LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has constituted a six-member committee to look into the matter of teachers hired under the Tenure Track System (TSS) but are currently holding administrative posts.

Some public sector universities in Punjab and other provinces are not complying with the instructions of the HEC regarding removing the TTS teachers from administrative posts.

“A six-member committee comprising HEC members and teachers will look into the matters related to the TTS teachers working on administrative posts and submit their recommendations to the HEC shortly,” Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association General Secretary Dr Mahboob Hussain told Dawn on Wednesday.

He said the HEC had constituted the committee after meeting with the newly-elected office-bearers of the association.

The HEC, in a letter written to public universities last month, said: “It has been noted that some faculty members on tenure track without completing their probation period have started working on such positions. Moreover, some faculty members on tenure track assume the administrative posts such as registrar, director human resource, treasurer and controller examination openly or under the cover of ‘acting’, ‘look after’ or ‘additional charge’.”

Dr Mahboob Hussain said the autonomy of the universities would not be compromised and efforts would be made in fixing superannuation age of teachers at 65 years.

He said the HEC, on the demand of the federation, had postponed condition of publication of research articles in ‘W category journals’ for a period of one year, as this deadline was nearing in June this year.

He said a joint committee consisting of HEC and teachers’ representatives had been formed for up-gradation of research periodicals and incentives.

The association’s newly-elected president Prof Dr Humayun Khan and vice-president Dr Kaleemullah Bareech also demanded reinstatement of 75 per cent rebate on income tax, which was reduced to 40pc about two years back by the government.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has also supported their demand and assured them that a voice would be raised for the reinstatement of the tax rebate.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2016