Internationalizing Education Standards: Evolution of the Real Estate Educatorsí Role

The research examines trends in what is expected of real estate educators and identifies reasons for staff turnover. The purpose of this research is to improve existing standards of tertiary real estate education in Malaysia through the understanding of the challenges resulting from evolving roles and demands. A qualitative analysis is undertaken pertaining to quality of enrolled students, including their perceived needs and expectations, as well as statistics and reasons for staff attrition over a ten year period at the Estate Management Department of Universiti Malaya. Findings indicate that student perceptions and needs have changed during this period (1996-2006). Staff turnover has been due to increased demands and pressures and increasing transparency of individualís capabilities. Conclusions ascertained from this study include the following: versatility and adaptability are becoming increasingly important qualities required of tertiary real estate academic staff members; personal productivity in terms of international quality output (publication and research) is increasingly seen as an indicator of staff quality; and a constant upgrading of skills and knowledge of tertiary real estate educators in their respective specialisations is absolutely necessary. The research shows that the tertiary real estate educatorís role has evolved from that of a teacher to that of a guide and a role model.