SU plans to go ahead with controversial appointments

Varsity reportedly lowered qualification criteria despite HEC notice

HYDERABAD: The upcoming appointments of assistant professors at the University of Sindh (SU), Jamshoro have become controversial as some faculty members cry foul over the selection criteria.

In an advertisement published in January 2015, the SU announced appointments on 197 posts of professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers. These included 71 posts of assistant professors of BPS-19 grade in 36 teaching departments. A meeting of the selection board, slated for July 30-31, will scrutinise the applicants for assistant professors as well as lecturers.

Disregarding the Higher Education Commission (HEC)'s eligibility criteria of possessing a masters of science (MS) or masters of philosophy (MPhil) degree for BPS-19 posts of assistant professors, the varsity relaxed the rules by amending the statute.

The amendment recognised the conversion of MPhil to a doctor of philosophy (PhD), which is not technically a degree, as the acceptable level of qualification.

"... It is clarified that the MS/MPhil leading to PhD scholars converted into PhD phase cannot be considered equivalent to MS/MPhil/Equivalent unless they are awarded the degrees. Therefore, they are not considered eligible for the appointment of assistant professor," reads a July 18, 2016, letter by HEC Quality Assurance Division consultant Muhammad Ismail to the SU registrar Ghulam Muhammad Bhutto.

Although the posts were announced after changing the rules, the late SU vice-chancellor (VC) Dr Abida Taherani reportedly opposed the lowering of academic criteria.

"She had approved the process but made it conditional to the HEC's guidelines," said a senior varsity official, who requested anonymity. After her death last month, Dr Mohammad Siddique Kalhoro, the acting VC, notified the selection board [regarding the appointments] in July this month.

The matter not only involves a breach of HEC standards but also discriminates against dozens of SU lecturers pursuing their PhD degrees abroad. They have become ineligible for the posts because their counterparts undertaking 'MPhil converted to PhD' degrees at SU have been given an exclusive relaxation.

"If they are considering those who converted their MPhil to a PhD then why are PhD enrolled scholars [studying abroad] not being given the same opportunity?" complained an SU faculty member undertaking a PhD in Malaysia.

"We undergo more rigorous studies [abroad] than our fellows at the SU yet we are not considered qualified for the post," regretted the scholar, who claimed to have so far given three seminars, published two research articles while four others are under review for publication. In comparison, the MPhil converted to PhD candidates give only one seminar before qualifying for the BPS-19 post.

An SU lecturer who has applied for the post requested The Express Tribune to drop the story. "We have already waited for 18 months for the process. It wasn't our fault that the SU changed the qualification criteria," he explained.

The SU Teacher Association (Suta), in an apparent bid to not upset its voters, is also favouring the relaxed qualification criteria.

Suta president Prof Arfana Mallah said that for now they want the ongoing appointments of assistant professors to be completed on the basis of the MPhil conversion qualification. "But we acknowledge that there are contentions," she said, adding that the body will put forward a review in the upcoming syndicate meeting to change the statute by raising the academic credentials to MPhil degree for assistant professor rather than the conversion method.

A former leader of Suta, in whose tenure the body moved a resolution in the [March, 2013] senate meeting to accept the MPhil conversion as a qualification for assistant professors, defended the appointments. "The students who convert their research from MPhil to PhD meet all the requirements of the MPhil degree before the conversion," said the former official.

The SU registrar refused to comment. However, a senior varsity official said the HEC's July 18 letter will be shared with the board. "The board is authorised to decide the next move," said the official. SU spokesperson Ghulam Ali Buriro said the HEC letter will be taken up on the forums of the senate and the syndicate later, but it will not affect the upcoming board meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2016.