Higher learning institutes: University teachers seek greater autonomy

It was also demanded that the representation of faculty in executive bodies of all universities should be ensured

ISLAMABAD:

University teachers have sought greater autonomy for higher learning institutes and academics.

They made the demand at a meeting of the Islamabad chapter of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) held at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), said a press release issued here on Friday. The meeting was attended by office-bearers of academic staff associations and representatives of federal universities.

After deliberations by all participants, it was resolved that statutory bodies of universities and their decisions must be respected by all stakeholders including the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

“The autonomy of universities should be respected according to the legal frameworks provided by respective governments through acts of assemblies. The statutory bodies of the individual universities such as board of governors (BoG), Syndicate, Senate, etc should be strengthened by ensuring fair and equitable representation of faculty. The BoG and Trusties of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) should be restructured to include faculty members for democratic and transparent decisions,” it said.

While deliberating on the endorsement of Tenure Track System (TTS), it was decided that criteria and procedure of universities approved by their respective bodies should be adopted in letter and spirit by stopping the ‘illegal practice of endorsement by the HEC’.

The HEC requirement of no-objection certificate for MPhil/PhD programmes and centralised admission test through a proposed education testing council were unanimously rejected by the universities’ representatives.

It was unanimously resolved to help individual universities in Islamabad chapter of FAPUASA to establish their academic staff associations to safeguard rights of the teaching community. It was also demanded that the representation of faculty in executive bodies of all universities especially in IIUI should be ensured.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.