23:36
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LAHORE
Vice-chancellors of public sector universities of the province on Saturday joined hands to unanimously resist recent amendments to laws of varsities by the Punjab government.
In a rare show, a meeting attended by VCs of over a dozen varsities was held on the Punjab University (PU) New Campus in which they criticised bureaucracy for the amendments termed them an effort to undermine the autonomy of public varsities.
Separately, it is learnt the Academic Staff Associations (ASAs), representative bodies of faculty members, at public varsities have also assured the VCs of their support in their fight against the amendments which included crippling of VCs’ power to create and fill temporary posts and new restrictions on emergency powers of vice-chancellors.
The Saturday’s meeting was attended by PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Government College University (GCU) Lahore VC Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rehman, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Prof Dr Sabiha Mansoor, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore VC Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, University of Education VC Prof Dr Failul Hasan, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan Prof Dr Syed Khawaja Alqama, University of Gujrat VC Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, University of Sargodha VC Prof Dr Mohammad Akram Chaudhry, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Taxila VC Dr Muhammad Abbas Chaudhry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Pir Mehr Ali Shah- Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi VC Dr Muhammad Azim Malik, GCU Faisalabad Prof Dr Zakir Hussain and a representative of VC of Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB). Recently, the Punjab government amending laws of public universities deleted a clause from relevant laws of varsities which empowered the VCs to create and fill temporary posts for a period not exceeding six months.
The Punjab government also curbed the indiscriminate use of emergency powers by the VCs through the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act 2012. The amended law makes it binding on the VCs that within seven days of taking an action under emergency powers, they shall submit a report of the action taken to the Pro-Chancellor (Minister for Higher Education Department) and to members of the syndicate. The syndicate shall, within 45 days of such an action of the vice-chancellor, shall pass such orders as it (the syndicate) deems appropriate. Earlier there was no specific timeframe given to the VCs to submit the report of the action taken.
Sources said the VCs criticised the particular amendment during the meeting on the grounds that holding frequent meetings of the syndicate was not possible and restricting them (the VCs) to submit a report of their action to the pro-chancellor and to members of the syndicate within seven days would affect the overall performance of their respective varsities.
Sources said a VC while criticising the deletion of VCs power to create and fill temporary posts for a period not exceeding six months observed that there was no such precedent in universities across the world. “VCs in Bangladesh are empowered to hire even a full professor,” the VC was quoted as saying. He was also of the view that there was shortage of highly qualified individuals especially owing to a blunder in the past when the PhD programme was suspended for over a decade.
Another VC observed that many highly qualified people preferred joining private universities owing to lucrative salary packages.
It is learnt the VCs were quite critical of the Punjab government’s move and observed that the government wanted to turn varsities into public schools which, unfortunately, were no more a choice of the general public who preferred sending their kids to private schools instead.
Another amendment which relates to Pro-Vice Chancellor is also a matter of great concern for the VCs. They observed at a time when varsities were short of professors and even facing problems in posting deans of faculties the move to post a regular Pro-VC was strange. They also termed the move an effort to create rivalry among key administrators of a varsity especially in the wake of division among teachers in different universities like the Punjab University.
Meanwhile, according to a press release issued from the Punjab University, the VCs felt that the amendments had been made without consulting them despite earlier assurances. The VCs also noted that the amendments undermined the Chief Minister’s vision and policies to promote merit and enhance autonomy and sanctity of universities in accordance with international standards and practices.
The vice-chancellors expressed an urgent need to call on the chief minister and to apprise him of adverse consequences of the amendments with regard to autonomy, smooth functioning and the academic and research culture of the universities.
Vice-chancellors of public sector universities of the province on Saturday joined hands to unanimously resist recent amendments to laws of varsities by the Punjab government.
In a rare show, a meeting attended by VCs of over a dozen varsities was held on the Punjab University (PU) New Campus in which they criticised bureaucracy for the amendments termed them an effort to undermine the autonomy of public varsities.
Separately, it is learnt the Academic Staff Associations (ASAs), representative bodies of faculty members, at public varsities have also assured the VCs of their support in their fight against the amendments which included crippling of VCs’ power to create and fill temporary posts and new restrictions on emergency powers of vice-chancellors.
The Saturday’s meeting was attended by PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Government College University (GCU) Lahore VC Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rehman, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Prof Dr Sabiha Mansoor, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore VC Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, University of Education VC Prof Dr Failul Hasan, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan Prof Dr Syed Khawaja Alqama, University of Gujrat VC Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, University of Sargodha VC Prof Dr Mohammad Akram Chaudhry, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Taxila VC Dr Muhammad Abbas Chaudhry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Pir Mehr Ali Shah- Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi VC Dr Muhammad Azim Malik, GCU Faisalabad Prof Dr Zakir Hussain and a representative of VC of Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB). Recently, the Punjab government amending laws of public universities deleted a clause from relevant laws of varsities which empowered the VCs to create and fill temporary posts for a period not exceeding six months.
The Punjab government also curbed the indiscriminate use of emergency powers by the VCs through the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act 2012. The amended law makes it binding on the VCs that within seven days of taking an action under emergency powers, they shall submit a report of the action taken to the Pro-Chancellor (Minister for Higher Education Department) and to members of the syndicate. The syndicate shall, within 45 days of such an action of the vice-chancellor, shall pass such orders as it (the syndicate) deems appropriate. Earlier there was no specific timeframe given to the VCs to submit the report of the action taken.
Sources said the VCs criticised the particular amendment during the meeting on the grounds that holding frequent meetings of the syndicate was not possible and restricting them (the VCs) to submit a report of their action to the pro-chancellor and to members of the syndicate within seven days would affect the overall performance of their respective varsities.
Sources said a VC while criticising the deletion of VCs power to create and fill temporary posts for a period not exceeding six months observed that there was no such precedent in universities across the world. “VCs in Bangladesh are empowered to hire even a full professor,” the VC was quoted as saying. He was also of the view that there was shortage of highly qualified individuals especially owing to a blunder in the past when the PhD programme was suspended for over a decade.
Another VC observed that many highly qualified people preferred joining private universities owing to lucrative salary packages.
It is learnt the VCs were quite critical of the Punjab government’s move and observed that the government wanted to turn varsities into public schools which, unfortunately, were no more a choice of the general public who preferred sending their kids to private schools instead.
Another amendment which relates to Pro-Vice Chancellor is also a matter of great concern for the VCs. They observed at a time when varsities were short of professors and even facing problems in posting deans of faculties the move to post a regular Pro-VC was strange. They also termed the move an effort to create rivalry among key administrators of a varsity especially in the wake of division among teachers in different universities like the Punjab University.
Meanwhile, according to a press release issued from the Punjab University, the VCs felt that the amendments had been made without consulting them despite earlier assurances. The VCs also noted that the amendments undermined the Chief Minister’s vision and policies to promote merit and enhance autonomy and sanctity of universities in accordance with international standards and practices.
The vice-chancellors expressed an urgent need to call on the chief minister and to apprise him of adverse consequences of the amendments with regard to autonomy, smooth functioning and the academic and research culture of the universities.
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