QAU to start on-campus classes
Quaid-e-Azam University has still not lodged an FIR against robbers who made away with money and cell phones. PHOTO: QAU.EDU.PK
While academic activities continue to remain suspended at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) after two student groups clashed on the campus last month, the top-ranking higher education institution has announced it will start on-campus classes for MPhil and PhD programmes from Monday (March 27).
According to a notification issued by the QAU registrar, MPhil and PhD students should report to their respective departments immediately.
On the other hand, classes of BS programmes have been made online during Ramazan.
The QAU administration has asked BS students to get themselves registered for online classes during Ramazan.
The hostel allotment to the students could not be finalised yet, which continues to take a toll on the students including females who had been evicted from hostels.
According to a notification issued earlier by the QAU registrar, the rules of hostel allotments have been amended in the new policy. According to the new policy, all previous hostel allotments had been cancelled and students will have to apply for hostel rooms under the new policy.
Sources said that the university administration was facing many difficulties in starting on-campus classes and opening hostels, which are being renovated and repaired.
The sources claimed that the on-campus classes for BS programmes will be started after Eidul Fitr as the administration thinks a large number of students for BS programmes will have to come to the campus to use labs and other facilities.
The sources said that the hostels’ administrations will decide on seats keeping in mind the number of students in each department. The chairperson or director of the department will recommend the names of the students for these seats and will be bound to follow the merit list strictly. After the first merit list, a fresh merit list will be prepared after every two semesters.
The allotment for MPhil students will be made for four semesters and the allotment for PhD students will be made for the first four years and there will be no extension of allotment. First-semester students of BS programmes will be given priority in hostel allotments.
Under the new hostel policy, the merit list of the previous semester will be taken into consideration in the current situation or later when a seat becomes vacant in the hostel. It will be mandatory for the students to show their hostel cards while entering the hostels.
The chairperson or director of any department will be responsible for the supervision of the students during their stay in the hostels. In case of violation of the rules, the allotment will be canceled immediately. The notification further states that no guest of the students will be allowed to stay in the hostels.
Similarly, no attachment of students will be allowed. Hostel timings will be strictly followed for undergraduate students; however, some flexibility will be extended to MPhil and PhD students. Gates of all hostels will be closed at 10 pm. According to the notification, the hostels’ administrations will also ensure that mess bills are paid every month and no exemption will be given without the permission of the administrations. A penalty will be imposed in case of non-payment of the mess bill for two months and allotment can also be cancelled.
There will be no hostel facility for the students studying in centres. If the centres provide funds to the university, their students can be accommodated in the future.
The committee members have also suggested that merit should be ensured for admissions to MPhil and PhD programmes as merit was ignored in the past while giving admissions to doctoral programmes.
The sources said that the committee has recommended strict legal action against those involved in creating law and order and harming peace on the campus.
A proposal has also been made that the university administration with the support of the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration and Islamabad police should form a committee to hold a monthly meeting to evaluate the already taken measures to maintain the law and order and further make it more sustainable.
Earlier, the QAU administration, with the help of police, dislodged hundreds of students including females from various hostels and closed down the campus for two weeks. The move came after two student groups clashed on the campus, which left several students injured.
The QAU administration also cancelled the allotment of rooms and formed a 21-member committee to review the criteria for the reallocation of rooms to the students.
On February 27, the university administration suspended and expelled 79 students for vandalism on the campus and their degrees had also been cancelled.
The sources said that the revised policy will also be applicable to girls' hostels in the autumn session for the year 2023.
Meanwhile, the QAU students have demanded that Vice-Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar conduct an audit of the appointments made in the university in the last four years.
They also said that the Higher Education Commission should thrash out a mechanism for monitoring the financial affairs of universities across the country, including the QAU.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2023.