Quality not ensured in 177 universities of country

HEC says institutions flout regulations, lack plagiarism policy measures


Riazul Haq September 26, 2016
According to HEC rules, a varsity should have at least two full-time PhD faculty members in a department offering MS/MPhil programmes, and at least three full-time PhD faculty members to launch a PhD programme. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission has found quality assurance a major casualty in 177 universities across Pakistan, uncovering a vast trail of rule violations by them.

Not only did the universities fail to meet the HEC set standards but they also violated their own set yardstick for governance.

Details available with The Express Tribune suggest universities conveniently did not take into account measures like plagiarism policy, getting a non-objection-certificate (NOC) from HEC before starting a new programme, among others.

HEC’s Quality Assurance Agency swooped on universities and their sub-campuses during the past year and compiled a report that suggests how the institutes were getting away with major decisions and bypassing their legal and official bodies for approval.

Governance

According to the report, out of the 177 universities about 109 launched MPhil and PhD programmes without seeking prior permission from the HEC. The commission’s website suggests that about 140 programmes across the country were started without their permission.



Similarly, about 59 varsities have no quality assurance mechanism in affiliated colleges while HEC chief has also vowed that quality check of over 3,000 such institutes in the third phase.

About 47 universities have not approved their respective engineering, medical or other programmes from respective professional councils like Pakistan Engineering Councils etc. Half of the varsities visited had not held meeting of their senate, syndicate or board of governors.

Plagiarism

About 38 professors are blacklisted on HEC’s website but all of them are teaching in their respective varsities. The HEC is now considering devising a law to post pictures of scholars accused of plagiarism. Besides, the commission is also planning to check 10,000 PhD theses for plagiarism.

Foul play

According to the data, about 87 programmes of PhD were shut down including 36 of MPhil in different universities during January 2014 to August 2016. Besides, minor deficiencies were found in about 195 PhD and 21 MPhil programmes out of 293 doctorate programmes along with 57 in Mphil in 52 universities.

According to HEC rules, a varsity should have at least two full-time PhD faculty members in a department offering MS/MPhil programmes, and at least three full-time PhD faculty members to launch a PhD programme.

Amendment

The HEC chief recently stated that an amendment to the ordinance was being finalised to give the HEC powers to penalise institutions violating rules. Currently, the HEC does not wield any power to hold violators accountable. The law would penalise plagiarists, institutions not following theirs and HEC’s rules and regulations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

Waqas Ahmad | 7 years ago | Reply Name the universities....
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