Thank you for seeing usthrough our term of service, keeping us on track

with our growth, and for giving us encouragementand confidence, especially in times where weneeded it more than anything else.

To the 10 CBd presidents: Thank you for your

commitment in leading your respective CBds well,for your support and constant understanding.Thank you for all the valuable lessons as we allgrew together in our journey of service.

To my dear ExCo: Its been a challenging yet fruitfuljourney of serving together. Thank you for startingthe race together, and staying dedicated together

till the very end. I am truly blessed to have all ofyou.

To my family and friends: Thank you for being myconstant pillars of support, for your prayers, forpicking me up whenever I fall, and for always being

there for me.

Above all, I thank the Lord for His amazing grace.

Another year dawns for SMUSA, and I have fullfaith and confidence that Mr. Ryan Tan will be able

to lead the 7th SAC and 11th ExCo in

exemplifying SMUSAs vision and break newboundaries.


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Vice PresidentMS. TESSA ANG CHENG AI

School of Law 2008

To Lead is to Serveespite its fair share of ups and downs,

2010 has been a good year for me.

Looking back at the SMUSA election then, I am

grateful that I overcame my risk-adverse nature tomake the decision to run for SMUSA and for theposition of Vice President (VP). Special thanks toMr. Don Liu and Mr. Daren Li from the 9th SMUSA

Executive Committee (ExCo) for their advice andguidance, which helped me make the decision to

take a leap of faith to run for Vice President.

CONSTITUTION REVIEWThe Constitutional Review Committee was set up

in 2010 to review and amend the SMUSA andConstituent Bodies (CBds) Constitutions. Pleaserefer to the Constitutional Review Committeereport (Page 79) for more details.

STANDING COMMITTEESThis year also saw the introduction of 2 standingcommittees:

The Administ rati ve Adv isory Commit tee(AAC) , helmed by SMUSA Honorary GeneralSecretary (HGS) Ms. Emile Law, is made up of theHGS of 10 CBds. Please refer to the AAC report

on Page 72 for more details.

The Events Commit tee, led by SMUSA EventsSecretary, Mr. Michael Joo was also set up. Itcomprises of the Event Directors of each CBd.You may refer to Page 80 for the detailed report

write up.

The presence of these committees increasedinteraction and cooperation among the SMUSAExCo and the 10 CBds. Such collaborations helpedhighlight common challenges which could betackled more effectively. The committee

discussions also lent a more strategic slant to whatwere originally rather operational roles.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURESThis aspect has been strongly emphasized by the10th SMUSA ExCo. Reviews were done on all

SMUSA guidelines. We started to document manyoperational procedures in writing to ensure its

continuity and effective dissemination. There was

also strong enforcement of the guidelines,especially email guidelines, which led to a decreasein email violations.

Our review efforts led up to the creation of a newinitiative called the Handover Exercise (HE), aninitiative I take particular pride of. Thus, as the

name suggests, HE ensures that all CCAs have astandard set of handover procedures.

I was personally involved in this initiative and as of

now, I am proud to say that all the 99 clubs and

societies under SMUSA have undergone SMUSA

sinaugural Handover Exercise.

FACILITIESI led a taskforce to address facility issues in SMU.We had a checklist of items we wanted to achieve,and conducted 2 surveys to garner feedback andinformation from students. Although we did notaccomplish all the things on our check list, I believe

that we have made progress. We were able to get

ExCo Portfolio Report


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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|15an extension of air conditioning hours even on

Sundays during the peak weeks. Students also, nowhave the right to study in SMU until 12 midnightwithout getting chased. Seminar Rooms will beopened for students in Week 14 to increase the

amount of study spaces in school.

The feedback given to OFM on the level ofcleanliness in SMU prompted OFM to review theircleaning system. Toilet hygiene has been improved,more trash bins have been placed around school

and the carpets were shampooed.

Ms. Yan Wen, SMUSA Student Initiatives Secretary,and I were also invited to sit in the Campus Green

Committee. This committee was set to look intomaking SMU an environmentally friendly campus.I would like to thank the Office of FacilitiesManagement, especially Mr. Goh Thiang Hock and

Mr. Ben Goh for all their support.

SMUSA STAFF TEA SESSIONTo build better relations with the offices, weinitiated the SMUSA Staff Tea Session. The firstone was held in March to give the officers a better

understanding of how student leadership is run inSMU. It was the starting point of a goodrelationship with the offices for the year of 2010.

The second one was held in October where weintroduced the officers to the 7th SAC. We alsowent through the Student Satisfaction Survey

results with the officers to allow them to betterunderstand the students as well as our concerns.These were fruitful sessions where many issues

were brought up and discussed. My hope is thatsuch sessions continue as it allows for open andconstant communication between SMUSA and theofficers.

TRI-UNIVERSITY EXCHANGEA Tri-University Exchange was initiated as a resultof a SAC exchange to Hong Kong & Macau. The

fruitful sharing session with NTU and NUS sawcommon issues debated, ideas generated, and

good relations forged among the 3 universities.

GLASSROOM2010 saw the first change of owners for the spaceat Level 2 SIS from Treehouse to Glassroom. Ateam of 5 dedicated students won the bid forGlassroom because of their passion and creativity.

Glassroom is now a the place to hang out for

those looking for a cosy setting with good food.

OPEN HOUSETogether with Deputy Events Secretary, Mr. Jacob

Selvan, we worked together with the Office ofUndergraduate Admissions (OUA) to organize theStudent Life segment of Open House. Unlike prioryears, where our booths were placed in a low

traffic location- the Sports Hall, we were able tosecure the Level 2 and 3 of the Administration

Building, where we got better traffic.

What was also different this year was a new booth

called The SMU Experience. This was a wallwhich exhibited what a SMU student would enjoyin his stay in SMU, ranging from the FreshmenExperience, Community Service, Internships toCCAs.

I would like to thank the CCA CBd presidents fortheir support and understanding in coordinatingthis event.

CONVOCATIONTogether with Mr. Jacob Selvan, we jointly

produced the Pre-formal Segment of Convocation2010 with the OSL team. A more elaborate writeup can be found under the Convocation report on

Page 91.

PRESIDENT HOWARD HUNTERFAREWELLWhen then President Howard Hunter was in hisfinal term of office, I was asked to organize a


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farewell party. This was one of the most

challenging periods in my term as I was givenaround one week to plan it. There was a lot ofcoordination to be done between the offices, thestudents and the CCAs. Thanks Jacob for your

help during this hectic period. We hope that

President Hunter and Mrs. Hunter enjoyed theevent.

SMUSA AWARDS NIGHT 2011- THEAVENUE OF STARSSMUSA Awards Night 2011 is set to be different.In previous years, a committee would be set up bythe incoming SMUSA ExCo to plan this event.

However, the 10th SMUSA ExCo felt that since thepurpose of SMUSA Awards Night is to appreciate

those who have contributed for the year of 2010,the responsibility of planning for this event should

fall upon the 10th SMUSA ExCo.

As such, Mr. Jacob Selvan and I are now hard atwork planning for this event. So do join us on 28thJanuary, Friday at 7pm at Wavehouse for a night ofcelebration and appreciation of Student Life!

GRATITUDE IS THE MEMORY OF THEHEARTI would like to take this opportunity to thank everysingle person whom I have come in contact with

who contributed to this amazing year. Each one ofyou made the year what it was. I would like tothank all those who gave me this opportunity andwho had faith in me. Thank you for allowing me to

serve the school which I love.

To my family, thank you for supporting my decision

to run for SMUSA even though it meant that Iwould not be around a lot.

To the 6th SAC, we have been through much but I

am glad that I took this journey with you all.

To Mr. Daniel Minardi, I am confident that the VicePresident role is in more than capable hands. I amproud of you and your journey thus far. Continueto grow in this new journey.

To the 7th SAC, pace yourself in your year-longmarathon. Do know that I am here for you inanyway if you need.

SMUSA, I WILL MISS YOU.



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Honorary General SecretaryMS. EMILE LAW SUI HUEILee Kong Chian School of Business |2008

e all have our share of unexpectedoutcomes and challenges in life, and we

can choose to make the most out of it, or hide. My

past year serving SMU Students Association(SMUSA) saw myself facing challenges head on,forging forward to improve many aspects ofSMUSA. It is with relief tinged with sadness that I

finally wrap up my portfolio in this report.GRATITUDEThe transition into my portfolio had beenembellished with early trials. Hence, before

accounting for my term proper, I must first thankthe 9th SMUSA Executive Committee- Mr. AvnishDesai, Mr. Don Liu, Mr. Daren Li, Ms. Delphine Hu,Ms. Rachel Kok and Ms. Rachel Yang for being thesource of guidance and information when I had to

step into my portfolio in early November 2009.That crucial transition period became the crux in

paving my goals and direction for my term, and forthat- Thank you!

AGM AND INVESTITURE 2010My deputy, Ms. Vania Tanoto and I organized theSMUSA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and

Investiture as part of our first constitutional duty. Inwitness of 258 SMUSA members and various

school officers, we seamlessly executed our firstformal ceremony of the year.

SMUSA POLICIESRedeeming credibility for SMUSA policies and

guidelines were among my main challenges. Webegan by enforcing our mass email policy. 2 emailsa week, 1 email a day. No email above 300kb. It

was a difficult few months for Ms. Vania and I asshe painstakingly monitored mass mails, and Inegotiated with many clubs in our efforts to meteout fair and equitable penalties.

This process, despite being initially challenging,taught me the value of nipping problems in the

bud. SMUSAs credibility and the students trust inus forms the foundation of a healthy relationship.And the success of establishing this trust enabled

me to forge ahead to improve and expand thescope of SMUSA policies, thus providing certainty

and guidance for many of SMUSAs operations.

CLUB MANAGEMENTThe management of clubs were streamlined andimproved over the year. Centralized StandardOperating Procedures (SOPs) for club creations1,transfers, and closures2 were introduced, and my

portfolio expanded to encompass overseeing themanagement of clubs.

Our SOP for club creation helped saved time in

reviewing new club proposals. After meeting thestudents in person, I would direct worthy

proposals to an assigned Constituent Body (CBd)for direct evaluation. This eliminated frustrations

1The clubs created were SMU Real Business, Ardiente and

MindSports. Many others still remain pending as studentsreconsidered their proposals.2 The clubs closed were Blurt, Mensa, Astrodinary, Tzu Chi andChess Club.


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when past proposals kept circulating repetitively

among CBds.

In summary, our guidelines now include:- Form A- Club Formation

- Form B- Club Transfer

- Form C- Club Closure- SMUSA Club Setup Procedures

- Club Formation + Transfer + Closure Guideline

The personal discussions with students allowed meto share advice regarding club proposals, andprepare the students for future challenges they willface in establishing their club. Some of these issues

included SMUSA budget thresholds, integrationconcerns into the CBds, cannibalization of existingclubs, as well as development space for their club.

To safeguard the financial interests of SMUSAs

existing clubs, new clubs, on a case-by-case basis,would undergo a trial period where they are

subjected to more stringent budgeting, aimed totest the resilience and sustainability of the club.

With the support of the SAC, open ExCorecruitment for clubs has also been banned in our

effort to uphold the quality of student leadership inSMU.

The introduction of the Handover Exercise (HE)

through the Administrative Advisory Committee(AAC) was another milestone in enforcing

SMUSAs Guidelines and ensuring that incomingExCos received proper handovers. More details

can be found under the Administrative AdvisoryCommittee (AAC) report (page 72).

ELECTIONThe SMUSA General and Internal Electionprotocols were revamped this year. Review workstarted in summer, when as part of theConstitutional Review Committee, I spent longnights pouring over the 10 CBd Constitutions toidentify the most effective and equitable clauses for

SMUSA. The improved framework was

unanimously passed at an SAC meeting, and tookeffect for the SMUSA 2010 Election.

Working with the ExCo and the electioncommittee, more guidelines, SOPs and standingorders were created in place to strengthen andsolidify the election mechanism for the current andfuture election committee(s). One significant point

determined in the guideline was that the entireSMUSA ExCo, excluding myself, would abstain

from any involvement in the SMUSA election. My

role would be limited to serving as point of contactand advisor regarding operational matters of theelection committee. No one in the SAC, includingmyself would have decisional influence over the

election committee.

To facilitate work and decision making processesof the election committee, an additional memberwas added to ensure an odd-numberedcommittee, thus enabling the committee to make

internal decisions by votes when necessary.

We also increased the transparency of the SMUSAelection recruitment. For the first time, we

conducted an open recruitment of the electioncommittee. Our election chairperson, Mr. Ju XiaoYong and his 4 election officers, Ms. Sim Yok Teng,Mr. Indra Darmawan, Ms. Audrey Lim and Mr.

Irshad were selected through an interview with the10 CBd presidents of the 6th SAC.

This election committee proved instrumental inproviding timely feedback through their queriesand opinions. It was with their collaboration that

the SMUSA Internal Election Standing Order,comprising detailed protocol of the internalelection, materialized. I am immensely grateful andproud to see them adapt so quickly to their roles

and surpass my expectations.

This years CBd elections were closely monitored.

In the capacity of an SAC member and neutralparty, I stepped in to assist the proceedings of CBdelections where necessary. Much credit has to begiven to various CBds such as the Special Interest



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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|19and Community Service Sodality (SICS) and School

of Information Systems (SISS) for their toughstance of postponing their proceedings to fulfill therequired attendance from their members, in aneffort to ensure an equitable election.

Indeed, 2010 marked a year where the SMUSA

electoral process achieved a significant milestone interms of development and maturity.

BEYOND PORTFOLIOGiven the nature of my portfolio, I was naturally

involved in a lot of internal and external emailcorrespondences, which tied me down a lot. Goingabove and beyond my portfolio was something

that I wanted to do, and Im grateful foropportunities to explore beyond my portfolio ofduty when I could.

One significant initiative that I got to partake in was

the Facilities Taskforce with Ms. Tessa Ang, Ms.Vania Tanoto and Mr. Brendon Png. We collated

students feedback regarding the use of SMU studyareas as part of our efforts to increase air-conditioning extension hours.

Another major initiative occurred in April 2010.

Based on a hunch that a lot of study areas in SMUwere underutilized, my deputy and I emailed the

entire SMU faculty and collated all the unusedseminar and class rooms in SMU that were unused

in Week 14. With the professors consensus, theselocations were released as study areas in Week 14.

It was an immensely labor intensive effort whichdrew attention at a University of Student LifeCommittee (USLC) meeting.

Henceforth, the task of collating the unusedteaching facilities in week 14 was assigned to theindividual school offices, and SMUSA takes on a

coordination role.

LOOKING AHEADAs tiring as the year had been, it has been a

fulfilling one. There is certainly more that I wouldhave loved to see through for SMUSA. But givenphysical and mental limitations, I seek forgivenessthat I could not serve the student body more.

In passing the baton, I place my faith in the 7thSAC- the fresh blood who will continue to bringSMUSA from strength to strength. To mysuccessor, Ms. Zizie, and her deputy, Ms. PhuaYanqi, I entrust you with the task of continuing our

work, and elevate SMUSA to greater heights.

NOSTALGIALooking back, nowhere did I expect to see myportfolio-deemed truly dry and intensive, becomewhat it is today.

I dedicate all the success in service to mypeers in

SMUSA : For your valuable critic when I waslooking into guidelines and electoral amendments,humor when I was most work laden, calling me forlunch, dinner or packed food despite constant

rejections, and being the listener although I dont

think I made sense a lot of times, thank you. I cant

name everyone here, but Im sure you know whoyou are.

To the 6th SAC: Thank you for your votes of faith.None of the guidelines would have taken effect if

not for your backing. No standing order orconstitution, or even the AAC would have

materialized if not for your support.

To my family and friends in Malaysia: Thank you foraccepting my constant absence, for letting me

pursue what I believe in, and always being therewhen I needed a break. It is because your presence

in my life that I have the courage to do what Imdoing, and become who I am today.

To my comrade, buddy, and best friend- Ms. Vania

Tanoto: I dont know how else to sum it up thanwith a true thank you. Vania, I could not haveasked for a better deputy, and I would not have

been able to expand our portfolio if not for thecomfort in knowing that you were there to cover

our base. The endless minute taking, tediousadministrative work is something that we willremember and probably laugh over one day, notto mention our countless late nights. It has been a

wonderful journey with you and Im glad youstepped up to it.

Thank You!


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Deputy General SecretaryMS. MARIA META VANIA TANOTO

School of Accountancy |2009

ear 2010 is the year which, when I

reflect upon in many years to come, Iwould not have wanted to spend in any other way.Exactly one year ago, while still a freshman, I would

have never imagined myself taking up the challengeto serve a large student body. It wasan unfamiliar

journey. Nonetheless, I will never regret havingchosen the road less travelled and I am glad that I

have been able to accomplish so much during myyear-long term in SMUSA.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERSADMINISTRATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

I was the Vice Chairperson of the committeewhich consists of all the secretaries of the ten

Constituent Bodies (CBds). Together with Ms.Emile Law, the Chairperson, we held efficient

meetings with the 1st Administrative AdvisoryCommittee (AAC).

More details on the functions, operations and

progress of the committee can be found under theAdministrative Advisory Committee (AAC) report(page 72).

MANAGING CLUB EMAILSGreater autonomy for clubs to send mass emails

to the SMU community also meant that SMUSAhad to conscientiously monitor the influx of emails.

I was in charge of manually supervising the email

traffic. In this process, I helped balance SMUSAsstand of supporting clubs in their publicity effortsand safeguarding students from unnecessary emails.As we meted out penalties to clubs and societieswho failed to abide by SMUSAs email guidelines,

we also exercised sensitivity by adjusting emailpenalties to those whose needs were justified.Once our streamlining efforts became more

manageable, our email monitoring began toencompass liaising with IITS to mitigate emails fromvarious school offices.

As a result of our consistent efforts, we have beenable to see a pleasant dip in number ofunnecessary emails as well as frequency ofviolations.

SMUSA NOTICEBOARD

I was in charge of designing and maintaining the

board. And in line with our ExCos vision which

emphasized approachability, this years noticeboard design contained personalized individual

portfolios and contact details of the ExCo

members, SMUSAs past events as well as updates.

SMU WALLThe SMU Wall was an initiative by the past ExCoto increase means of reaching out to the SMUcommunity. However, it only materialized during

our term and I was entrusted, with the help fromMs. Sophia Lo, Ms. Winnie Soh and Ms. Wang Sha,

to turn an empty black board into an interactivemedium. During our term, our SMU Wall offeredstudents the opportunity to give feedback or

suggestions about student life anonymously, andfeatured photos depicting the vibrant student life inSMU.



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OTHERSEffectively, my role as the Deputy GeneralSecretary stretched beyond the standard call of

duties. This is something which my ExCo is familiarwith- taking on cross portfolio initiatives. Amongsome projects I partook included planning the

programme for a visit from University SainsMalaysia, assisting with assets loan, being part of

the committee for the SMUSA RESPONSIBLE

FUN campaign an initiative to promoteresponsible drinking during campus events,supporting SMUSA summer events, creating study

spaces for students during Week 14 and being partof SMUSA Student Production Team forConvocation 2010.

APPRECIATIONWith all the gratitude I can summon:

To my dearest 10th Exco For giving me theopportunity to serve and assume the position

which I will always be grateful for, thank you forhelping me paint fond memories of my freshmenyear with toils and celebrations.

To my cheerful partner Emile For believing in mefrom the very start, relentlessly motivating me to

reach further, allowing me to grow, learn and make

independent decisions as the term progressed. Ithas been a privilege working closely with youwhich of course, entailed to very late night staysand calls. I have not only found a working partner,

but also a best friend.

To my cherished family and friends Together, you

wove a net beneath my tightrope without which

quite simply I would not have been able to walkthrough to where I am today. Thank you for your

love, understanding and the unwavering support,and to my fellow schoolmates, particularly, forallowing me to serve you during my term.And above all, I thank God for his many blessings.

TO THE 7 th SACI believe in your capability and commitment tocarry on our work and surpass our expectations.

Anticipate new challenges with open mind and

walk the experience with positive energyonly

with that can you look back with pride and say, Ihave done my best for the betterment of student

life.


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Honorary Finance SecretaryMS. SWEE PING ZHEN SARAHLee Kong Chian School of Business |2007

he past year has posed several unique

challenges for the Finance portfolio.

Despite an increase in the number of active clubsand societies under the SMU Students Association(SMUSA), our budget injection shrank by $19,000

(-7.12%). Thankfully, this shortfall wascompensated by further budget injection from theOffice of Student Life (OSL) alongside higherutilization of SAC and Club Reserves. In

conjunction with SMUs 10th Anniversarycelebrations, student life in SMU remained vibrantwith activities such as sporting events and 10th

anniversary celebrations.

MAJOR FINANCE INITIATIVES IN 2010Among the goals of the finance portfolio in year

2010 was to further improve the SMUSA financesystem by increasing operational efficiency,streamline the claims process and increase

interaction between SMUs Office of Finance(OFIN), SMUSA finance secretaries and theFinance Committee (FINCOM) members.

ONLINE REQUEST FORM FOR SMUSARECEIPT BOOKSThe issuance of SMUSA receipt books was mademore efficient by implementing an online request

form.

This online form helped consolidate and formalizerequests for receipt books. Distribution of the

receipts books was also standardized to be doneon a weekly basis. Such measures enhanced order

and facilitated more efficient issuance of SMUSAreceipt books. Students can request for receipt

books at www.tinyurl.com/smusareceiptbooks .

ADDITIONS TO BUDGET GUIDELINESHaving successfully launched the first consolidatedbudget guideline for all SMUSA clubs and societiesby the 5th FINCOM, the 6th Finance Committee

reviewed and supplemented the budget guidelineto also standardize expenditure for items such as

corporate gift purchases and name tentexpenditure. These amendments created common

standards across the CBds and ensuredappropriate expenditures for these standardized

items.

ONLINE CLAIMS SYSTEM REVAMPIn 2010, a pilot test of the first version of the

Online Claims System revealed several structuralerrors. After a 2-month review conducted with Mr.

Tommy Tien, SMUSAs IT Solutions Secretary, anda Final Year Project (FYP) group from the Schoolof Information System (SISS), an improved version

of the Online Claims System has been reworkedand will undergo beta testing and, is scheduled forlaunch the 2nd half of 2011.

This system will enhance transparency and accessto information among club finance secretaries andpresidents, allowing them direct access to latestbudget and claim records, with an indication of its

status. As an informational platform, clubs would



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Deputy Finance SecretaryMR. DANIEL LEE BOON ONN

School of Accountancy|2008

t was just one year ago when I started my

term of office in the SMU Students

Associations Executive Committee (SMUSA

ExCo). Club finances have been and will alwaysremain as the most important issue in everyonesmind, and the position as the Deputy FinanceSecretary was indeed a heavy responsibility for me.

Together with the SMUSA Honorary FinanceSecretary, Ms. Sarah Swee, we took charge ofmaintaining the integrity and transparency of theSMUSA finance system. I now write to share some

of the more pertinent review points gathered frommy one year of service. I hope that the content of

this report will help enhance the SMUSA financesystem, and serve as learning points for club ExCosto come.CLUB BUDGETINGBudgeting has always been the most contentioustopic at the start of every budgeting semester. The6th SMUSA Finance Committee has strived toensure that budget is equitably distributed to allclubs and societies. As our allocated budget doesnot grow in accordance to our wishes, I strongly

encourage future club ExCos to budget prudently.Budget standards are constantly enforced so thatfunds can be prioritized for more essentialpurposes, such as for training, asset purchases and

activities that cater to the entire SMU studentpopulation.

Budget utilization is also another important

benchmark in determining the performance of the

clubs ExCo. Poor utilization rates would not onlyaffect the performance of a club, but alsothe

clubs capacity to justify future funding requests asunused budget could be better allocated to other

clubs instead. Hence, this is a strong reminder for

all ExCos to remain observant for what theybudgetand to use it wisely.USAGE OF CLUB RESERVESGiven that SMU is primarily a business-oriented

school, SMUSAs Finance Committee (FINCOM)would like to encourage clubs and societies toorganize more revenue generating activities of

which can be channeled to fund their own clubrelated expenditure. Unspent club income can be

kept in the reserves, for timely use in the future.

However, reserves that exist for no specificintention or purpose should be used instead ofbeing left dormant indefinitely. This will help

reinforce SMUSA FINCOMs policy of remainingfair and equitable to clubs, and allocate budget toclubs that do not have sufficient reserves.

Therefore, we encourage clubs to use theirreserves to supplement their budget request sothat we can maximize budget usage for theAssociation as a whole.

FINANCIAL CLAIMS I had constantly received emails regarding the

status of the claims for various individuals. Iunderstand that the speed of reimbursement ofclaims is important to us, being students. I would

like to emphasize that SMUs Office of Finance(OFIN) handles a large volume of claims every dayand time is needed for the processing of claims.

Delays are often caused by rejection claims that donot adhere to submission requirements.



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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|25Therefore, I highly encourage incoming ExCos to

read the SMUSA Financial Procedure Manualthoroughly to ensure smooth processing of theirclaims. This Manual is readily available on theSMUSA website. Queries may be directed them to

the respective CBd or SMUSA Finance Secretaries,

so that the manual can be improved further. I hopethat with the implementation of the Online ClaimsSystem, claims can be better monitored and thatthe rejection rate of claims will be factored inwhen evaluating the performance of club finances.

OUTLOOK FOR 2011 Given the rather optimistic economic outlook for2011, it is timely for clubs to seek sponsorship, be

it monetary or in kind, for their activities. This can

help reduce budget reliance on the StudentsAssociation Council (SAC) funds. I have faith in theincoming 7th SMUSA Finance Committee, that they

will take further steps to streamline the budgetutilization of clubs. I also hope that clubs will givetheir utmost support to their finance secretaries soas to bring the SMUSA finances to greater heights.

APPRECIATIONThroughout my term of office, I have had theprivilege of serving the SMU student population to

the best of my abilities, and would like to thank thefollowing people who have helped me in one way

or another:

To the SMU Office of Finance (Miss Jacqueline Ng,

Mr. Jeffery Tan, Miss Tay Cheng Siew, Miss ElaineChew, Miss Rosemarie Carbaya, Miss Lee XiaoShan, Miss Kate Wong, Miss Korine Lee and the

rest of the OFIN family) You have beeninstrumental in maintaining the SMUSA financesystem. Without your support, we would not have

achieved what we have set out to do. For that, Iwould like to sincerely thank you for all your hard

work. I hope that you will continue to support Mr.Gary Tan and his team.

To my fellow SMU Xtremists (SMUX) members Thank you for your kind understanding when I was

not able to join certain SMUX activities due to mySMUSA commitments. You will definitely see moreof me in 2011!

To the 10th SMUSA ExCo You are certainly thegreatest bunch of people that I have worked with.Your passion has certainly given me the motivationto endure any difficulties and push on. You havemade the one year journey wonderful and

memorable for me. This experience would be

permanently etched in my mind.

To the Office of Student Life (OSL) Thank youfor your endless support, encouragement, guidance

and advice throughout my term of office.

To the 11th SMUSA ExCo and 7th SAC Makesure you seize this opportunity to make adifference. If you do ever run out of motivation orrun into any major obstacles, always remember

why you decided to run for office and the peoplewho have voted you in. All the best for your termof office!

To Mr. Gary Tan and Mr. Mark Pereira You haveundertaken a heavy responsibility. Do not bedaunted by the task before you. Remember, only

by breaking the limits will you be able to improve

the SMUSA finance system and make a difference.Good luck!


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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|27was to ensure proper utilization of built-in lockers

located in the CCA Room.

Previously, there was no proper system to monitorthe utilization of the lockers and the master keys

to the lockers were often unavailable. Byrecollecting past data, we have implemented a new

master key system where we would hold a masterkey for every built-in locker. With this new system,

we are now able to monitor locker utilization andfree up underutilized lockers for clubs and societiesthat need locker space.

ASSETS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEETogether with the Assets Secretaries or AssetsManagers of the four CCA CBds, the AMCmanaged the coordination of various assets and

facilities within SMUSA, and were responsible forthe loan of assets to the clubs and societies. In this

committee, we have successfully coordinated the

logistical support for over ten orientation campsand many other activities during the summer of2010.

In addition, we have formed the AssetsCommittee which comprises a team of four. Thisspecial committee was tasked with different

projects that aimed to focus on improving ourassets management system, implementing changes

as approved by the AMC and the SMUSA ExCo.These projects included the Assets Audit,

streamlining of CCA Room built-in lockers,management of storeroom, booth loan procedures,

guidelines and many others.

APPRECIATIONIt has been an honor and privilege to be part of 6th

SAC and 10th SMUSA ExCo. The SAC andSMUSA ExCo have been through countless hoursof meetings and have done our best in thebetterment of student life and SMU. I am glad that

we have made it through our term of service and

would like to extend my appreciation to all the

SAC members who have been through thisjourney with me.


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Business SecretaryMR. JACK MOY

Lee Kong Chian School of Business|2008

y primary role as the Business Secretary

of the SMU Students Association

(SMUSA) is to improve student life throughprofessional collaborations with business

corporations.

Throughout the past year, I strove to create andmaintain mutually beneficial relationships with

corporate partners as well as to capture value forSMUSA. Our efforts were fruitful. The increased

sponsorship revenue secured for clubs andsocieties in SMU has alleviated budget constraintsthat has perpetually plagued SMUSA and enabledbetter quality events in SMU. More importantly,

we have helped our University as a whole as the

increase in profits from SMUSA has reduced thefinancial burden of a university that is constantlygrappling with rising annual costs.

STRATEGIZING SMUSA SSPONSORSHIPSI have also continued the legacy of my predecessor,

Mr. Alson Chew of coordinating sponsorshipswithin a Sponsorship Committee (please refer topage 87 for more details). This once fledgingcommittee has since taken great strides, and has

helped create sponsorships of higher value for

SMUSA and its CBds, hence fulfilling its objectives.

This has been an unprecedentedly successful year

for sponsorships, more so due to the successfulcompletion of large cash sponsors.

I attribute this success to the SMUSA SponsorshipCommittee, an ad-hoc team that spearheads

SMUSAs strategic direction for sponsorships and

co-ordinates a sponsorship package that canbenefit all CBds. Chaired by myself, this committeecomprises the sponsorship heads from all CBds.

By merging our interests and establishing the

Business Secretary as a centralized contact pointfor SMUSA, I was able to better represent SMUSA

in liaising with our corporate partners and creatingvalue for all stakeholders. Other factors

contributing to this success was the accurate

identification of our corporate partners needs, theintroduction of an exclusivity clause, and the

sharing of BIZCOMs marketing research data.

I am pleased to announce that we have receivedmore than $60,000 in cash sponsorships in thisyear alone.

CREATING VALUE FOR SMUSA SEXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERSServing as the contact point for commercialentities this year, I am delighted to have received

more than 100 proposals over the year fromvarious organizations. This demonstrates the strongbrand name that BIZCOM has established over

the year. Most of them were directed to SMUBIZCOM, where these parties can either workwith our Events team, or be a part of the exciting

UniVantage privilege card scheme. The success ofboth divisions under SMU BIZCOM has been

significant, and I would share more of theirachievements in the SMU BIZCOM report section

in page 75.

SUPPORTING SMUSA COMMITTEESThe vast increase in sponsorship deals in 2010 has

enabled BIZCOM to support our fellowcommittees under SMUSA. We collaborated with

our partner, OCBC Bank to initiate a SMUSAMovie Gala in September 2010, successfully

organized as a welfare initiative by the SMUSAWelfare Committee. With full support from the

BIZCOM ExCo, we also contributed our profits tosupporting the Exam Welfare Package by inviting

Frolicks (April 2010) and Ben & Jerrys (November

2010) to give out free ice-cream in support of ourexam-stressed peers.



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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|29In addition, I have also pledged to invest in the

SMUSA Branding Committee to ensure they havethe necessary funding to kick start a product line togrow the SMU brand. The Freshmen Teambuilding(FTB) Camp Handbook also received a cash

injection, resulting in an excellent quality leather

book to match the efforts of its design team.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE IN THELEASING COMMITTEE2010 brought an interesting change to this

portfolio: the incumbent President of BIZCOMand SMUSA Business Secretary would become

part of the Leasing Committee as a studentrepresentative.

Being part of the decision-making team that

strategizes the tenant mix in SMU was both anhonour and a major responsibility. Being part of

this committee meant I could represent thestudents views as an equal, such as concerns overthe rising food prices in SMU.

Through soliciting feedback from students

regarding existing tenants and the preferencetowards future tenants, I could contribute to the

decision-making process in the Leasing Committee.Many student views were collated via the SMUSA

Business Dialogue Session and SMUSA TenantsPreferences Survey. Appropriate action was thentaken together with LBU regarding issues such asfood hygiene and student sentiments about tenant-

related issues.

Beyond operational duties such as upholding the

SMUSA Sponsorship Guidelines and the LBU-OSL-SMUSA Leasing Agreement, I have also expandedmy portfolio to encompass an understanding of

students preferences of tenants within SMU, aswell as feedback regarding existing ones.

SMUSA-BIZCOM CCASCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LIFE AWARDSMUSA continues to care for our peers, and I ampleased to present the CCA Scholarship and the

Student Life Awards. Established in 2010, thestudent life awards were awarded during theSMUSA Awards Night for the first time ever to

outstanding student leaders who have contributedpositively to the SMU community. The strongcommitment and dedication shown by some ofour fellow peers continue to spur me on to workharder for BIZCOM to generate revenue.

LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS/EVENTS- SMUSA-BIZCOM CCA Scholarship (one

awarded this year)

- SMUSA-BIZCOM Student Life Award ( tenawarded this year)

- Major sponsorship deals with Singtel, AIA,

OCBC Bank, Starhub, Citibank, Sony, Apple,La Senza, Ambrosia signed over the year

- SMU T-shirt Drive

- SMUSA Business Dialogue 2010

- SMUSA Tenants Preferences Survey

APPRECIATIONI would like to thank the following:

Prof. Low Aik Meng (Dean of Students) and Ms.

Bernie Toh, for your encouragement and supportto BIZCOM throughout the year. Your advice

have been invaluable in helping us make the

correct decisions, and helped us contribute to thecommunity as we wanted.

Ms. Koh Huang Lee, Ms. Gina Lee and Ms. Teo LiYong from the Leasing Business Unit (LBU) for

being so accommodating in supporting student

activities and taking note of students interests. Iwish to take this opportunity to commend how

LBU has gone all out to bring in even more foodtenants in 2011. Having more food tenants wascertainly a key problem identified by our peers.

Mr. Wong Yew Tong, Mr. Tan Kong Soon and the

OSL staff working with us, for your constantguidance and understanding.

The SMUSA 10th ExCo for the unwaveringcommitment and hard work to make SMU a

better place. We knew what we signed up for, butultimately I trust that most of us are very satisfiedwith the contributions we have made over theyear. Your company made my year tolerable.

The BIZCOM 10th ExCo and all friends inBIZCOM for your commitment to excellence, and

for taking great initiatives to ensure the successes

of all events. I treasure all the friendships that wehave forged over the year. Special thanks to Mr.Kenny Lin and Mr. Tan Ding Hao for their

excellent stewardship of UniVantage and forcreating a better brand name for it. We now havemore quality merchants for our peers. I would alsolike to credit to Ms. Leanne for leading the events

team to successful bazaars and an awesomeFreshmen Bash.


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Ms. Lee Pei Zhi, Vice-President of SMU BIZCOM,

for her invaluable assistance. She has also been anindispensable part of the SMUSA SponsorshipCommittee in her expert coordination of all ourstakeholders.

I hand over my position to Mr. Nikhil Antony Jonas,the next Business Secretary and BIZCOM Director.I am optimistic that he will continue to bringBIZCOM to greater heights, making it not just aCCA that empowers its members and gives

everyone an invaluable experience in dealing withbusinesses, but also one that continues to serve

the community via our awards and contributionsto SMUSA.

For me, it has been a wonderful journey. And I am

delighted and proud to be able to gain valuableleadership experiences throughout the year. Too

bad I have to leave behind all the profits we made!



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Communications SecretaryMR. LEE CHER HERNLee Kong Chian School of Business |2008

he Communications portfolio concernsitself with the presentation of the SMU

Students Associations (SMUSA) dealings withstakeholders across the university; this extendsfrom soliciting views from the student bodies, tothe advisement on possibly effects of university orSMUSA policies.

By and large, the aim of the portfolio this year hasbeen to ascertain the boundaries associated withand qualities necessary for the empowerment of

the student body through the Association.

Indubitably, this ambitious undertaking wouldoccupy the strategic focus of the portfolio in theyears to come, and I hope that the foundation set

this term would help facilitate that process.

To this end, I sought to build upon previousmethodologies of garnering student opinionsthrough the Student Satisfaction Survey and

Dialogue Session furthermore, new avenues such

as the Student Leaders Symposium were created.Consequently, much is done to ascertain ways that

would allow the Association to move beyondgarnering student concerns, towards anticipating

them.

The numerous initiatives taken by this portfoliothroughout the term have always placed student

empowerment as an endgame. The preliminarystages, which were attempted at this year, soughtto promote more fluidity in terms of information,both upward and downward, through the

numerous hierarchies of the university.

As such, the three aforementioned events were byand large experiments to determine the most

effective manner of promoting communicationbetween the student body and school

administrators.

STUDENT SATISFACTION SURVEYThe Student Satisfaction Survey is an annual

exercise conducted to refresh SMUSA on the

pertinent issues that students grapple with, as wellas grasp the general student sentiment onuniversity life as a whole.

Conducted over two weeks, the results were

published at the conclusion of the survey.

Moreover, the survey results were analysed andpresented to then President Howard Hunter fordiscussion.

STUDENT LEADERS SYMPOSIUMThe Student Leaders Symposium sought to be anavenue for Constituent Bodies (CBds) and CCAleaders to table student issues with senior school

administrators such as then President HowardHunter, Dean of Students Prof Low Aik Meng, andthe respective heads of the student offices.

It was hoped that a combination of the direct levelof interaction along with a more diverse group of

student leaders would prove more effective inpresenting the urgency and pertinence of studentissues to the school administrators.

BUSINESS DIALOGUE SESSIONThe Business Dialogue Session was conducted atthe Collaborative Study Area of the Li Ka ShingLibrary, and sought to solicit the opinions of

students specifically on the vendors and businessactivities of the university.

On a more strategic avenue, it was also a pilot testto ascertain the effectiveness of targeting specificissues as opposed to open-ended approaches in

order to focus discussion and draw more interest.


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REFRAINSThe portfolio has only been able to begin what Ienvision to be a protracted process of attainingtrue student empowerment. The preliminarystages of promoting communication need to be

decisively followed up with an active period of

translating the issues raised by this communicationinto action; given the limited time, theimplementation of such a stage would have to beconducted by future batches of the Association.

Similarly, such a stage would be plagued by aseeming dearth of interest or faith in theAssociation. It is with candidness that we observestudent interest in these issues diminish across the

board be it from a shift in priorities towardsacademia, the belief that such issues are

insurmountable by the Association, or simplyignorance. Whatever the case is, determining the

root of this issue and remedying it remains thelynchpin towards student empowerment.

APPRECIATIONThrough a tumultuous year of cultivating a nascent

portfolio, I would like to extend my appreciation tothe students who have shown their continuedsupport through the year by voicing their opinionsand suggestions.

Also, I would like to thank the ExCo members

who have provided the necessary crawlspace forme to establish the boundaries of the portfolio.

Furthermore, my deepest gratitude to friends,

CCA mates and project group members who havesupported me through this period.

On a final note, I would like to urge all students to

show their support for the Association so that wecan collectively work towards a common goal as a

university.



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Events SecretaryMR. MICHAEL JOO DO HYUNGLee Kong Chian School of Business |2008

ooking back upon a year in the SMUSA

Executive Committee (ExCo), it hasindeed been a memorable journey for me.

My first task as the Events Secretary of SMU

Students Association (SMUSA) was to organize

President S R Nathans entourage for Patrons Day

2010. Themed A Walk to Remember, theentourage aimed to portray the journey of a SMU

student. This journey was presented as ashowcase of various CCA segments, befitting thevibrant life that SMU students have

SMUSA AWARDS NIGHT

SMUSA Awards Night, was held on 12th March

2010 at SMUs University Lounge. This signatureevent served to honor clubs, societies, and student

leaders who have contributed significantly to

SMUSA and SMUs student life. More details canbe found on page 88.

FRESHMEN EXPERIENCE (FE)In its 3rd Year running, Freshmen Experience (FE)

2010 was flanked by the themeTranscend. In

line with SMUSAs vision, FEs vision was toportray an approachable image to the Freshmen.

FE also hoped to imbibe in the Freshmen the ideaof work-life integration and the importance ofstudent life.

This was achieved through strategic alignment ofthe four events under FE, namely, FreshmenTeambuilding Camp (Transform), Convocation

(Transit), Vivace (Transfuse) and Freshmen Bash(Transpose). There were also combined marketing

effort in every event in support of the others.Through FE, we hoped that freshmen would

understand that the Freshmen Experience was justthe start of their SMU Experience.

FRESHMEN EXPERIENCE SURVEY

Feedback is also important to us, and we wantedto encourage as many freshmen as possible to

voice their opinions and provide constructivefeedback for SMU events. Once FE was over, we

sent out a survey.

Of the survey results, 86% respondents agreedthat the FE met their expectations. The average

rating for the FE was 7.00 out of 10.00 (10 beingmost satisfying). Many freshmen also expressedtheir interests to be part of FE 2011 organizingcommittee, and perhaps facilitators for the

Freshmen Teambuilding Camp 2011. All in all, Ibelieve that such feedback will prove to be useful

for the future committees of FE 2011.


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ORIENTATION PROMOTION DAY (OPD)

2010 saw a change in terms of matriculation.

Instead of a physical matriculation, the schoolmoved to an online matriculation system. This

affected our many summer camps as there was alack of avenue to promote the camps or to make

payment.

As such, Orientation Promotion Day (OPD) wasbirthed The FTB 2010 organizing committee went

to great lengths to contact the incoming cohort of1200 freshmen through their call centre, and

encouraged them to attend the OrientationPromotion Day. As a result, OPD turned out to be

very successful by garnering around 520 additionalsign-ups and438 payments. In a rating by camp

organizers, OPD actually scored 3.15 out of 5.00(5 being most useful) for its usefulness. No doubtthis event still has areas of improvement; however,

OPD will likely be a sustainable initiative underSMUSA for years to come.

CAREER SERVICE TALKSIn collaboration with Office of Career Services(OCS), SMUSA also helped coordinate variousopportunities to publicize the summer orientation

camps. This included letting camp committees setup booths on the days that coincided with thecompulsory community service talks attended byfreshmen. This helped maximize marketing

channels to reach out to freshmen, thus gettingmore sign ups and payments for the summer

camps.

With a turnout of 200 per session, thecollaboration had faced issues with lack of space

due to overwhelming number of camps and events,but definitely aided the organizers to reach out andfinally to meet their target number of participants.

SAC EVENTS COMMITTEEIn addition, 2010 marked the official creation of theSAC Events Committee that consisted of eventsdirectors from various CBds. Although thiscommittee was started only in June 2010, we

believe that it has served an important role in

coordinating the various events dates and preventexcessive clashes.

In summary, the list below wraps up the SMUSAevents of the year 2010:

- Patrons Day

- SMUSA Awards Night 2010

- SMU Open House

- Graduates night

- Orientation Promotion Day

- Community Service Talks

- ID Verification Exercise

- Freshmen Teambuilding Camp

- Convocation 2010

- Vivace 2010

- Freshmen Bash 2010

APPRECIATIONI would like to thank the Office of Student Life(OSL), in particular the Department of Safety and

Student Leadership, for their support and guidance;my fellow SMUSA ExCo members for their active

involvement in events; Ms. Melissa Soh for bringingFTB to another level; Ms. Siah Hwei Ting and Ms.Stellicia for executing yet another fantastic Vivace;

Ms. Tessa Ang and Mr. Jacob Selvan for theirimpeccable convocation; Mr. Jack Moy, Ms. LeanneTeo, Ms. Lee Pei Zhi and BIZCOM for their help inFE and the awesome Freshmen Bash; CBdpresidents for the great time in the SAC; 9th Exco

for being my great mentors; Mr. Anthony Changand Ms. Yang Yan for organizing an unforgettable

Graduates Night; My fellow SMU dragon boaters

for the friendship; Ms. Wong Wei Ting for alwaysbeing there for me, many others not mentioned

and lastly God for always letting things happen formy betterment.

For 2011, I have every confidence in my successorMs. Jazmine Oh, and that she will surpass me in allaspects. Good luck!



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Deputy Events SecretaryMR. JACOB SELVAN MUTHUSchool of Information Systems |2008

t has been a fulfilling experience performingmy role as the Deputy Events Secretary in

SMU Students' Association. Other than supportingthe Events Secretary, Mr. Michael Joo in his duties, I

also had the opportunity to organize and takecharge of some large scale events. Michael hasbeen very supportive in various decisions I havemade throughout my term in office. And I have

learnt a lot from him as well as the ExCo.

OPEN HOUSETogether with the Office of Undergraduate

Admissions (OUA), I had the honor to be involvedin this year's Open House. This year, we had a

very fruitful discussion with the staff from OUAand had our own, SMUSA booth during the Open

House. Together with the ExCo, we put up a greatdisplay of student works which received positive

feedbacks from both the public and the schooladministration.

CONVOCATIONTogether with Ms. Tessa Ang, the Vice Presidentof SMUSA, we jointly produced the pre-formalsegment of Convocation 2010 with OSL this year.This being the first time, holding Convocation at

Resorts World, there were a lot of changes andthrough our meetings with the committee, we

were able to have the Student Life showcase as apre-formal segment for 30 minutes. This was also

the first time I got to interact withthe variousCCAs where they came together to put up an

outstanding show.

SMUSA STAFF TEA SESSIONThis was the first time a staff tea session was

organized for the ExCo to introduce ourselves to

the staffs from the school administration. Staff fromvarious offices were invited to the session so thatwe could share our views on the various portfolios

we were working on.

PRESIDENT HUNTERS FAREWELLI had the opportunity to collate a great collectionof photos showcasing student life and the various

moments where students demonstrated the spirit

of SMU into an artwork that was presented toPresident Hunter during his farewell session

EVENTS CALENDARI continued the great work done by my

predecessor, Mr. Don Liu by moving the eventscalendar to an online system where CBds and

CCAs were able to update their events andactivities real-time. This initiative is slowly, but

surely, being adopted by CBds and CCAs. The linkis accessible via: www.smusaevents.famundo.com.

OTHERSBesides the various events and initiatives, I was alsoa part of the Freshmen Experience committee. Ihelped out in the designs of emailers and postersfor various events committee recruitments and

campaigns.

Throughout my term in office, I have gainedinvaluable experience working with people and

would like to take this opportunity to thank someimportant people, in particular, Ms. Bernie, Prof

Low, Mr. Don Liu, and all the staff from the variousoffices.

I hope that the next ExCo would continue to

color students life as well as enrich their

experience!All the best!


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International Students SecretaryMR. PYINNYAR KYAW

Lee Kong Chian School of Business |2008

ith the reclassification of InternationalConnections (SMUICON) from a club

under the Arts and Cultural Fraternity into astanding committee under SMUSA, as well as the

introduction of International Students Secretary

(ISS) Portfolio in SMUSA Executive Committee(ExCo), 2010 was an exciting year especially for

international students.

As the International Students Secretary of the 10th

SMUSA ExCo, my duties entailed representing theinternational students in various issues, handling thequeries from international students for everyaspect of their student life, and providing the

strategic direction for SMUICON.

The International Students Secretary (ISS) also

serves as the President of SMUICON andoversees the day to day running of the club.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSORIENTATION BRIEFINGDuring the International Students Dialogue Sessionin 2009, one major concern raised by the studentswas the cultural shock and the lack ofunderstanding that international students may have

towards Freshmen Experience events of SMUSA

especially the Freshmen Teambuilding Camp andVivace.

In response to this, and in collaboration with the

International Students Unit of OSL, the

International Students Orientation Briefing wasorganized on the 23 July 2010.

This session aimed to provide internationalstudents with a casual meeting with seniors toclear their doubts about student life as their firstpoint of contact with SMU. It also provided useful

information about the Freshmen Experience, thusminimizing the discomfort and cultural shock theywould have experienced. This initiative was alsoutilized as a platform to encourage the freshmento be more active in Student Life by introducing

them to outstanding international students in SMU.

The session was attended by more than 60% of

the incoming international freshmen, and thisinitiative will be continued at the start of academic

year in future.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TEASESSIONThe International Students Tea Session was firstinitiated by the 9th SA ExCo under the portfolio ofthe 9th Student Initiatives Secretary, Ms. Tan YinYin. After the successful session in 2009, this event

continued in 2010 under the portfolio of the

International Students Secretary.

Held on 25 October, this years tea session aimedto provide international students with the

opportunity to express their concerns in various

aspects of their student life. The session was alsoused as a platform to introduce the newly elected

International Students Secretary, Ms. Wu KuanLiang.

Feedback from the Tea Session was distributed torespective offices and to the incoming Ms. Wu



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SMUSAAnnual Report 2010|37Kuan Liang to identify and address issues pertinent

to international students.

BUDDY PROGRAMThe successful program underwent many changes

in the year 2010 after gathering feedback from

both buddies and mentors in early 2010. As such,gatherings were organized at the start of eachsemester, and in mid-term break to better providethe Buddies with opportunities to bond and tocommunicate with other buddies.

The gender restriction (male with male and female

with female only) was removed, and all mentorscould freely state their buddy preferences. Also,Buddies were not restricted to only one mentor.

In some cases, three students were assigned threementors together if the preferences were similar.

Priority was also given to students who had just

finished an exchange program or were going for anexchange in the coming term.

Sign up rates for the Buddy Programs increasedsignificantly, both from incoming students and full-time students willing to become mentors.

THOUGHTSA year has passed, and the experience we havegone through has taught us a lot. I believe the 10thExCo has done its best for the school. Thedecisions made were done in the best interest of

the students. A school is a place where everyone

learns through different experiences, and throughups and downs, I believe all of us have becomebetter people than when we first stepped up toserve.

I would like to thank the 10th SMUSA ExCo forsticking by me, through thick and thin. Withoutthem, an enjoyable year would not have beenpossible. I would also like to sincerely thank those

who have voted me into my position, and thosewho have never stopped supporting me throughtime.

Last but not least, I would also like to express aspecial thank you to each and every member of

the SMU Myanmar Community, Ms. Pham NguyenTuong Van, Mr. Wang Yang and a special group offriends, dubbed The Avenue of Stars, for theirwonderful support for me personally throughout

my time as ISS and President of ICON.

It was an experience worthy of the time and effort,and I wish the 11th ExCo and Ms. Wu Kuan Liang a

wonderful 2011.


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IT Solutions SecretaryMR. TOMMY TIEN DEHUISchool of Information Systems |2008

s the IT Solutions Secretary, my main

responsibility is to represent the studentbody to voice out IT related issues to the office of

Integrated Information Technology Services(IITS)and to also integrate technology usage with the

SACs operations, in line with its vision and mission.In the beginning of 2010, SMUSA started aFacebook fanpage to encourage open

communication with our fellow peers. This page

has recorded more than 1700 Likes, with 762monthly active users. This fanpage has been used

to publicise various SMUSA events and serves as avaluable platform to reach out to more students.

To keep up with current trends in technology and

to cater to the increasing student population in

SMU, IITS has various plans to upgrade SMUs ITinfrastructure and services. This upgrading processsaw many students providing feedback regardinginternet problems to IITS.

A couple of internet outages caused disruptionsduring our academic period. A network slowdownaffected the whole university in mid September. As

the IT Solutions Secretary, I met IITS to discuss theissue. Further investigation showed that the

network slowdown was caused by students usingP2P downloading (leeching most of the

bandwidth) as well as viruses in the network.Suchacts were illegal and IITS was contacted by

companies with copyrights agreements. In order

to safeguard SMUs reputation, IITS took a drasticmeasure by banning these students from using

WLAN, SMUs network.

SENG-CITY SERVICE IMPROVEMENTFrom student feedback, we have identified two keyareas for improvement: mainly to enable easierprinting for Mac users and accepting Ezlinks forphotocopying. Mac users are now able to input

their user names for printing instead of an IPaddress. Cash cards were once the only paymentmethod for photocopying. Thus, after conveying

this feedback to SMUs printing vendor- Seng-City,the Ezylink Cashless Payment system wasimplemented.

EMAIL MIGRATIONIn early 2010, IITS decided to migrate the entire

universitys email server to Live@Edu. In executingthis migration, students were engaged to undergo

pilot phases to test the new systems usability. Ihelped this migration process by coordinating fourtesting phases. In addition, there were discussions

to address potential issues cropped up during theuniversity-wide migration. The migration wassuccessfully completed by early October 2010.

SMUSA WEBSITE AND FACEBOOKAs part of SMUSA

s effort to be in line with ourvision of being Approachable, the SMUSA

website was revamped to have a friendlier image.

It posted the latest information of the 10thSMUSA ExCo, and hosts various marketing

materials and guidelines posted on-line. We also

leveraged upon social media through a Facebookfanpage to maintain open communication open

with our fellow mates.

APPRECIATIONTo the 10th ExCo, it has been a great pleasure to

work with everyone. Being in this team is thus far

among my best times in SMU, I would not want tochange anything even if I have had the chance toserve another term. Thank you for the great

memories.

To the 11th ExCo, this path is going to be tough.

Be prepared and stay focus. Never give up, evenwhen you fall, get up and continue on. All the best

for 2011!



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Student Initiatives SecretaryMS. CHIAM YAN WENSchool of Economics |2008

tepping into office a year back, Iunderstood that the nature of the Student

Initiatives Portfolio was not just about providingmentorship and necessary resources to students

but also to fill up gaps between other portfolios inSMUSA. Enjoying the greatest flexibility and lessdefined tasks amongst the secretaries in SMUSA, Isaw myself as a supporting member of the ExCo

to my fellow members and also a leader in myown portfolio. To students, I would be the bridge

and key to resources and offices to carry outconstructive projects initiated by them. To fellow

SMUSA EXCO, I would be the helpline to fill upthe gaps.

LIBRARY SATISFACTION SURVEY ANDCAMPAIGNBeing the place with the highest student traffic

each day, our overcrowded library faced variousissues. Problems like excessive hogging of seats,

undesirable noise level and littering werechallenges faced by our library management over

the years.

To provide a learning environment that is

conducive for project discussions and readings, thelibrary management collaborated with the StudentInitiatives Secretary to launch a small campaign to

remind library users of the gracious behaviorexpected in the library, the Students were alsoempowered to stand up against inconsideratelibrary users.

This collaboration was an initiative that occurred

after a 2 week survey about the librarys noise level

showed a general dissatisfaction among students

about the library. In this initiative, encouragingmessages were written on post-its and werepasted around the prime areas in the library to

subtly remind students that they all share the samefacilities and should treat the library like their

homes. The concept was adapted from a blogger,http://www.thingsweforget.blogspot.com whopastes post-its containing inspirational messagesaround Singapore as he commutes.

The idea was to prevent being direct and forceful

on students on what are the actions desired fromthem, but empower them to judge for themselves

what was the right behavior.

PAINT A PILLAR 2010- I M UNIQUE!Stepping into its 3rd year as a student initiated

project, Paint-A-Pillar, this years organizingcommittee had 6 new faces. To encourage and

ensure continuity of this initiative which was firstset off to encourage free expression among

students through art and paintings, the project is


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again, carried on under the Student InitiativesPortfolio.

This years theme is Im UNIque! which called for

diversity and an original portrayal of students

perception towards their university lives and its

vibrancy. This year, we also witnessed increased

support and involvement from students, facultyand offices.

INITIATIVES CAMPAIGNThe Initiatives Campaign was launched in Term 1

Y2010-11 to call for more voices from thestudents. Emails were sent to encourage students

to feedback and raise their ideas to SMUSA.Responses were rather disappointing, but that

would not stop SMUSA from continuing torequest for new initiatives from the studentpopulations.

FACILITIESWe sent a survey to students to obtain reliablestatistics on the usage level of facilities by students,especially on the weekends. The survey received

overwhelming response of 1042 responses in twodays. The result reflected a substantial number of

students coming back to the campus on Sundaysto catch up their academic work and projects. Thissurvey result was presented to the Office of

Facilities Management, who has kindly extended

the air-co

Documents

Combined AR 2010_wo SA Register Divider