The conduct of regular classes and timely payment of dues to the teaching staff is mandatory for the smooth functioning of any higher education institution yet the universal requirement fails to apply in the case of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology (FUUAST), which continues to suffer upheavals in its maintenance of academic affairs due to a delay in the remuneration of faculty.
Over the past five years, the federal government’s inability to increase the financial allocation for the higher education sector has gradually diminished the reserves of countless public universities across the country including FUUAST in Sindh, which is no longer able to pay off the dues to the teaching staff for its evening programs as a result of which many senior faculty members have refused to conduct regular classes and have transferred their duties to less qualified visiting faculty, thereby offsetting the learning trajectory of the enrolled students.
"Regular classes are no longer being held across various departments. Despite the university demanding huge sums of money as fees from the students, teachers are not available for taking classes,” said Hussain, a student at the Department of Mathematics.
On the other hand, a lecturer from the Department of Commerce highlighted the fact that he had not received his salary since the past one year, which had prompted him to discontinue conducting evening classes. “Additionally, two months' salary and three months' house payments are also pending. The university administration has effectively halted the semester that commenced in January, with instructions issued to commence practical exams on May 1st and written exams on May 15th. Therefore, only three months of classes have been conducted during the current semester,” said the teacher, on the condition of anonymity.
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“Since the past two years, a significant number of teachers have been unwilling to conduct classes due to the non-payment of salaries. As a result, no department has been able to complete the course load, and students are expected to appear for the exams unprepared,” added another senior faculty member at FUUAST.
Similarly, another teacher at FUUAST, revealed that in the business administration and computer science departments, underqualified visiting faculty were giving lectures since the majority of regular teachers had refused to conduct evening classes due to the non-payment of their salaries.
On the contrary, sources from the university's finance department claim that following the arrival of the new Vice-Chancellor, Dr Shinwari, two months ago, some teachers have received their salaries for one or two months. However, their outstanding dues, which span two years or more, including two months' salaries for regular employees and three to four months' worth of house payments, remain unpaid.
Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, the new Vice-Chancellor of FUUAST, Dr Shinwari, acknowledged that the university was facing the worst financial crisis. “When teachers have not been paid for two years, how is it possible to clear all their dues in two months? HEC has not increased funds for the university since five years despite the increase in salaries by up to 50 per cent. We have requested the Sindh government for financial assistance and are looking forward to a positive response. When the funds are available, the payments for house funds will also be released,” said Dr Shinwari.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2024.
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