LAHORE: The Punjab government has finally introduced new rules and regulations to streamline the affairs of sub-campuses of provincial universities after the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan scandal.

Under the new rules, no further admission/registration is allowed to sub-campuses of public sector universities of Punjab under public-private partnership by the university concerned unless a sub-campus gets a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) within 180 days.

Currently, there are 10 sub-campuses of various varsities in Punjab. University of Sargodha has five, University of Gujrat two, Government College University Faisalabad two and BZU one.

‘Future of already registered students to be protected’

The Punjab governor, who is also chancellor of universities, on Wednesday approved recommendations of a committee constituted under Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi to look into the establishment of sub-campuses of Punjab’s public sector universities under public-private partnership. The Punjab Higher Education Department has issued a notification in this regard.

Academic careers of hundreds of students of Lahore sub-campus of the BZU are at stake as the sub-campus was not affiliated with the HEC. To protect the academic careers, the new rules state: “The future of already registered students needs to be protected. The responsibility for this lies with the university concerned and owners of sub-campuses, jointly. All such students must be registered with the university who should ensure that their graduation as per the university rules is completed. It is the responsibility of the owners to fulfil their obligations by effectively providing educational facility to these students. The university and the owners are legally and morally bound to arrange this dispensation.”

The rules further say a sub-campus that is granted NOC by the HEC would be able to continue as such until the time stipulated in the contract.

“The sub-campuses have the option to apply for independent degree awarding status which they need to strive for before their contract period with the university runs out. If a sub-campus does not achieve both the above options, the third option for them is to apply for affiliation status. However, the university will be bound to treat the existing registered students as admitted into their sub-campus. And these students would be subject to laws and rules of the university as any other student registered with the university. Students who had already completed their graduation requirements according to the parent university rules/regulations should be awarded degrees after approval from relevant bodies.”

The Punjab government has made it mandatory that further admission to MPhil/MS and PhD programmes at the sub-campuses must be closed.

“The students already registered into MPhil or PhDs (wherever applicable) should be assessed according to HEC criteria and, if eligible, should be transferred to the relevant university. This is imperative for quality assurance. Besides, all universities need to abstain from commercially oriented projects which are against the basic spirit of higher education.”

The Punjab Higher Education Commission has been directed to immediately develop a robust regulatory framework for periodic and continuous monitoring. Degree colleges offering four-year undergraduate degrees should be strengthened and cater to local demands of higher education.

According to the notification, MPhil and PhD programmes both in public and private universities should be subjected to rigorous standards. An evaluation of these programmes by a competent body comprising academics both from within and outside Pakistan should be given serious consideration.

The chancellor/governor has constituted a committee headed by the Punjab education minister to ensure implementation of these rules.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2016