News

My First Experience as a Volunteer at the Office of the Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement)

Sr. Anis Noorsyahira Binti Ahmad Asri
4th Year 
Kuliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Human Sciences (English Language & Literature)
ODRSDCE Media Team

Thursday, 7th March 2019 marked my first official day as a Media Team volunteer for the Office of the Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement). I was the first person among the team to report my duty at the office and I could not hide my nervousness and excitement to engage myself with first-hand experience of volunteering for an organization. My duty started at 8.00 am and I was warmly greeted by the person in charge of the team, Br. Ahmad `Izzuddin Bin Yunus, Assistant Director, Office of the Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement). He began with a brief introduction to the organization, the media team’s working schedule, the “Waqaf Time” programme initiated by IIUM which aimed to expose students to infinity of experiences in volunteering and working aside from their academic assessment as well as explanation on the jobs and tasks that the team will be doing during our terms of volunteering. He also introduced me to all ODRSDCE staff who welcomed me with warm greetings and words, and I was even treated to a delicious breakfast while having my “ice-breaking” session with some of the staff. I was also given the opportunity to meet the Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Hasan. He was very welcoming of me and even expressed his gratitude of having us as volunteers for the organization. 

As for my first task, I was asked to visit the official website and social media pages including Facebook and Twitter of ODRSDCE and share my thoughts and comments on the overall content and design. The websites and social media pages were very neatly organized and the fact that they were filled with the latest updates related to ODRSDCE is very helpful and thoughtful for the IIUM community who wished to stay updated with IIUM latest news and events. At 9.00 am, I was welcomed to join a meeting held between ODRSDCE and Disability Services Unit (DSU). It was an opportunity for me to experience being in an official meeting with the higher authorities of IIUM. It was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, the Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement), Br. Mohd Khairul Bin Abu Sufi, Special Officer to the Deputy Rector, Br. Ahmad `Izzuddin Bin Yunus (Assistant Director of ODRSDCE), Prof. Dr. Ruzita Mohd Amin (the Head of DSU), Br. Muhd Fadhlullah Bin Sharuddin (Assistant Director of DSU) and some other representatives from both ODRSDCE and DSU. The meeting was held for the purpose of discussing the potential events and programmes that will be held to meet the welfare of IIUM students, especially for disabled students. 

I am very honoured and grateful to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute any skills to the organization in turn of the experiences that I am gaining and will gain in the future throughout my stay with them. It was an eye-opener for me to familiarize myself with the working world outside IIUM once I have graduated. My first day at the office was filled with fun and knowledgeable moments with the ODRSDCE staff who were all very supportive and understanding of a novice-me in this newly-found duty. By no means could I express my gratitude to the staff and the organization other than executing my utmost efforts in fulfilling my duty.