November 16, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: The promulgation of the Federal Universities Ordinance, 2002, which has made seven universities autonomous, received a mixed response from academia on Friday.

Quaid-i-Azam University’s Academic Staff Association (ASA) president Dr Aslam Baig, talking to Dawn, said the new law would only serve vested interests of the selected lot.

He added that it would restrict teachers’ representation in the universities’ administrative affairs and create numerous problems at campuses.

The ordinance had been promulgated in haste, regardless of the concerns expressed by teachers and students, putting the imparting of education in public sector universities at risk.

Since the draft of the ordinance was released four months ago, elected teachers’ associations had been holding demonstrations at every major university where, at times, law enforcement agencies resorted to baton charge against the protesters.

Under the ordinance, the universities will have academic, financial and administrative autonomy, including powers to employ officers, teachers and other employees on such terms as may be prescribed.

Dr Baig said the universities would become more like corporate bodies. The focus the administration will be on generating resources rather than improving educational standards, he added.

“An increase in any fee or charge that is in excess of 10 per cent per annum on an annualized basis from the last such increase may not be made except in special circumstances, and only with the approval of the chancellor,” the ordinance says. A university will be allowed to increase its fees to meet additional expenses as the new law gives it financial and administrative autonomy.

The ordinance also allows the universities to institute self-finance schemes, but upto a limit of 10 percent of the total number of candidates which, according to the teachers, will discourage open merit policy.

Allama Iqbal Open University vice-chancellor Dr Altaf Hussain said the administrative affairs of government-run universities were too stagnated and badly needed revision.

“To me, it (federal universities ordinance) is a well thought-out law, whereby teachers’ performance will be judged on regular basis”, he told this reporter.

He said teachers performing their duties with dedication should be given due privileges, and those not doing so be penalized by using the powers the new law gives to university senates to hire and fire their staff.

Previously, a syndicate used to look after both academic and administrative affairs of a university, but the new law gives academic powers to the academic council and administrative powers to the senate.

However, Dr Altaf was quite concerned about the deputy chairman of the senate being made all powerful. He said the government must ensure that a person selected for this post had adequate academic experience.

To a question, he said the country’s industrial sector should also actively help universities meet their financial requirements as was the practice in Western countries.