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July 3, 2003
Contact:
Tom Davis
Troy Office of University Relations
334/670-3196
tomdavis@troy.edu
Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)
| TROY
STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS PRESS RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 1-334-670-3196 |
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begins teaching at site in Malaysia Troy State University has begun operation of a teaching site in Malaysia that may result in more Asian students traveling to Alabama to complete their college degrees. TSU, which has operated teaching sites outside the United States for more than 30 years, opened its site in Malacca earlier this month, according to Dr. Susan Aldridge, Vice President of University College, the division of TSU that oversees TSU operations outside of Alabama. TSU is operating the site in conjunction with Institut Putra, a Malaysian college. Malacca is a coastal city of more than 600,000 people located in southern Malaysia. “We have converted a former four-star hotel into a campus with modern classrooms and computer labs,” Dr. Aldridge said. “Although we plan to offer several different degree programs, including a master’s degree program by December, at this time we are primarily offering business degrees to undergraduate students.” Approximately 50 students are enrolled in the program to date, Dr. Aldridge said. In addition, Dr. Aldridge said the Malaysia site is the first University College location specifically designed to allow for easy transfer to the main campus in Troy. “Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, tightened security creates difficulty for foreign students seeking to obtain visas to study in the United States,” Dr. Aldridge said. “We are coordinating the academic schedule in Malaysia to match the schedule in Troy. Our goal is to create a feeder system to allow students who wish to study in the United States the opportunity to begin a program in Malaysia and then transfer to Troy once they can obtain a visa. “This is an attractive alternative for many students because a degree from an American university is highly valued because of the strict accreditation process and quality standards,” she added. Dr. Aldridge said Malaysia represents a growth opportunity for TSU’s international division because in 2000 the Malaysian Ministry of Education was able to accommodate only 30,000 of the almost 100,000 students who applied for college. “The Malaysian government encouraged us to develop programs to help increase the availability of higher education,” Dr. Aldridge said. “We are also attracting students from China, Indonesia and Thailand to study with us in Malacca.” Troy State University, through University College, operates more than 50 teaching sites outside Alabama in 14 states and eight foreign nations. |