Event management: Fee for Arts auditorium irks KU students, teachers

KARACHI:

The students and teachers have raised objections to the Karachi University administration on Wednesday for levying a fee on organising events at the Arts auditorium.

The central auditorium at the public-sector institution is often used by students who, under the supervision of the teachers, organise academic events and seminars as part of their course assignments. The premises are also used for holding extracurricular events during the annual students' week.

KU registrar Prof Moazzam Ali Khan issued a circular stating that the university will charge Rs3,000 for 'locally-funded' events while Rs10,000 will be charged on 'foreign-funded' events. When approached later, Dr Khan clarified, however, that the university will not charge a fee for the "internally organised academic events."

The KU teachers' society president, Prof Dr Jameel Kazmi said that the bureaucratic language of the circular was misunderstood and ended up causing a controversy. "The intent was to announce a fee for non-academic use of the auditorium or its booking by the external entities."

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2014.