Tunku Abdul Rahman College

Tunku Abdul Rahman College (English) Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malay) 拉曼学院 (Chinese)
Motto	Quality and Affordable Education
Established	1969
Type	Public
Principal	Dr Tan Chik Heok
Students	30 000
Location	Kuala Lumpur Main campus, Penang Branch Campus, Perak Branch Campus, Johor Branch Campus, Pahang Branch Campus, Sabah Branch Campus.
Website	http://www.tarc.edu.my/

Tunku Abdul Rahman College, often known as TARC or KTAR, is a public institution of higher learning in Malaysia. It has six campuses located in six states across Malaysia. While having close links to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), the college and the university are separate entities. Being an institution founded by the Malaysian Chinese Association, a majority of the students in the college are of Chinese descent. However, as there are no admission quotas, there are students from other ethnic backgrounds. The college operates with a 50% subsidy from the Malaysian Government for its recurrent and capital expenditure; the other 50% is borne by the Trustees.

History

Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) was established on 24 February 1969 with the support of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). The college was named after the late YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the founding Prime Minister of then newly independent Malaysia.

The college started with the commencement of classes in the School of Pre-University Studies in 1969, followed by the School of Business Studies in 1971. In 1972 the School of Technology, School of Arts and Science and Extra-Mural Studies Department were established. The School of Social Science and Humanities was established in 1999.

The earlier classes were conducted in the Technical Institute, Cheras and Day Training College, Jalan Kuantan. Due to its rapid expansion, new centres were set up in six secondary schools. One of them was Catholic High School, Petaling Jaya. On 19 July 1976, with the completion of the first phase of the college's main campus in Kuala Lumpur, classes were moved to its permanent premises in Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. The Kuala Lumpur Main Campus occupying 186 acres (0.75 km²) of land.

From an intake of 764 students in 1969, today there are approximately 30,000 students in the college.

On 16 August 2008, Ms Yoong Lai Thye retired as the principal for TARC, succeeded by Dr Tan Chik Heok.

Kuala Lumpur's main campus administration block

Faculties

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Located at Block R in the main campus, the school produces over 75% of Malaysia's accountants. The school also produces top ACCA scorers besides hosting ACCA examinations for Malaysia's accounting students. The syllabus of Advanced Diploma in Commerce (Financial Accounting) offered by TAR College is set in accordance to the ACCA standards.

Other SBS courses are:

• Financial Accounting
• Management Accounting
• Business Management
• Banking and Finance
• Finance and Investment
• Marketing
• Business Administration
• Human Resource Management
• E-Commerce and Marketing
• Business Economics
• Management Information Systems
• International Business
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Retail Management

School of Technology (SOT)

The School of Technology, known as SOT, has its offices and classrooms at Block M in TARC's Kuala Lumpur main campus. SOT's engineering syllabus includes Mathematics, to prepare its students to take UK's Engineering Council examinations. SOT offers the following courses at TARC:

• Building
• Property Management
• Quantity Surveying
• Electronic Engineering
• Telecommunications
• Materials and Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechatronics
• Apparel Manufacturing
• Architecture

School of Arts and Science (SAS)

The School of Arts and Science of TARC offers courses based on natural and computer sciences. It shares its office space with the administration department in Block A at the Main Campus.

The courses offered under this school are

• Chemistry and Biology
• Information Systems Engineering
• Business Information Systems
• Computer Science and Statistics
• Computer Science and Management Mathematics
• Computer Science and Computer Mathematics
• Microelectronics and Physics
• Microelectronics with Computer Communication
• Microelectronics with Automatic Control
• Internet Technology
• Sport and Exercise Science
• Interactive Software Technology

School of Social Science and Humanities (SSSH)

The School of Social Science and Humanities, abbreviated SSSH or SSH, is the newest faculty in TARC. Located at Block W together with TARC's Centre for Continuing Professional Education (CPE), it offers Mass Communication,Social Science and Hospitality Management Courses, such as

• Advertising
• Broadcast Communication
• Graphic Design
• Journalism
• Media Studies
• Public Relations
• Psychology
• Counselling
• Fashion Design
• Multimedia Design
• Hotel Management
• Tourism
• Food Service

School of Pre-University Studies (SPUS)

TARC's School of Pre-University Studies offer two courses - namely STPM and Cambridge A levels. These courses are only available in the Kuala Lumpur Main Campus and last for two years.

In the Main Campus, SPUS is located at Block H, where most of the SPUS students' tutorials are held.

Extra-Mural Studies Department (EMSD)

The Extra-Mural Studies Department, unlike the five schools, does not offer courses for SPM or STPM leavers. Instead, they provide language and history subjects to students of all other schools.

Courses and examinations

Courses from all schools (except SPUS) are carried out in semesters, and are divided into three levels - Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma. Note that all above courses are available at Diploma level, but not necessarily at the other two levels.

There are three semesters per year, in contrast to most universities' standard of 2 semesters per year. This has resulted in a lower amount of holidays for Tarcians (nine weeks per year). The allocation of study, examinations and holiday weeks are as follows.

Semester	Activity	Duration (weeks)
1
	Study	1
	Exams	3
	Break	2
2	Classes	14
	Study	1
	Exams	3
	Break	2
3	Classes	7
	Exams	3
	Break	2
	Total	52 weeks

• Classes - all lectures and tutorials as usual. Exception at the week before study/exam week, when only lectures are held.
• Study - all lectures and tutorials are cancelled, to provide time for students to do revisions before the exams.
• Exams - all lectures and tutorials are cancelled - College Hall, Sports Complex, and tutorial blocks are used to hold examinations.
• Break - holidays.
• The nine weeks of holidays may be spread out evenly into three breaks of three weeks each. However, the total amount of holidays between semesters usually stays constant as nine weeks.
• Examinations may start during the last two or three days of the study (revision) weeks.

Semester three is only half as long as the other two semesters. During this semester, only half the amount of subject is taught.

Examination rules are strict. In the examination venues, known commonly as examination halls despite the fact that they may be classrooms, candidates are required to fill an attendance slip. No electronic communication devices are allowed into the hall, as well as pencil cases and bag. TARC has expelled students in violation of these rules.

Results of exams are usually given to candidates few weeks after the commencement of the exams, and are graded according to the table below.

Score range	Grade	GPA	Description
80 to 100	A	4.00	High distinction
75 to 79	A-	3.75	Distinction
70 to 74	B+	3.50	Merit
65 to 69	B	3.00	Merit
60 to 64	B-	2.75	Merit
55 to 59	C+	2.50	Pass
50 to 54	C	2.00	Pass
45 to 49	C-	1.75	Fail, redeemable
40 to 44	D	1.00	Fail, redeemable
0 to 39	F	0.00	Fail

Facilities at main campus

Sports facilities

TARC Main Campus has sports facilities, including an air-conditioned sports complex. Netted tennis courts are available at the rooftop of the complex, and the interior is used as indoor badminton courts or basketball courts, should no other activities (such as exhibitions, performances and examinations) be being held at the venue.

Beside the sports complex is the Olympic size swimming pool and a learner's pool. The pools were renovated in late 2007.

Few months before the renovation of the pool, a second gymnasium was built. Located next to the clubhouse (where the first gym and pools are), the access to the gym is to select "gym workout" as their co-curriculum activity. Other students may only use the old gym.

Other outdoor fields available are football field, basketball courts, futsal courts, and volleyball courts.

Library

TARC library is a three-storey-building, and houses mainly English books, although Malay and Chinese sections are also available. Infoweb system helps students locate books, and terminals lined up near the entrance, allowing the access of the service. Internet-surfing computers are set up beside the terminals, allowing students to do online research, as well as access to Microsoft Office applications.

Study and discussion rooms are also present, the latter requiring booking, and any other parts of the library other than these rooms are individual study areas.

Copies of past year examinations questions can be found, although they cannot be borrowed. Photocopy machines are situated beside the past year paper section and students are allowed to use them using a prepaid card.

Wi-Fi signal can be detected throughout the library, although it is considerably weaker at the top floor. Like the internet-surfing computers, several addresses are blocked, albeit slightly lesser. For instance, surfing of Friendster is possible using privately-owned notebook computers connected to the internet via library Wi-Fi.

Accommodation

One of the ten residential blocks of TARC Hostel

A path beside the Sports Complex leads to TARC Hostel. Ten blocks of five-storey-buildings house the residents, with 20 rooms in each floor and 2 students to a room, making the capacity of the hostel 2000 students. Seven of the ten blocks are female blocks, while the other three furthest from the entrance are male blocks.

Two canteens make up the remaining two buildings at the hostel. Canteen 1 focuses on Chinese food, and the Hostel Office can also be found here. Canteen 2 focuses on Malay food, and several air-conditioned rooms are available here too, although only for female residents. Study rooms can be found at each canteen.

Rooms are shared among two students.

Internet facility is provided by Tres as Wi-Fi connections, as these hostel blocks lack telephone wire connection.

Transportation

The college offers bus services to areas in the vicinity.

Canteens

There are two canteens at TARC (excluding those at the hostel) - Canteen 1 and Canteen 2. A cafeteria can be found at the clubhouse, but it attracts a far smaller crowd compared to the two canteens.

Wi-Fi services are available at both canteens. Canteen 2 has an empty lot for light activities, as well as two ATMs and a photocopy corner.

Online facilities

Computers in the Communication and Information Technology Centre of Kuala Lumpur Main Campus

Besides the internet-surfing computers found in the library, more can be found in the Communication and Information Technology Centre of the Kuala Lumpur Main Campus.

Wi-Fi hotspots are also spread all across the college, with popular spots being the library, canteens, and certain school blocks.

Miscellaneous

• The 186-acre (0.75 km²) KL Main Campus is the largest college in the city of Kuala Lumpur. It consists of 22 lecture halls, 18 blocks for tutorial classes with/or administration offices, ten blocks of college hostel, three blocks of workshops and one block for guest accommodation, a childcare centre, an examination building, a sport complex with roof-top tennis courts, a three-storey library and a 22,000 square feet (2,000 m²) college hall. It also offers laboratories, computer laboratories, Olympic-size swimming pool, two Gymnasiums, football field, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball court, badminton courts, and shuttle bus services.
• The college is under renovation and will have a three-storey building which will house the Centre of Communication and Information Technology, plus a multi-storey administrative building.
• The Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Setapak campus is located inside the 186-acre (0.75 km²) land.
• TARC is known for its tertiary education, most of their graduates are sought-after in the private sector.
• The Advanced Diploma in Science, Advanced Diploma in Business Studies and Advanced Diploma in Commerce are recognized as suitable for progression to a Sheffield Hallam University UK Honours Degree with prior credit. The UK universities in partnership with TARC include Sheffield Hallam University, Liverpool John Moores University and Birmingham City University.^{[citation needed]}
• Current and ex-students of TAR College are informally known as Tarcians.

External links

• Official website
• Sheffield Hallam University (Partner Institution)
• Liverpool John Moores University (Partner Institution)
• Edinburgh Napier University (Partner Institution)
• Birmingham City University (Partner Institution)
• Campbell University (Partner Institution)