University Management

How the University Works

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a government-funded public university with a major focus on science, engineering and technology. The University is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, and also linked to the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Malaysia.

University Board of Directors

The University Board of Directors is the University Authority authorised to execute all powers entrusted to the University in accordance with the UTM Constitution (1998) under Section 6(1) (a) to (w) and Section 7(1) (a) to (i). The UTM Constitution is part of the Universities and Colleges Act passed by the trustee Malaysian Parliament on 18 March 1971.The Board of Directors is therefore also the executive body of the University and meets 4 times a year.

The Board’s main area of duties and responsibilities includes policy matters related to University administration, especially those relating to finance and staff. While academic matters are under the purview of the University Senate, approval or endorsement from the Board is required before an academic decision can become a legally valid regulation. In line with this division of authority, the UTM Constitution stipulates that no decisions on matters under the purview of the Senate can be approved by the Board, before the Senate has been given the opportunity to deliberate on the matter and send its views to the Board.

While the University Board of Directors is authorised to execute all powers entrusted to the University, as a Federal Statutory Body receiving allocations from the government, the University, and therefore the Board, has to comply with government regulations and policies on some matters related to finance and positions as directed by such central agencies as the Treasury and Public Administration Department. This position of the University in relation to the government therefore makes the University Board of Directors different those in the private sector, which possess full power on decision making in all matters related to the company.

Senate

The academic authority of the University is the Senate, which meets on monthly basis. The Senate is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and includes all Deputy Vice-Chancellors and deans of faculties in its membership, as well as the Registrar, Bursar, Chief Librarian and elected representatives of professors. Its responsibility is to direct all regulate teaching and learning, examinations, conferment of degrees and awards, and to promote research.

University Executive Committee

Day-to-day management issues at the University are the responsibility of the Executive Committee, which meets weekly and is comprised of the Vice-Chancellor as the chairman, the three Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Registrar, the Bursar and the Chief Librarian.

Senate Committees

These are special committees appointed to carry out detailed study on issues of significance to the University, related to academic and administration matters. The Senate Committee is chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), and its membership varies depending on the areas of responsibility but would include elected representative of the Senate. The senate committees provide proposal papers for discussion and decision-making in the Senate. List of the committees is as follows :

  1. Senate Committee on New Courses & Departments, and Students Intake
  2. Senate Committee on Research
  3. Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning
  4. Senate Committee on Graduate Studies
  5. Senate Committee on Library
  6. Senate Committee on Examinations and Results
  7. Senate Committee on Examinations and Results (External & Part-Time Programmes)
  8. Senate Committee on External Programmes
  9. Senate Committee on Council of Professors

There are also several other important committees, which assist the University in managing a wide-range of issues.

  • Committee on University Financial Management
  • Committee on Franchise Programmes
  • Committee on Coordination of Management and Development
  • Committee on Asset and Space