GCU faculty fear registrar’s influence

Registrar’s extension allows him to influence search for successor.

LAHORE: Government College University (GCU) vice chancellor (VC) Dr Khalid Aftab has extended the registrar’s contract, which was to end on October 12, by six months even though he had called a meeting of the varsity syndicate to form a search committee to advertise the post of registrar, The Express Tribune learnt.

The Higher Education Department’s (HED) official told The Tribune that the VC, in keeping with GCU’s law, must immediately fill the slot of registrar.

He said that though the VC, empowered under varsity ordinance, had extended the registrar’s contract, ostensibly due to necessity, this seemed more like a delaying tactic.

He said that the HED had rejected the summary proposing extension of GCU’s registrar Sahibzada Faisal Khurshid two weeks ago. The rejected summary had not been sent to the Chief Minister’s secretariat or the Governor’s House.

GCU’s public relations officer said that the varsity would call a meeting of the syndicate next month to form a search committee for hiring a new registrar.

GCU faculty members, on condition of anonymity, told The Tribune that the process of hiring and advertising for the post could take more than six months.

They said that under GCU Ordinance 2002, the VC could give a six-month temporary extension to the registrar’s contract but during this period the varsity should immediately call the meeting of the syndicate. They said that ordinance states that the varsity registrar act as secretary of the syndicate meeting and with Khurshid’s extension, it would mean that Khurshid would influence the formation of the search committee.

They said that Khurshid could influence the committee into again putting up his name for this post. They said that the VC’s extension of the registrar’s contract is merely a ploy to influence the syndicate meeting.

The HED rejected the registrar’s summary extension two weeks ago and directed the institution to fill the seat under GCU Ordinance 2002. The ordinance states that the syndicate shall form the search committee which would advertise the post and recommend the most suitable names from a panel of three applicants

The search committee would send its suggestions to the HED for approval by the Punjab Governor, the chancellor, on the advice of the Punjab chief minister.

Khurshid declined comment for this story.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2010.