A university is more than classrooms and timetables; it is a public trust. Society grants university teachers time, authority and respect because it expects them to nurture minds, build competence and contribute to a better future. When this trust weakens, it rarely happens through one dramatic event. More often, it fades slowly through small, repeated compromises that seem harmless in isolation but become costly over time.
One quiet challenge seen in many institutions is the gradual distancing from academic content. When the same courses are taught year after year, teaching can become routine. Without continuous reading and renewal, lectures may begin to lose structure and depth. Class time can drift toward general conversations including motivational talk, personal experiences, career stories or memories of academic journeys. Such moments can be meaningful in moderation, but when they become the main texture of teaching, the core purpose of the classroom is diluted. The student may leave entertained, even impressed, yet still uncertain about the chapters, concepts and skills they were meant to master.
Another subtle pressure comes from the way institutional time is increasingly stretched. University life is demanding, and faculty members often carry heavy burdens namely professional, financial and personal. In this strain, it becomes easy for small personal tasks to spill into working hours: quick errands, family logistics, informal commitments, or overlapping responsibilities. No single act appears serious, yet the cumulative effect can be significant. Time that should feed preparation, mentoring, research, and student support becomes fragmented, until the academic day looks complete on paper but feels incomplete in outcome.
A deeper layer of the issue lies in governance and culture. Where accountability is inconsistent and expectations are unclear, professional shortcuts slowly normalise. People adjust, not always out of ill intent, but out of habit and survival. Many may privately recognise the drift, yet hesitate to address it, because doing so can invite discomfort or conflict, especially in environments where systems are already fragile.
Universities do not fall only because resources are limited; they weaken when seriousness becomes optional. Renewal begins with a cultural shift: treating teaching hours as meaningful, content as sacred and students’ time as valuable. When that mindset returns, improvement becomes possible.
Dr Zafar H Ibupoto & Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
