Benefits of the University Foundation Year

The University Foundation program, is an intensive, focused program which guarantees entry to the University upon successful completion.
All our programs have been developed in conjunction with the partner universities themselves, especially for international students.
Why choose a Foundation program?
Taylors College Foundation Programs are unique, dedicated pathways to some of the most prestigious universities in Australia and New Zealand.
1. A guaranteed place at the University of your choice
If you meet the necessary grades, you’ll receive an offer of a place in the undergraduate course of their choice at the partner university.

There is no competition to enter the program if you meet the entry requirements.

To see what grades you need to get, chose one of the Foundation program links below:
• Monash University Foundation Year
• Taylors Auckland Foundation Year
• The University of Sydney Foundation Program
• The University of Western Australia Foundation Program
2. A history of success
Taylors College has been preparing students successfully for 90 years. Every year, almost 100% of our students are offered a tertiary place.
The academic and personal support systems in place ensure that you have the best opportunity to achieve your goals.
3. Program designed by the University
The combined educational expertise of both the University and Taylors has been employed to create this Foundation program – providing you with the perfect academic stepping stone into university-level studies.
4. A smooth transition to University
Our delivery of the Foundation program encourages you to adapt easily to the Australian tertiary academic system. You will benefit from the small classes and timetabled tutorials. You will learn how to work in groups, become leaders, conduct research and deliver presentations - all of which will help you succeed at university.
5. Flexible study options
After completing the first semester you may have the option to repeat a unit, take a different subject or extend your program and study at a slower place. You will be counselled through this process on an individual basis to select the best study option.
6. Our staff are experts in their fields
As experts in teaching international students, the experience of our staff will allow you to excel in your studies. You will benefit from a variety of teaching methods including classes, tutorials, group work and presentations.
• Meet our Auckland staff
• Meet our Melbourne staff
• Meet our Perth staff
• Meet our Sydney staff
7. New study opportunities
Our Foundation program provides an opportunity to enter a discipline you have not studied before. The Extended program provides you with the background you need in subjects you have not taken before.
This will allow you to enter a new world of opportunities at university and beyond.
8. We provide the best support
While studying with Taylors, you will be supported in every aspect of your studies and personal life. From small group tutorial classes and printed Study Guides, through to help with all aspects of life outside College hours – you will be in he best hands.
We offer career counseling, accommodation placement and on-campus health care. We even pick you up at the airport when you arrive!

The University of Cambodia Foundation
The University is a privately-funded institution: it receives no financial support from the Royal Government of Cambodia. Thus, its survival and its quest for long-term academic excellence are dependent on being able to attract funding from outside sources. Generous donations from diverse people throughout the country and from around the world have meant that, for the first two years of the University's existence, we have already been able to set up the basic infrastructure (including one of the largest libraries in Cambodia and computer labs with free internet access), hire faculty and offer scholarships to deserving students.

However, there is a need for a more formal arrangement for the obtaining and disbursing of funds from donors. To this end, the University of Cambodia Foundation was established in 2005. It is dedicated to seeking financial support from private individuals, corporations, organizations, and other foundations interested in helping the University of Cambodia achieve its mission of providing a superior higher education for the next generation of top Cambodians. The Foundation also has the responsibility of providing careful management and distribution of the funds raised, to ensure appropriate allocation of donor gifts. This dual role means that gifts will be utilised according to any specific wishes of their donors. To achieve this, the Foundation is administered by Grant Committee, under the oversight of the University’s President and Chancellor.

The Foundation has three core aims for the dispensation of the funds and other donations which it receives:

1. to support the employment of faculty who are experts in their respective fields, and thereby enhance the quality of the teaching provided;
2. to establish a research environment – the first in any Cambodian university (in stark contrast to the situation in established universities elsewhere) for the promotion of research and investigative studies relevant to the country's future development;
3. to also, in the longer term, promote the accessibility of higher education to those in the provinces, through the establishment of community colleges (following the American model) in Siem Reap, Kep and elsewhere.

In this way, we aim to help rebuild a vibrant professional middle-class, and so help reinforce the continuing development of democratic institutions, where individuals can advance themselves based on their respective merits and talents.

The Foundation is a part of The University of Cambodia, and is responsible for ensuring that 100% of all funds received are used to support the teaching, research and scholarships at the University, and cannot be reallocated by the state or any other third party. This means that any donations will be beneficial for the long-term development of Cambodia as a whole.







You can make a difference to Cambodia's future
The present revenue from students is inadequate to meet the running costs of the University of Cambodia, never mind provide income to be invested in the University's further development and expansion.

Therefore, the University of Cambodia Foundation would be most grateful for any donations of cash, whether this is for immediate access or used to set up an endowed fund (see next section). In addition, we would also be grateful for gifts in kind (for example: books, computers and other equipment, or property), although please contact us beforehand for confirmation about our requirements.

One possibility to bear in mind is an Honorary or Memorial gift to the University of Cambodia, to recognize special individuals. A gift made in honor or in memory of a family member or a friend, a teacher or a student is a thoughtful way to remember a person’s accomplishments.

Unless the donor specifies otherwise, cash gifts and earnings from endowed funds will be used at the discretion of the University, to allow us more flexibility in responding to changing needs and requirements. For example –

• to supplement the University’s administrative costs;
• to provide poor students with scholarships to support their academic endeavors;
• to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and researchers, as part of our drive
to enhance established teaching and research programs or start new programs of
study;
• to develop facilities such as the Library, and Computer and Science Laboratories;
• to renovate and upgrade old buildings and construct of new ones; and
• to assist in the University’s community development projects.

However, if the donor prefers, the use of the money by the University will instead be restricted to a particular purpose or project, as discussed with the Foundation Committee. Whatever you donate, you will be issued with an official receipt from the University of Cambodia Foundation to acknowledge your generosity and public- spiritedness. Furthermore, to honor the commitment and generosity of our supporters, the University has established five levels of recognition, with various benefits:

• Friends of the University of Cambodia (donation of $100 or more)
• Honored Members (donation of $500 or more)
• Distinguished Members (donation of $1,000 or more)
• Esteemed Members (donation of $5,000 or more)
• Chancellor’s Circle Members (donation of $10,000 or more)

On top of this, for those who donate sufficiently large amounts to the Foundation, the University of Cambodia will be pleased to name Colleges, Centers, Headships, Chairmanships, Scholarships, and various facilities according to these supporters' wishes.

Note: However, in all cases, your wishes regarding publicity and/or anonymity will be respected by the Foundation.












University of Cambodia
Academic Foundation Department
Strategic Plan 2009-2015
• Click here to read in Khmer
Introduction
The Academic Foundation Department of the University of Cambodia aims to build on its progress, since it was first established in 2005 and registered and recognized by the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC) (ACC: number 34/05), and it subsequently received Full Accreditation Certificate for Academic Years 2006-9 (Decision Number 129/07, dated September 3rd, 2007).
Thus AFD’s goal is to reinforce its position as a leading provider of Foundation Year studies for new Bachelor's degree students, as the first, transitional component in the University of Cambodia's undergraduate degree programs.
The following is a proposed plan, produced by the AFD Curriculum Development Committee, to further enhance the Foundation Year Program by (1) strengthening its institutional development; (2) engaging faculty whose teaching will encourage and inspire students to learn and understand the importance of the Foundation Year courses; (3) building up the management team of AFD to respond to the needs of students; and (4) carrying out regular seminars on the Foundation-Year Program and to receive feedback from students.
Vision
To live up to its name and provide students of Cambodia with the strongest foundations for getting the most out of their time as undergraduate students in terms of not just the knowledge acquired through instruction but also a broader understanding about how to acquire knowledge independently and how to assimilate it into their existing corpus of information and ideas to generate new insights.
Mission
To make the Vision a reality there is a need to encourage the students to develop confidence and independence, together with the necessary thirst for knowledge and deeper understanding. In turn, this requires them to be encouraged to ask questions and then seek answers to these questions, so that they can refine and extend their understanding of the world around them, in general, and their chosen field in particular.
Such aspirations require the need for qualified and committed staff and instructors, ones who manifest the same qualities as we desire to nurture in our students. In addition, this requires reinforcement by identifying and using the best teaching materials.
Because the Foundation Year is an integral part of the undergraduate degree program, there is a need for consultation and cooperation with the Associate Deans (ADs) of the different colleges and others who are involved in the individual degree programs, and who thus have a more specific and in-depth knowledge of their particular fields.
Thus, the AFD must serve as a bridge, to ease the transition from a high-school learning environment to a more academically rigorous one. This will be achieved through Orientation activities and a commitment to providing advice on academic matters whenever it is sought: to educate new students about what is expected of them in higher education, so that they are encouraged to overcome self-doubts about their capacities and/or helped to realize their responsibilities regarding the work ethic expected of them.
In turn, the AFD should serve as one conduit for feedback, to help further improve our undergraduate programs.
Objectives
1. To provide students with a foundation of knowledge (through teaching with the support of texts in our Foundation Year Library and internet resources) shaped by the general demands of academic study, as well as the specific requirements of their chosen majors;
2. To provide ready access for instructors to these Foundation Year texts and internet resources, so that they can better plan their courses and suggest how to improve them in order to ameliorate the overall program as an integrated whole.
3. To promote understanding of matters such as the Credit System and related policy decisions through Orientation Sessions.
4. To ensure that students adapt to university life socially and academically, so that those from the provinces can better adjust to living in the city and studying at the University.
Action Plan
The following action plan will allow the AFD to meet its vision and objectives. It has been divided into two components:
a. Current and Ongoing; and
b. Long-term, where there will be progressive implementation to build upon what we have achieved to date.
However, the AFD reserves the right to change or amend the action plan based on any other changes in our Bachelor’s degree programs, or on the changing demands of Cambodian society.
Current and Ongoing Action Plan
1. Facilitate enrollment or registration procedures for prospective new students.
2. Provide FY students with ready access to academic counseling and to study materials, including a ‘FY Corner’ with all of the basic resources.
3. Improve liaison and consultation with other members of the academic staff, so that there is mutual understanding, and thus the mission and its objectives can be better achieved because all understand what is involved.
4. Reinforce the students' understanding of the Foundation Year as a bridge from what was expected of them at high school to what is now expected of them at the University of Cambodia, and the ultimate relevance of its structure to their Bachelor’s program.
5. Familiarize the students with the credit system and the grading system; and with the University's Code of Conduct, together with what we expect of our staff and our students.
6. Conduct regular seminars (e.g. Orientation Seminars at the start of each term) and workshops to promote student research and learning skills; and thus inculcate the need for life-long learning and the importance of understanding what has been learned and what it means.
7. Motivate good students through nominating them for awards at the end of their Foundation Year.
8. Identify students who are falling behind (through poor attendance, poor exam grades) and counsel them so that they are encouraged to try to perform better.
Long-term Action Plan
1. Continue ongoing efforts to upgrade Foundation Year courses, to take into account:
a. feedback from students and faculty;
b. inputs from ACC and other regulatory bodies;
c. the availability of new textbooks and other teaching materials;
d. new research findings on best educational practice;
e. new advances in the fields covered by these courses;
f. the requirements of Cambodian society; and
g. programs elsewhere in Cambodia and overseas, including universities and institutes of higher education in partner countries.
2. Upgrade the range of study materials available in the ‘FY Corner’.
• In recognition of the need for our Foundation Year students to adapt to being taught in English, especially in subjects outside their major (where their motivation to learn is potentially compromised by language difficulties – something which has become obvious in our polls of student-feedback), we plan to prepare a set of Khmer-English glossaries for certain subjects (e.g. Statistics, IT) to ease their transition to an all-English medium of teaching.
3. Help encourage existing instructors (for example, by conducting regular seminars and workshops to upgrade their teaching abilities), and also to attract new instructors of good quality.
4. Encourage students to participate and play active roles in the UC Debate Club and UC Student Senate, to promote a sense of community as well as for their own individual benefit.
5. Encourage students to participate in seminars, workshops or conferences hosted by the University or by appropriate outside agencies, so that they can foster their networking skills, public speaking skills as well as increasing their knowledge and broadening their outlook.
6. Encourage students to think ahead about their future careers and how they can best achieve their aspirations and ambitions.
7. Identify social and community developments, in concert with the Student Senate, and encourage student participation so that they better realize their duties and responsibilities to society-at-large.
8. Periodically review progress and fine-tune actions and activities as a result.
9. Increase marketing and promotion of the FY program, in order to increase public awareness and thereby increase student enrolment.





FOUNDATION YEAR STUDIES PROGRAM
(Applicable since September 2005)
PUC has now been officially approved for its Foundation Year Studies Program by the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) to grant the Certification of Foundation Year Course to all successful undergraduate students.

Foundation Year Course, required for all first-year students, consists of liberal arts curriculum that will help students gain vital general knowledge to better prepare them for a rigorous university education. There are eight common courses for all students in every major, and two oriented courses for those who choose a specific major field of study.

As part of this new requirement, by both ACC and MoEYS, students must successfully complete the Foundation Year Course in their first year before being allowed to continue their study at PUC.
VISION
Education with wisdom and excellence.

GOAL
To strengthen general knowledge that is the Foundation for students to acquire an internationally standardized Education.
MISSIONS
• To actively take part in human resource development through globalization and sustainability
• To strengthen the quality and improve the capacity of students to become responsible, well-informed citizens
• To sustain social development, build up peace and resolve conflicts through non-violence means
• To educate students with international standardized curriculum that includes knowledge on environmental issues, community service, gender and development
• To enhance students capacity with research and critical thinking skills needed for global job markets and for advanced studies abroad
• To create opportunities for students to practice what they have learned while still in school.
EIGHT COMMON COURSES OFFERED BY ALL FACULTIES
• Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 102)
• Introduction to Khmer Studies (KHMR 110)
• Introduction to Computers (COMP 110)
• Introduction to Environmental Science (NATS 102)
• Introduction to Political Science (POL 101)
• Introduction to Gender Studies (SOC 110)
• English I: Reading and Composition (ENGL 110)
• English II: Reading and Composition (ENGL 120)
TWO ORIENTED COURSES REQUIRED BY EACH FACULTY

Faculty of Arts, Letters, and Humanities

• Introduction to Humanities (HUM 110)
• Introduction to Philosophy and Society (PHIL 115)
Faculty of Business and Economics
• Management Principles (MGT 110)
• Accounting I (ACCT 110)
Faculty of Communications and Media Arts

• Introduction to Humanities (HUM 110)
• Introduction to Law (LAW 101)
Faculty of Education
• Introduction to Humanities (HUM 110)
• Introduction to Philosophy and Society (PHIL 115)
Faculty of Law and Public Affairs
• Introduction to Law (LAW 101)
• Introduction to Public Policy and Adminstration (PA 110)
Faculty of Mathematics, Sciences, & Engineering
• Introduction to Biology (BIO 101)
• Chemistry I (CHEM 101)
Faculty of Social Sciences & International Relations
• Introduction to Public Policy and Adminstration (PA 110)
• Theories of International Relations (POL 120)
PROFESSORS
Both international and national professors in this program are highly educated with university degree(s) and at least 3-year teaching experience and are carefully screened and selected. Professors are well disciplined, helpful and professional in effectively teaching students to achieve course and program objectives.


From Left to Right: Dean Teresa Smith, Professor of Cultural Anthropology; Dr. George Hannen,
Professor of English; and Dr. Srey Sun Leang, Professor of Environmental Science.
CREDIT TRANSFERRED
Student who obtained a Certificate of Foundation Year Course from other universities will have to:

-Take PUC English Placement Test (this policy will not affect students who have successfully completed PUC’s pre-academic English proficiency program and those who obtained acceptable TOEFL or IELTS test scores);
-Submit the previous study reports/transcripts and Foundation Year Course Certificate to PUC Foundation Year Studies Department for credits evaluation (number of transferable credits is to be decided by the Director of PUC Foundation Year Studies Department);
-Other requirements maybe needed as deems necessary.

*PUC students who have successfully completed all the requirements of the Foundation Year Studies Program at PUC can obtain the Certificate at the Registrar’s Office.
PUC Foundation Year Studies Department

(Email: fysp@puc.edu.kh, Tel: 023 990 680 023 990 680)
is located in South Campus:
No. 184, First Floor, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh