Student Suggestions for Improvement on Webster University Thailand Campus

Written ByAndrea EickelmannWUT Student Council President2010-2011

We the student body representatives have identified the following areas of concern on campus using the methods of survey and open forum. These concerns are listed in order of importance to the student body. Following each identified area of concern, there are potential solutions for the problem. The major areas of concern are as follows:

Fear of retribution for students voicing concerns with current administration: There is distinct lack of student voice on the WUT due to fears of retribution by professors and/or the administration.

Students commonly believe that if they express views contrary to that of professors and administrators, they will suffer a lowering of their grades, a reduction or retraction of their financial aid, or that classes necessary to their major requirements may be denied when they are needed.

Possible Solution: There is no easy solution to this problem. The only real solution available is the encouragement of students to voice their opinions and concerns regarding the campus. Through this action, students may see their peers voicing concerns and not suffering repercussions, and in turn the entire student body can feel comfortable speaking out about WUT.

Mid-semester budget cuts: This semester, the Fall of 2010, there have been cuts to services such as: Transportation

Teacher project spending, which includes field trips and guest speakers

Solution: If it is, in fact, necessary to cut budgets mid-semester, there needs to be a campus meeting between administration, faculty, students, and staff to explain what cuts are taking place and why they have occurred mid-semester.

This will also provide the opportunity to allow the different populations of WUT to suggest areas in which cuts would be least disruptive.

Alternatively, the plan for cuts should be announced, and a time frame should be given to allow for input on the proposed cuts via written suggestions.

TransparencyStudents feel there is a complete lack of transparency and information about how money is used and other campus policies. The awarding of scholarships and the criteria required to receive scholarships is unclear and leaves many students feeling that the decision is subjective as to whether they are liked by the financial aid committee/administration.

When registering, paying, or trying to undertake different tasks at WUT, students are given reasons for decisions based on policies that they have no evidence of existing or are told of different policies, or told that WUT follows St. Louiss policy which if requested to be shown is not provided.

When making payments to WUT for tuitions and fees the provided receipt is not itemized and students are not alerted to the due dates of payments.

Students routinely receive different explanations/justifications for the same action, from the same member of the staff/admin.

Solution Financial aid and scholarship criteria needs to clearly defined, including all required supporting documentation, and should be available on the both the WUT website and in the finance and/or registrars office.

All WUT Policies need to be available on request to be shown to students, posted to the WUT website should a student wish to look them up, and be provided in hard copy format to every WUT student upon starting their studies. This will allow for transparent referencing of policies and less confusion.

When students are given explanations/justifications for different actions they should reserve the right to see the policy associated with the action and the WUT staff/faculty member should be required to show it to them.

Payment receipts need to be itemized and information about payment due dates must be sent out to be sure that students and parents are aware of the dealines.

Regular training for staff regarding WUT and Webster St. Louis, especially regarding financial, policies and procedures to ensure continuity and clarity.

Lack of communication: On the WUT campus, it is a common occurrence that students are: Not informed of opportunities, such as the volunteer opportunities to help at the WTO meeting held in Hua Hin this past September 2010.

Subject to miscommunication. For example, the alerting of the student council to a visit by the rector the following week, which never actually occurred.

Informed too late to be able to utilize what they have been told, such as when professors, are absent and paper notes are attached to the door to alert students to said professors absences, which result in students having already traveled to WUT before seeing the professor is not there, causing frustration amongst the students for lost travel time.

Not alerted to the restructuring of financial aid mid semester, and the student body was not made aware of the fact that they needed to apply for aid/scholarships that would span the spring 2011 and fall 2011 semesters.

Subject to a lack of communication between staff, faculty, students, and administration which causes confusion for all parties involved that results in frustration and anger.

Solutions: The following communication channels must be utilized properly: Email: Webster Thailand student emails are not being used as a tool for communication on campus. The WUT email system has not been used as a tool for communication this semester. There first needs to be another email activation drive in which students are given the opportunity to re-log in and activate their accounts so they may receive emails. After this, there needs to be an administrative push telling staff and faculty that communications for the student body must occur via email to ensure everyone receives them, especially regarding policy changes such as financial aid.

Telecommunications. Every semester there must be an updating of the student phonebook so that the staff may use the numbers to text updates to students about such things as professors being absent, buses arriving late, or even last-minute event information. This would be one of the most efficient ways to communicate with students, as every student has a cell phone.

For communication between administration and students there needs to be: Three meetings that will occur on pre-scheduled dates per semester. One in the beginning of the semester, one in the middle of the semester, and one at the end of the semester.

If the administration wishes to meet with student representation outside of these set times, it is imperative that prior notice be given as spontaneous meetings are not conducive to proper dissemination of information and do not allow for student representatives to properly prepare.

For communication between all WUT populations, faculty, staff, students, and administration. There needs to be more open communication between all parties that can be facilitated by campus meetings, forums, increased usage of email, and also the creation of a committee to deal directly with miscommunications between different parties.

Lack of classes offered to fulfill degree requirements: Students have been forced to stay longer than needed at WUT because degree required courses are not offered.

Solution: Independent studies must be utilized for degree-required courses. We understand that this is an extra cost to WUT but find that it is inappropriate to force students to stay another semester or year for one or two courses.

Lack of adequate internet on campus: The internet on the WUT campus currently lacks the ability to support student needs. During lunch or other common free periods of the day, the internet is so slow that even checking email is sometimes impossible.

This means that conducting online research, which is the only research students at WUT can do because the library is lacking in current academic materials, is almost impossible.

This directly clashes with the WUT Green Policy which pushes faculty to use internet-based resources over that of printed materials, which means students have to use the internet to access items such as text books, readings, or other class materials.

Solution: Investment in establishing a faster internet network must be undertaken. This is an international university, and to be lacking in the most basic of educational resources, the internet, is unacceptable.

Student Housing Students have voiced the following concerns about student housing: Unclear process for paying housing bill. Students have reported receiving different instructions on how to pay their housing when they inquire at the finance office and some students have been paying WUT student housing costs directly to student housing entity.

Over-charging for rent. WUT students pay more for rooms through WUT housing than if they were to rent directly from the housing entity. As WUT is providing a large group of customers to the housing entity, WUT students should be receiving a discount but the student price should never be more than the direct rate.

Deposits not returned or erroneous charges deducted. Students have had difficulty receiving their deposits back and even after being cleared as not having any damage to the rooms find charges for room damage deducted from the deposit. Concerns specifically VIP and Premier House.

Condition of the housing. There is a large disparity in the housing conditions of the WUT student housings. The difference in quality is not reflected in the pricing of the housing, for example a room at VIP is of much lower quality than that of Sala but the rooms for full time students at both locations would be 7,500.00+ baht a month. Students thusly request accommodations at the Sala location but are denied based on availability and still have to pay the same price for a room that is severely lower in quality.

Location. All the housing locations are quite far from Hua Hin town center. Hua Hin being a tourist town lacks public transit and taxi prices are inflated so that getting around town outside of the limited WUT transit hours is expensive. The housing is also far from the campus so students are left stranded between town and campus with little method or option of transportation to basic necessities such as food, markets, or medical attention. This is also a safety issue as late night taxis, car and motorbike, present a higher risk to students returning to housing, especially students returning alone.

No help for students looking for outside housing. WUT offers no aid to students looking for outside housing at all and actually discourages students finding their own housing. In the past there was a mention about how to find your own housing on the website but that is now gone. With the increasing student population and the high cost of student housing students express interest in living outside student housing but lack the knowledge of how to go about finding such housing.

Pest problems present health hazards at Premier House. Housing at Premier House lacks insect screens and the area is heavily infested with various insects, the most problematic being mosquitoes. Unless the student wants to run up a very expensive energy bill by using only air conditioning (electricity is 15 baht a unit) they have to open doors or windows to help cool the house but this results in a swarming of mosquitoes. Thailand mosquitoes carry both malaria and dengue fever and without the basic protection of insect screens students are put at much higher risk for contracting these diseases. There is also a concern for snakes, centipedes, and other poisonous creatures that inhabit Thailand.

Solution The procedure for paying the Student Housing bill for students living in WUT student housing should be made available online under a frequently asked questions section on the WUT website.

WUT must make more of an effort to find housing for students and ensure the costs are minimal because most of the WUT population is not Thai and trusting the university to find them appropriate and economical housing.

The procedure for reimbursing student housing deposits needs to be published alongside the payment procedure and a reasonable timeline given so students can properly plan for how to receive the reimbursements. There also needs to be a method of recourse put in place for when students are charged for damages that were not of the students doing.

While it is understood that housing is limited in the most desirable of housing locations if a student is denied a spot they should be given a discounted rate for having to live at other locations like VIP to compensate for the added difficulty of the location. The lasting solution to this problem is that housing of equal quality must be found and provided to students.

Again WUT must be making a constant effort to find housing that would be more convenient to students in terms of location in relation to restaurants, markets, and shopping so that there need not be a reliance on taxis or WUT transit. This would save money for all parties because WUT would not need to provide as much in town transit if students lived in town and students would not have to use taxis to commute outside of WUT transit hours.

There should be a page on the website that is updated with information about different housing within Hua Hin that would be available to students wishing to move out of student housing. This would include apartment complexes, houses for rent, and other options. This would also include a section explaining the basics of securing lodging in Thailand, such as contracts, furniture, deposits, common pricing, places bills can be paid, and where to contract certain services such as internet, phone, cable, etc. With the increasing student population and limitations of WUT student housing this is imperative that WUT start encouraging full times to find their own housing. It also will add to their college experience and increase their independence.

WUT should be ensuring that all their housing has the basic protection of insect screens to ensure the health and safety of their students.

Lack of internet connectivity in student housing: Students in the VIP and Premier House student housing have been experiencing prolonged internet accessibility problems.

Students choose the Premier House option partly for its advertised internet access.

The larger issue here being that internet is a necessary learning resource that should be available to students at all housings. This is even more imperative now that WUT has enacted a Green Policy which pushes for the use of internet resources over that of printed materials. Solution: WUT needs to advocate on behalf of its students for internet access at housing locations.

Where that does not work, it should facilitate the creation of WUT internet networks that students can subscribe to for a monthly fee.

Poor conditions and lack of proper facilities: WUTs facilities are distinctly lacking in several main areas. Library The library is currently overcrowded and during any common break time there are students left sitting on the floor for lack of seats and tables. It lacks a university level selection of publications to aid in research or even in leisure reading. Not conducive to studying as it is too loud and crowded.

Classrooms Classrooms are furnished with antiquated desks that are insufficient for university level course work. The technology within the rooms is often slow and costs students at least 10 minutes of every class period due to difficulties. Some rooms are also in desperate need of sounding board so that discussion may take place without the room being drowned in echoes. Some rooms have a large amount of mold, which is hazardous to students health that is exacerbated by leaks in the ceiling.

Gym and Sports fields are not well maintained and lack equipment

Media Lab consists of outdated computer and two currently broken printers.

There is no area other than the library with internet and A/C that can be used for general recreation use which adds to the pressure being put on the library.Solution Open the second floor of library for student use and use some of the space for a mandatory quiet zone for students wishing to study.

Classrooms need to be furnished with tables and chairs, technology updated, and where needed, sounding board put up.

There needs to be an audit of the Gym facilities to establish what WUT has, and then a student survey conducted to find out what students would like there to be more of.

The football field, basketball court, and tennis court need maintenance/ improvement.

Media lab needs to be furnished with up to date computers loaded with the appropriate software for media program assignments, and the printers need to be fixed.

The student lounge needs to be wired for wireless to encourage students to use it and more comfortable seating needs to placed there.

Alternatively another empty classroom should be refurbished as a secondary student lounge with internet access and seating.

Inadequate healthcare on campus: The WUT campus is far from any hospital or medical clinic. Thus, there is a nurse on campus during all open hours. However, the nurses thus far: Speak little to no English.

Regularly hand out drugs that have no labels, nor instructions to students.

This results in students feeling uncomfortable seeking medical attention on campus.

It also presents a clear threat to student health if the medical personal cannot understand what the problem is, if the student has any allergies to different medications, or ensure the student properly understands a drugs directions of use.

Solution: WUT needs to find a pool of certified medical personal that Speak adequate English to understand student problems, explain the drugs that are being given, and know when to ask if students have allergies or complications with medications.

VisasWUT employs a visa officer for the express purposes of helping students with visa requirements, answering questions pertaining to visas, and resolving issues with the visa. The students are charged a 6,000 baht fee per semester for this service, though a multiple entry non-immigrant visa only costs 3,800.00 baht, which is paid once a year. Students not informed as to the visa procedure, requirements, and or penalties.

Little communication between Visa officer and students about when students need to bring their passports and supporting documents for visa extensions/check-ins.

Study abroads given little to no help with visas or questions pertaining to visas.

Solutions Procedures need to be posted on WUT website so that they are easily accessed and read by students with questions pertaining to visas.

Email and/or text messages must be utilized to alert students to upcoming expiration/check-in dates and the procedure they must follow to extend/renew their visa, or check-in with immigration.

More attention must be paid to study abroads, ensuring that they are informed about their visas. They tend to be a more vulnerable group as far as forgetting what dates are important or having questions pertaining to travel inside and outside Thailand. This could include a visa specific seminar for study abroads during their first few weeks in Thailand, a specific frequently answered questions section on the WUT website, or printed materials dealing with frequently asked questions.

Possible animal rights violations on campus: It occurs regularly that animals wander onto the WUT campus. These animals are often fed by WUT students, staff, or faculty and become a sort of campus pet.

It often occurs that these campus pets disappear.

Solution: It is understood that stray animals can eventually pose a threat to student safety but there are better ways to prevent these animals from wandering on to campus if it is such a large concern. The first and best way is to build fences to keep the animals out of areas frequented by students, staff, and faculty, so that they do not come into contact with the WUT population.

Educate the students about the dangers posed by strays and request that strays are not fed.

Create a policy stating why animals are kept off campus, where they are taken if they get onto campus, and how WUT plans to keep strays off campus in the future.

General Remarks

Currently, the administration has agreed to have a meeting with the student council on December 1, 2010. This should be made into an open forum for all students to attend and voice concerns, questions, or comments. This should become a regular event once a semester for students to come to beyond that of student council having dialogue with the administration. It is also very important that the administration be careful in its wording of objectives and goals. In the past presented objectives have often been given in the context of such an item will be done by a certain point of time and when that doesnt happen it creates unrest and dissatisfaction. There needs to be a focus on what is being done, what the steps being taken, and what the outcomes will be presented in conjunction with timeline for the plan. This way student, staff, and faculty understand the process that is happening and will better understand if there are delays in the process.

Another area in which a minor adjustment can be made that will result in a large reward is that of student involvement in various committees at WUT. Previously, WUT student council was told that they had the right to participate in committees such as disciplinary, budget, scholarship, and, theoretically, hiring, but when interest was shown, meeting schedules were never released. Ensuring student representatives have the opportunity to take part in these and other committees will directly address the issue of transparency and give confidence to the students that they are receiving all pertinent information regarding the procedures and decisions on campus.

It is also important to express to students the vision for the university but in way that it becomes applicable to them. It may be the ultimate goal to build a campus elsewhere but for the current students that is not a tangible benefit so the focus must be on what is being done to better their current academic pursuit and then in addition to the longer plan can be put forth. Students want to know what is happening with the university, what is the vision of the leaders, and how it affects them. When this information is not given or they feel it is being hidden from them, it breeds dissatisfaction and distrust. Students are a resource for the university and should be utilized as such. When questions arise as to what is the most important component to improve on what would most affect life on campus the students should be consulted. Given the opportunity to give input students would help smooth the process of creating a better university.

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