PENANG, 11 April 2015 - USM has successfully supported the promotion of student empowerment through planned volunteerism activities by its students, even without the university’s direct involvement.

USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato' Dr. Omar Osman said, the success of the Kampus Sejahtera Volunteers, who were committed in driving the efforts for a sustainable campus to benefit its community via the "Water Warrior" programme here today, is a proof of that.

The programme, involving 40 campus volunteers, was aimed at identifying defective lavatory facilities on the campus grounds which could lead to water wastage and become the breeding sites for the aedes mosquito.

“They conducted an audit of the lavatories at the School of Social Sciences, the Foyer of Lecture Hall (DK) G, Lecture Halls S,T,U,V and the convocation site to assess the conditions of the lavatories using specially prepared survey forms,” said the Vice-Chancellor.

Each volunteer would assess the condition of the lavatory via survey forms based on the listed criteria for a defective lavatory including damaged water pumps, lighting, rubber hoses, doors, mirrors, facilities for the disabled (OKU), the condition of dustbins and “no smoking” signboards.

“This audit would be done continuously and periodically, and which the resulting report would be discussed with the university, especially the USM Development Department, for further actions to be taken,” said the spokesperson of Kampus Sejahtera, Qutnina binti Jaafar.

She further said, the “Talk Series” programme on lavatory awareness and water sustainability would also be carried out the soonest to create an understanding of sustainable practices on campus among the campus community. – Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/Text: Siti Naquiah Abdillah/Photos: Courtesy of Kampus Sejahtera Secretariat and Volunteers