Better now than never: College gets new teachers after three years

Aspiring students to be offered more disciplines.

RAWALPINDI:

After a long delay, Punjab Higher Education Secretary Farhan Aziz Khwaja has finally approved the appointment of faculty members fir a women’s college in the garrison city.

The Government Postgraduate College for Women, Satellite Town, affiliated with the University of Gujrat, is among 26 colleges selected by the government in 2010 where bachelor’s programmes in 14 disciplines were to be taught over a span of four years instead of two.

Previously, the institute was not enrolling students in Business Administration, Mass Communication and Information Technology disciplines due to shortage of faculty members.

“Hundreds of students were deprived of admissions in various degree programmes due to the non-availability of instructors,” said a senior teacher, requesting anonymity.

“We appointed the faculty and made arrangements for their salaries from the college fund just so our students would not suffer.”

The new appointments have been made on merit and the teachers have been performing their duties but University of Gujrat Vice Chancellor (VC) Muhammad Nizamuddin cancelled the affiliation extended to the college in the disciplines of Business Administration, Mass Communication and Information Technology, saying the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had failed to appoint faculty members in the last three years. However, the issue was taken to court and a week ago, the ministry for higher education asked the university not to cancel the affiliation, directing the VC to appoint teachers.

Talking about the requirements for a four years bachelor’s programme, Khwaja said, “Before giving affiliation, the university’s academic council and syndicate ask the college to fulfil certain criteria. Afterwards, they help the college with all the necessary steps needed to start an honours programme,” he said, adding that the delay was caused because the requirements had not been fulfilled.

The approval was welcomed by the college staff as hundreds of students will benefit from the decision.

The VC said the appointment of faculty members is the Public Service Commission’s responsibility. “No appointments had been made in three years which is why we decided to cancel the affiliation, but the decision has been reversed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2013.