June 27, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1429

PESHAWAR, June 26: The University of Peshawar syndicate has come up with a formula for promotion of the non-PhD teachers who did not fulfil the promotion criteria set by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The HEC has formulated rules making PhD degree necessary for promotion of university teachers, which is deemed a major hurdle in the promotion of those senior faculty members who are experienced but do not possess doctorate in various fields.

The syndicate in its meeting held here on Thursday came up with a solution and evolved a formula following the footsteps of the University of Punjab, said a source privy to the meeting.

“Under the formula, the faculty which does not have a PhD degree but a specified length of service would be given one-scale promotion without changing their designation,” sources said.

The lecturers in BPS-18 with 10 years experience of service would be promoted to next grade, BPS-19, but will remain in the same designation. The Assistant Professors in BPS-19 with 17 years of service would be promoted to next grade, BPS-20 and Associate Professor working in BPS-20 would be promoted to BPS-21 under the new formula formulated by the syndicate meeting chaired by UoP Vice-chancellor Azmat Hayat Khan.

“The University of Peshawar has about 600 teachers. About 100 will join Islamia College University so hardly 18 senior teachers would benefit form the new formula for promotion,” sources said.

A member of the syndicate said that University of Punjab had also decided to promote their senior non-PhD teachers who did not fulfil the promotion criteria of the HEC.

Teachers at all public sector universities were also upgraded one-step by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in 2005 on Salam Teachers’ Day.

Some senior administrative officers at UoP wanted upgradation which was followed by faculty members saying that they should also be given promotion despite the fact that they did not have PhD degree.

The syndicate had set a promotion criterion for administrative officers on its agenda for the meeting but it ended up with coming up a formula for the promotion of the non-PhD faculty too.

Administrative officer working in BPS-20 for five years, having 30 years of service, would be eligible for promotion to BPS-21. The syndicate approved cases of Controller Examination Iftikhar Hussain, Sherin Zada working as Registrar and Director Admissions and Director Finance Sanaullah.

Whereas, Mohammad Islam, director P&D could not be promoted as he did not fulfil the required number of years of experience for promotion, sources said.

Ajmal Khan, who was working as director VC Secretariat was also promoted to BPS-21, the syndicate member said.