The function of the Academic Administrative Office is to optimise resources and operation efficiency in supporting the expansion of course offering portfolios and new initiatives under the Horizon 2025. Thus, all professional staff currently working in the respective Faculties / School / LTU are centralised into one admin office and continue to provide support new courses, new initiatives, functions, major projects and events and also to alleviated duplication in each of the academic units.

Swinburne Sarawak’s Learning and Teaching Unit (LTU) is tasked to manage and coordinate all Learning and Teaching operations and activities across the University effectively and efficiently with greater impact and results. LTU leads and works closely with Student Engagement, Faculties, School of Foundation Studies and also other operation units to carry out the Learning and Teaching activities, student learning support and also language support for students and staff, including managing and coordinating the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program, English language clinics and Mata Pelajaran Umum (MPU) units. The LTU supports the University’s vision, mission, and strategic goals through various academic and professional activities.

Building Facilities

As a unit under the Student and Corporate Services Division, Building Facilities provides support and advice to the University, which include the following areas:

• Space Management – relocation, renovation, signage, project management, space use and needs analysis, maintaining a space inventory and utilisation database, helping to find space solutions, masterplan, campus tour;
• Asset Management – managing the building, mechanical and electrical infrastructure to support the University’s strategic objectives in a financially sustainable manner.
• Maintenance (M&E) – fan, lighting, power trips, firefighting equipment, plumbing, PA system, split unit and central air-conditioner, managing utilities (electricity, water), trouble shoot of M&E issues;
• Maintenance (architectural) – furniture, projector screens, whiteboard, blinds, refresh of furniture, painting works;
• Tenancy agreement – ensuring compliance with agreement and effective communication with building owner;
• Sub-tenancies – managing of sub-tenants, and its related agreements, timely collection of rentals etc;
• Landscaping – ensuring landscaping befits a branch campus, and the general upkeep of the landscape;
• Project Management – planning and execution of major refurbishment works/projects;
• Occupational, health and safety – implement the OSH management system, ensuring statutory compliance, and continuous improvement to processed; and
• Emergency management – implement the emergency operation plan, ensuring statutory compliance, and continuous improvement to processes.

The Units plays an important role in ensuring that the University has sufficient resources, infrastructure, and services in place in supporting the University operations.

Campus Services

As a Unit under the Student and Corporate Services Division, Campus Services (CS) provides support and advice to the University which include the following areas:

1. IT Client Services
   • Provide helpdesk support at Service Counter
   • Administer the service desk for the Division and the University
   • Installation, maintenance and refreshment of PCs, software, projectors, printers, and telecommunication
   • Planning, managing and maintaining computer labs and tutorial rooms
   • Supporting the maintenance of the data centre
   • Conduct surveys to assess the satisfaction levels of students and staff on the services provided by the Division, and generate the necessary report including data analysis
   • IT support for University events
2. Facility Services
   • Security management – vandalism, theft, misconduct, managing of security service
   • Security systems – CCTV, door access, including the refresh of these assets
   • Transport – managing university vehicles (including the refresh of vehicles), dispatch service, transport service (including airport pickups)
   • Provision of support for university events and functions
   • Parking – traffic management, managing of parking services
   • Housekeeping – cleanliness of campus (internal/external), managing of cleaning services
   • Miscellaneous – vending machines, pantry, pest control

The Unit plays an important role in ensuring that the University has sufficient resources, systems and services in place in supporting the University operations.

Director Administration Office

The Student and Corporate Services provides support services at SUTS and comprises of the following:

• Building Facilities
• Campus Services
• Information Resources
• Information Technology
• Policy, Planning and Quality

The Division aims to provide effective and efficient support services in relations to services for the students – including library services, and welfare matters as well as daily operations of the University.

Information Resources

The Swinburne Sarawak Information Resources (Library) supports students, academic staff and researchers, as an educational resource, a lending library, and a centre of research. The library is a technology integrated learning facility, provides learning resources and services to support the University’s learning, teaching and research programs. Access to electronic resources is available on and off campus. The key roles and functions of the Library include:

Library Discovery and Systems

• Technological library infrastructure, digital and innovation;
• Maintenance, support of digital and technical services, inclusive of contents;
• Information support and maintaining access of electronic resources;
• Resources, content and web discovery; and
• Cataloguing and creating records of library materials / classification

Scholarly Resources and Acquisitions

• Collection development, assessment and curation;
• Development of open access collections;
• Materials preservation;
• Review of access agreements and contracts; and
• Analysis and planning for operations related to acquisitions and services.

User Support and Outreach

• Memberships and circulation functions;
• Customer and reference services;
• Maintenance and organisation of library materials. Stock verification;
• Library activities, marketing and promotions; and
• Space, infrastructure and project innovation.

Academic and Research Engagement

• Develop and manage instructional infrastructure;
• Conduct library literacy workshops;
• Academic and research services;
• Maintaining subject guides or subject materials; and
• Library liaison program.

Information Technology

The Information Technology (IT) is a unit within the Student and Corporate Services Division. The Unit is responsible for handling the following: –

• Governance of IT-enabled projects as well as its operational parameters.
• Plan, implement, and install IT assets (the University’s data, IT systems, network and infrastructure, as well as the software and hardware components).
• Safeguard and maintenance of IT assets by ensuring protection and the upkeep of the University’s data, IT systems, network and infrastructure, as well as the software and hardware components.
• Application development and support.

Policy, Planning and Quality

The Policy, Planning and Quality (PPQ) Unit is lead by the Manager, Policy, Planning and Quality. PPQ was set up in 2010 for the coordination and management of the Swinburne Sarawak accreditation and policy documents, external accreditation through government quality rating instruments (e.g SETARA), liaison with the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA 2010), self-accreditation audits, as well as supporting the faculties in professional accreditation and external audits. PPQ also supports PVC & CES in monitoring the University’s campus plan and organisation of related strategic level activities for the University.

PPQ works closely with all the units in the Sarawak Campus as well as the relevant units in Swinburne Melbourne to promote harmonisation of policies across both campuses and to ensure compliance with both the Australian and Malaysian accreditation requirements.

The Audit and Risk Unit is responsible for ensuring the management of the University is functioning satisfactory and effectively. Among other responsibilities are: –

• Planning, implementing, and managing the audit assignment through performing a continuous review of the systems of internal control, statutory and policies compliance of the University to assess its integrity, adequacy, and effectiveness in mitigating and managing its risk portfolio with emphasis on operational risks;
• Discussing the audit discrepancies and shortcomings noted and recommending remedial actions to be taken in implementation of management internal controls with Chair, Audit and Risk Committee of SUTS, and the Board of Directors;
• Coordinating with the other heads in conducting audits to achieve the audit plan;
• Preparing and issuing audit reports to the Management, Chair, Audit and Risk Committee of SUTS, and the Board of Directors;
• Planning, designing and implementing overall risk management processes for the organisation; and
• Facilitating Risk Management workshops across the University.

The Units play an important role in managing the audit and risk activities of the University to ensure that its processes, systems and policies will be sufficient and in compliance with statutory requirements to support the University’s operations.

Business Development (BD) and Liaison led by the Director, Business Development and Liaison, is responsible for the development and implementation of business development initiatives, designed to achieve agreed corporate objectives. The key activities include:

• Development activities for expansion of business opportunities and networks;
• Establishment and engagement of collaborative and supportive professional relationships in pursuit of common University objectives; and
• Establishment and engagement with the alumni community.

The BD and Liaison plays a critical role in facilitating the growth objectives of the University in terms if new student numbers and other university objectives.

The Finance and Business Analysis (FBA) is responsible for the financial resources of the University. The key areas of responsibilities include:

• Financial planning for both short and long terms;
• Cash flow / fund management;
• Budget and budgetary control;
• Development and implementation of internal control policies and any other suitable policies to achieve its goal and objectives;
• Business analysis for reporting and decision-making;
• Processing of payments;
• Receivables and collection;
• Purchasing and payables;
• Tenders and vendors management;
• Financial risks management;
• Maintenance of fixed assets;
• Financial reporting to Executive Group, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, University Council, and any others as necessary;
• Financial and legal compliance; and
• Coordination with relevant units within the University to support growth and strategic initiatives, and to ensure operational functions continue to be efficient and effective.

The Unit plays an important role in managing the financial resources of the University to ensure that its resources will be sufficient to support the growth.

The Human Resources (HR) Unit is responsible for the overall functions of human resources such as human capital planning and recruitment, payroll and compensation, welfare and benefits, training and development, performance management as well as employee relations and discipline of the University.

HR, which is under the Pro Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Officer (PVC & CEO) Sarawak Office, supports the University objectives, ensures proper record-keeping and that the University human resources policies and procedures are enforced. HR also liaises with the government and statutory bodies to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. In addition, HR provides support in compliance to the requirements of various accreditations bodies.

The Future Students Unit plays a vital role in ensuring the growth objectives of the University in terms of new student numbers. It is primary Unit in the University responsible for future student recruitment and for promoting the University and its outreach activities generally to the public, potential students, industry, and government. It is responsible for developing and implementing student recruitment and marketing strategies and plans designed to achieve agreed KPI objectives. These include ensuring that all target markets (national and international; potential, existing and future students; employers; industry and business; governments and stakeholders; schools and key influencers and staff) are aware of Swinburne’s features and strengths and are encouraged to take advantage of what Swinburne offers.

The Unit also works with the Business Development and Liaison Unit to develop and manage the Swinburne brand; manages and implements marketing communications and outreach strategies, including developing promotional tools; web-based communications e-marketing strategies; implements marketing communications activities of the University as a whole in order to build market awareness and maintain a positive, credible and exciting market image as well as an employer.

The Office of the PVC/CEO develops all strategic plans, and provides leadership for the total operations of the Sarawak Campus. The PVC/CEO’s Office also ensures close alignment and support of the vision and objectives of Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.

The Student Engagement (SE) Unit is responsible for a range of complex student-centred functions which is divided into two distinct areas, Systems and Administration (visa services, student records, enrolments, examinations and graduation) of students in the University and Student Services (Accommodation, Student Counselling and Welfare, Employability and Student Experience) provided to students. There is also the Complaints, Reviews, Appeals and Misconduct (CRAM) framework that is a feedback avenue for the University community.

The Unit is responsible for providing effective services in all these functions to the Chancellery and the academic units of the University. It also has a major role to play in the provision of information to internal and external parties.

Swinburne Innovation Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SWIM) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Swinburne Sarawak Sdn Bhd set up in 2019 as a Research and Development (R&D) Status Company. In line with the University’s vision for excellence in transformative research, SWIM works closely with the industry to maximise the impact from R&D. SWIM also provides research driven professional training courses to ensure latest know-how is put to use.