‘Sexual harassment’: AIOU teachers demand dean’s removal

Ask for action against “intolerable and unethical” attitude of professor.

ISLAMABAD:

A group of faculty members has written to the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) vice chancellor (VC) to remove the dean of the Department of Secondary Teachers’ Education on grounds of harassement of colleagues and students, after previous complaints fell on deaf ears.

On Friday, 15 faculty members from the department submitted an application to AIOU VC Nazir Ahmed Sangi to request him to address their grievances which are  becoming “intolerable” due to the dean’s “unethical” and “threatening” attitude. “The dean has created an atmosphere of fear for the faculty for the last couple of months,” read the application. Not a single teachers’ education new programme or courses could be launched this semester as the dean has not conducted the faculty board meeting since he has taken over, the teachers stated in the application. The dean holds on to official files and usually returns the files with a single remark, discuss, to harass faculty members, the letter read.



They reminded the VC that they were assured that the issue would be addressed but no action had been taken against the dean. “We have appealed that the issue be addressed as soon as possible because the department has been practically paralysed due to his behaviour,” said one of the complainants requesting anonymity.

AIOU Registrar Muhammad Bashir Chaudhry confirmed to The Express Tribune that he had also received the letter. “We will look into this issue but attempts by a group of teachers to deride their colleague are usual,” he said. The VC could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Another professor, working in the department for more than 15 years, said the issue was getting out of hand and everybody was feeling insecure. “I hope now that the application has been formally submitted to the VC, he will address the grievances of the department and not favour the individual,” the professor said.

On May 28, in a meeting of over 25 faculty members held to discuss academic affairs, a senior professor accused the dean of immoral behaviour. She lashed out at the accused professor as the meeting started and kickstarted a protest against him, an assistant professor who attended the meeting had confided with The Express Tribune. The teachers had gone to the VC to demand that the dean be removed and penalised for his behaviour after the meeting, but he had requested for some time to probe the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2013.