Introduction to Office of the Registrar, Thammasat University
History
The University of Moral and Political Sciences ActB.E. 2476 empowered “University Board Committees” “Members of University Committee”to perform the duty of formulating policies and founded6 sections to provide general administration work and academic services as follows:
- The Press Section
- The library section
- The Central Administration Section
- The Accounting Section
- The Registration and Examination Section
- The Lesson Section
The Registrar andExaminationSection was founded when the university was established, to store student documents and to retain student records, so as to check tuition and application fee payments
The Thammasat University Act B.E. 2495,Section 23, empoweredthesecretary of the university to perform the duty of the secretary ofthe university council,assistingthe president with central administration tasks to coordinate with schools and sections, including supervising the Registrar and Records Section.
The year 2504 B.E.
According to the Announcement of the Office of the Prime Minister concerning the Organizational structure of government service on 11 October B.E. 2504, ThammasatUniversity’s organizational structure was divided into 3 divisions. These divisions were the Division of Central Administration, the Division of Educational Services and the Division of the Libraryand were structured under the Office of the Secretary. Structured under the Division of Central Administration, the Section of Registration and Records was responsible for new student registration and the issuance of recordstranscripts while each faculty was assigned to perform its duties of class scheduling, overseeing final examination applications, and grading and recording on a percentage basis.
The year2513 B.E.
The university adopted a credit-based grading systemand allowed students to make their own decisions on minor and elective subjects. For this reason, in accordance with the resolution of the deans’ meeting B.E. 2513, the Educational Evaluation Unit was founded to perform duties of class scheduling, registering for courses, recording and pursuing each student’sschool-record including requesting degree approvals.
The year 2521 B.E.
The Unit of Educational Evaluation was merged with the Registration and RecordsUnit to formthe Section of Registration and Educational Evaluation,under the Division of Educational Services, to perform its duties with convenience, speed and accuracy. As a mechanism of credit-based education,the Section of Registration and Educational Evaluation requires staff who work with agility, prudence and high levels of competency. A lack of these qualifications may cause consequential damage to students and graduation candidates, in particular.
Being under anobligationtoenforce regulatory compliancewithstudent regulations and other university regulations can cause conflicts between students and staff of the Section of Registration and Educational Evaluation. The officers ofthe Section of Registration and Educational Evaluation, therefore,require patienceto perform their duty as law enforcement officers.In addition, the increase of undergraduate courses from 233 courses in B.E. 2514 to 1,024 courses in B.E. 2522 caused difficultiesinclass and room schedulingfor students who were eligible to make their own decisions on minor and elective subjects.
Since tasks on a credit basis increased substantially, these tasks being new student registration, course registration, exam room and seat arrangement, score recording and all types of letter issuance, for example, increased every academic year, the university restructured organizations to suit the importance of tasks, duties and amount of tasks in order to increase work efficiency and attract and maintain staff with a high degree of competence to work for the organizations.
The Year2525 B.E.
According to a Notification from the Ministry of University on 12 November B.E. 2525, the Office of Registrar was founded and announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 18 November B.E. 2525. The Office of Registrar which is equivalent to a faculty, provides students, faculty members, alumni as well as internal and external organizations with educational services.
The Year2529 B.E.
When the university openedRangsitCampus to offer science disciplines and founded the Faculty of Science and Technology, all first year students were required to reside at Rangsit Campus and the Department of Registration, Rangsit Campus,was founded in order to provide students with educational services.
The Year 2538 B.E.
The Office of the Registrar was restructured to keep pace with changes in technology and students’ needs. As a result, the Department of Information was established,as a source of information for the office, in order to provide internal and external services, including creating alumni databases to benefit alumni relations activities
The Year 2543 B.E.
The Office of the Registrar was relocated to Gymnasium 3 Building, Rangsit Campus. It was the first office that was relocated to support undergraduate study at Rangsit Campus. However, at the ThaPrachan Campus, the service counter with only two staff still remained on the second floor ina Multipurpose Buildingto provide students, faculties and alumni with petitionserviceswhile document issuanceand other duties were performed at the Rangsit Office.
The Year 2549 B.E.
The Department of the Registration, ThaPrachan Campuswasfounded in October 2549 B.E. to provide students with more effective service and support faculties, institutes, colleges and programs on the ThaPrachan Campus. The Department performed the same duties as the Office of the Registrar, Rangsit Campusranging from admission to graduation and transferred the Section of Public Relations from the Department of Information to the Office of the Secretary and the Section of Educational Guidance from the Department of Information to the Admission Office.
The Year 2550 B.E.
The Office of the Registrar was restructured in order to keep pace with the ever changing needs of bureaucratic and higher education reform.Valuing performance appraisal of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, the taking on of the role of quality assurance support agent and changes in undergraduate admission criteria are all factors that led to reorganization. The Office of the Registrar consisted of 8 departments separated according to 6 approaches, as follows:
Under the first group, the scope of the Department of Personal Profile Records and Documents, the Department of Degree conferment and Certification and the Department of Data Processing were redesigned but their titles were retained in order to be more accurate and more effective.
For the second approach, the scope of the Department of Information was redesigned and its title was changed to Relational Communication Section.
The third approach combined similar tasks to reduce mistakesmade by different sections. As a result, the Department of Registration, Rangsit Campus was merged with the Department of Registration.
As regards the fourth approach, the Department of Registration, ThaPrachan Campus was founded in order to provide comprehensive service at the ThaPrachan Campus.
Categorized under the fifth approach, the Department of General Administration and the Department of Strategy and Evaluation were split up and became independent from the Office of the Secretary.
The last approach abolished the Admission Section and shared out its responsibilities to all other departments. Since admission task is a periodic task, the office works periodically with less workbut is burdened with responsibilities during admission periods. Therefore, involvements of several parties are required to cope with admission workload.
The reorganization was officially approved by the University Council resolution in the 1/2552 B.E. university meeting on 26 January 2552 B.E.
The Year 2553 B.E.
Tokeep pace with changing circumstances and gradual government officer retirement, the Office of the Registrar has been consistently reconsidering its missions. This initiated a plan for internal reorganization beginning with a trial operation on new missions.After an evaluation, the plan would be proposed to the university council for approval.According to the new missions, the Office of the Registrar was restructured, consisting of 8 departments, as follows:
Department of Admission is in charge of all kinds of admission task.
Department of Records and Academic Documents is responsible for new student
registration,student and status records, certification documentation, and alumni
services.
Department of Registration 1is involved in registration database, registration, postponement and refund of payment for tuition fees, lecture and exam rooms, school record, graduation of Political Science, Social Administration, Liberal Arts, Sociology and Anthropology (exceptprograms at ThaPrachan Campus), Science and Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Dentistry students.
The Department of Registration 2 is engaged in registration databases, registrations, postponements and refunds of payment for tuition fees, lecture and exam rooms, school record, graduation in Law, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Journalism and Mass Communication, (except programs at ThaPrachan Campus), Fine and Applied Arts, Architecture and City Planning, Nursing, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology and College of Interdisciplinary Studies students.
The Department of Registration, ThaPrachan Campus is accountable for identical duties, as the above 4 departments, as to special program and graduate students at ThaPrachan Campus and College of Innovation students.
The Department of Data Processing undertakes network systems, databases, websites, student data processing, and technology services for the Office of the Registrar staff, including management information system services.
The Department of General Administrationhandles documentand correspondence work, and is in charge of buildings and facilities, transportation, meetings, supplies, procurement, finance and accounting, counter service and personnel task(work attendance and benefit welfare).
The Department of Strategy and Evaluation deals with strategies, budgets, personnel tasks, personnel development, quality assurance, public relations, printing and electronic media production and study/field trip coordination.
The Year 2555 B.E.
After 1 year of a trial operation of new structures.,the evaluation results showed general but not universal satisfaction. The plan, therefore, was proposed to the university council and gained approval in the 7/2555 meeting on 23 July 2555 B.E.
The Year 2558 B.E.
To the extent of changes in technology and client needs, including staff’s service potential development, the Office of the Registrar, by virtue of section 39(6) of Thammasat University Act B.E. 2558, appointed 2 more deputy directors; Deputy director of Planning and Human Resource Management and Deputy Director of Registration Administration and Information.
The Year 2559 B.E.
In the 2/2559 meeting on 15 February 2559 B.E., the university council approved a resolution on restructuring Thammasat University. In accordance with the regulation on Thammasat University’s Organization Structure 2559 B.E.(temporary provision section 17), organizations under the Thammasat University Act 2531 B.E. are obliged toconform to the this regulationand the name “Office of the Registrar” has been used since 22 March 2559 B.E.
The resolution of 2/2559 university council meeting on 15 February 2559 B.E. on restructuring Thammasat Universityalong with the resolution of 19/2558 university board committees members of university committeemeeting on 9 November 2558 came to an agreement to restructure the office of the secretary of faculties, institutes andcolleges.
In order to comply with the regulation on restructuring and increase managerial agility, the Office of the Registrar downsizes its organization from 8 departments to 4 departments, as follows:
The Department of Personal Profile Records and Documents was merged with the Department of Admission into the Department of Personal Profile Records and Admission.
The Department of Registration 1 was combined with the Department of Registration 2 to be the Department of Registration.
The Department of General Administration and the Department of Strategy and Evaluation were merged with the Department of Data Processing into the Department of General Staff and Administration.
The Department of Registration, ThaPrachan Campus
(Information updated in August 2559 B.E.)
In the managerial process, the Office of the Registrar emphasizes public cooperative participation in the development process which relieson the belief that participatory power is a drive to operate an organization toward the predetermined direction and createsa positive work environment.The office’s staff, therefore, agreed todeterminesignificant managerial and operational concepts towards“the model of office of the registrar” under 4 definitions of “MASS”, as follows:
Modern: Managing with a body of knowledge and proper, modernand standard technology based on good governance principles
Accuracy: Providing educational information and data with accuracy, completeness and reliability
Smart: Providing systematic services with convenient access to information and data at every step
Smile: Providing client-centered services with eagerness and sincerity
Vision
The Office of the Registrar implements modern management processes and technology systems complying with international standards, provides client-centered services and delivers excellent service quality in all contact channels.
Mission
The Office of the Registrarhas a primary mission to provide services to students, faculty members, faculties, an university’s organizations and alumni,includingexternal clients and organizations with accuracy and agility as well as concern for personal data protection rightsand client satisfaction in all aspects.
- Managing information regarding academic records in terms of keeping, storing, and servicing student recordsfrom admission to graduation that satisfy client needs
- Facilitating teaching and learning process, including student enrollment, class and examination scheduling system and classroom and examination room scheduling system
- Managing an admission process that corresponds with faculties and the university needs as a whole
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