Author Topic: Teachers willing to go to ‘any extent’ against criteria change  (Read 548 times)

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Teachers willing to go to ‘any extent’ against criteria change
LAHORE:23 July:Varsity teachers say they are willing to go to “any extent” to ensure that their concerns over proposals to revamp the criteria for the appointment of vice chancellors are addressed.
Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s (FAPUASA) Punjab Chapter has written a letter to the chief minister and law minister, detailing their eight-point objections to the proposed criteria.

The letter was written after FAPUASA Punjab Chapter held a meeting over the ongoing scenario of vice chancellors’ appointments.
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During the meeting, FAPUASA Punjab Chapter President Dr Javed Ahmad, members of the association and other faculty expressed serious concern over the possible change in the appointment of vice chancellors’ criteria by removing the conditions of a PhD, academic experience and research publications.

The association president said FAPUASA was not being taken on board. “Initially, we are writing a letter to CM Shehbaz Sharif. If things do not change, we will go to any extent to safeguard the interest of public sector universities and the academic community.”

FAPUASA, in the letter, made its demands in eight points. “The VC must be a PhD degree holder who is, or has remained, a full professor of a university,” the first demands states. Further, FAPUASA said due weightage must be given to research publications. “If a person who has not published reasonably, how can he/she patron research activities in the higher education institutions?”

The third demand asked that the appointment process should comprise of members who have no conflict of interest. “Representation from private universities must be discouraged.”

The next demand states asked that transparency and merit should be ensured in appointment of leadership of higher education institutions in the largest province of country.

“In the light of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the provincial government should play a supportive role to promote higher education in Punjab through the PHEC.”

The sixth demand put forward by FAPUASA pointed out that the federation supported the idea of the Punjab government establishing a cell within the PHEC for the appointment of vice chancellors in all the public sector universities.

The seventh point read that “It was further resolved that vice chancellors appointed from t6he academia have played their role very professionally for the uplift of universities. Therefore, teaching experience must form part of the criteria, the federation has emphasised.”

The final point in the letter said the federation considered it only a conspiracy that a teacher cannot run a university. Shortfall of any individual should not be taken as a basis for refusal of the rest of the community for the position of the vice chancellor. The federation believed that only university professors can better serve the institutions of higher education in the province.

A 10-member committee was formed by the Punjab chief minister to re-evaluate and revise the criteria for vice chancellors. The committee has recommended abolishing the age limit of 65 years and said PhD degrees should not be mandatory, It also reduced the minimum number of required papers from 15 to 10 and gave importance to international exposure and research awards in the appointment process.

The 10-member committee was formed by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on June 21 and has held several sessions to finalise changes to the current requirements for vice chancellors’ posts. It was given a week to submit its final report to the CM after taking a Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling on the matter into account.

The members of the committee included Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanauallah, Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani, Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairperson Dr Umar Saif, Law and PA Department secretary, Higher Education Department (HED) secretary, Finance Department secretary, S&GAD (Regulations)secretary, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Dr Nizamuddin and Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi.

Speaking to The Express Tribune earlier this month, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairperson Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin said “We believe in the autonomy of universities and they have supreme bodies (syndicates) to deal with matters”.

“The minister for higher education is also always ready to hear academicians and their concerns,” he added.Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2017.
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