Higher education: Governor sent proposals for GCU appointments

Only one of the four faculties at the university has a dean.

LAHORE: The Government College University (GCU) has decided to appoint deans for three of its four faculties operating without a dean for four years, The Express Tribune has learnt. 

Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Hassan Amir Shah said he had sent nine names for the purpose to the Higher Education Department.

The rules for the appointment state that the HED forwards the names to the chief minister who then sends his recommendations to the office of the governor for final approval.

Dr Shah said appointment of deans to the faculties of Arts and Social Sciences; Languages and Islamic and Oriental Learning; and Engineering was a priority issue. He said he had started working on it immediately after taking charge of the vice chancellor’s office in August this year.

Asked if he could give time frame for the appointments, he said it would happen as soon as the governor’s gives the go ahead. He said he had personally requested the governor to expedite the approval because the dean’s office was central to the working of a faculty.

For four years, science and technology has been the only faculty at the university with a regular dean overseeing its affairs. The term of Dr Islamullah Khan, the Science and Technology dean, is also set to end this year. An official privy to the deans’ appointment said the university is likely to give him an extension.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2015.