More New University Colleges?

In the same report which I cited for my post yesterday on "More 'New' Unviersities", it was mentioned that Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Mustapa Mohammed was formally receiving applications from 3 existing colleges to be qualified at "University Colleges" (UCs). The colleges who made the applications are Taylors College, Inti College and Cosmopoint Institute of Information Technology.

For those who are not familiar with the concept of "university colleges", you may look up an earlier blog post of mine. Essentially, the existing colleges are allowed only to offer qualifications up to advanced diploma levels. Most colleges which are offering degree programmes today are doing so through twinning programmes or special tie-ups with foreign universities. This is an "expensive" exercise for the local colleges because they will be required to share the degree fees with their foreign partners. However, when these colleges are "upgraded" to university colleges, then they have the license to print their very own degree papers.

The applications (and likely approvals) for Taylor's and Inti College are unsurprising given Taylor's reputation in pre-university education as well as the sheer size of Inti. After all, many colleges of less established reputations have had their status upgraded previously, such as Binary and Twintech University College. As of today, there are already 11 university colleges which were upgraded all within the last 5 years.

However, Cosmopoint's potential elevation to a University College will definitely raise a couple of eyebrows. The institution which prides itself as the "[p]ioneer in the production of three CD-ROM Titles: 'Windows to Malaysia', 'Mahathir, CEO Malaysia Inc.' and 'Windows to Malaysia, 2000' on its website doesn't have the rosiest of reputations in the market for information technology graduates. The website further proudly proclaimed that its academic staff are "[a]t least degree holders from Malaysian, Australian, New Zealand, UK and US universities."

Cosmopoint currently offers diploma, advanced diploma, graduate diploma and certificate courses only, without degree programmes. For that matter, Cosmopoint is even in the market promoting programmes such as "From kids to whiz kid School Holiday IT Program for standard 6 to form 4 students". Isn't the institute taking too big a step to become a university college straight away and offering its very own Cosmopoint degrees?