Admissions stalwart
Weng Yew focuses on creating a better experience for undergraduates
Alumnus Mr Soh Weng Yew opted to return to NUS as an employee in 1985, and for the past 30 years, has been managing primarily admissions matters, first in the Registrar's Office and subsequently in the Office of Admissions.
After a four-year spell in a bank, Weng Yew eschewed the financial industry and returned to his alma mater. The main attraction, he said, was access to NUS libraries. "I like reading…[and] the libraries are fantastic, he declared.
Weng Yew has always kept a busy portfolio. In the Registrar's Office, he was mainly involved in student admissions, doubling up to handle issues related to commencement, financial aid and examinations. He also performed secretariat duties for the Faculty of Science, where he coordinated Dean's meetings and prepared meeting minutes. Offering a glimpse into NUS' history, Weng Yew said Schools previously did not have administrative officers, so staff from the Registrar's Office had to "act as secretariat for the Dean's Office.
The Office of Admissions was established in August 1999 to provide more focused attention to undergraduate admissions. Weng Yew was then transferred from the Registrar's Office to the new office, where admissions work became, in his opinion, "more streamlined. His scope of work currently includes processing applications, interacting with students and parents, participating in local and overseas outreach programmes, carrying out system enhancements, as well as assisting in policy development and review.
Weng Yew was particularly struck by the philosophy espoused by former NUS Vice-Chancellor Professor Lim Pin, which was to look out for people who needed a second chance in life. He is glad to see that over the years, NUS has offered a lifeline to individuals who needed help returning to society via education. This aspect of his work provides Weng Yew with much fulfilment. "This is the satisfaction that I find over these years, helping people with challenging backgrounds to come in, he said.
Over the years, Weng Yew has seen a number of changes in NUS, one of which is curricular structure. From a rote-based approach several decades ago, education at the University today is more experimental and broad-based. The element of research is evident as well, even at the undergraduate level. There is also more automation through application of technology, which means NUS can offer a better level of service to students. This is critical because, as Weng Yew elaborated: "Education is a service industry. We are judged by how well we provide that service. If we don't work together, the experience is not going to be there for the students.
Another change is the architectural landscape. Asked whether he felt nostalgic about the buildings which have been demolished, he said: "We have to move forward. If you knock down a building and benefit the student community, by all means. Why should we hang onto old ways of doing things, or even an old building for that matter?
Weng Yew's pragmatic yet sincere approach to admissions service is commendable and one that has not gone unnoticed by students. Till today, Weng Yew still receives occasional visits from students whom he has helped in the past, who would drop by to say "hi.
Mrs Joanna Wong is one of NUS Everyday Icons ' people who have shaped the University in unique ways ' to be featured in a monthly series to mark NUS' 110th anniversary.
