Quality becomes casualty at Preston University

Despite constant reminders the admin has failed to improve facilities

ISLAMABAD: A private university has been running postgraduate programmes at its Islamabad campus in consistent violation of rules.

Moreover, Preston University, the private-sector educational institute has yet to develop even its main campus in Kohat, despite repeated reminders from the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The documents obtained by The Express Tribune reveal unsatisfactory academic condition at its Islamabad campus.

Despite the fact that the HEC review committee has time and again expressed dissatisfaction over multiple MPhil and PhD programmes, the university continues to run them in violation of rules. Compromise on quality has become a norm.

The documents and correspondence with the management of the university, shows glaring violations of rules in enrolment of students in MPhil and PhD programmes.

Students have been enrolled in violation of the prescribed criteria set by the commission.

Documents state that there are 734 students enrolled in MS and MPhil programmes.

Considering the number of enrolments in the MPhil and PhD programmes in each department and the faculty members available, it is [a] highly inappropriate student-to-teacher ratio, the review committee noted after visiting the university in April, 2014.

The HEC committee noted that the main campus of the university in Kohat has not been offering any PhD programme. “The university should take appropriate steps to strengthen its main campus rather than focusing on sub-campuses,” it recommended.

It also recommended the university should stop further intake in any PhD programme in the Islamabad campus until getting approval.

To the dismay of the HEC, the university advertised in December 2014 enrolment to the PhD programmes.



The HEC team also noticed most of the students of PhD course work or research are part-time and not resident.

The HEC team after a visit to the campus last December again noted that the university had not taken any steps in this regard.

“Data revealed that few scholars are enrolled since 2007 and are shown as active scholars and the university has yet to provide supervisors to them,” the report states.

Similarly, the team mentions in the findings that the university is awarding admissions to some scholars with 2.5 CGPA out of 4 but till December 2014 there was no improvement despite reminders from the HEC.

“Overall facilities are still inadequate for the PhD scholars and are needed to validate their programmes,” the HEC recommended in December 2014.

The university’s Media Director, Fazl Elahi, when approached by The Express Tribune, said: “We have not received any such directives,” from the HEC, while quoting a senior official from the academic affairs department.

Other officials at the campus were also hesitant to comment on the sorry state-of-affairs.

The HEC Chairperson, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed told The Express Tribune that they were revisiting all such MPhil and PhD programmes and taking stern action against those who were still running the programmes without making improvements.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2015.