LAHORE: A new criteria for the selection of public universities vice chancellors (VCs) has been proposed to the government.

An eight-member committee mandated last month to finalise selection criteria for VC posts of Punjab and matters related to search committee submitted its recommendations to the Punjab government on Tuesday.

“A summary of the criteria has been submitted to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for approval,” a member of the committee told Dawn.

Degree from top-ranked varsities will carry weight

According to the proposed criteria, academic qualification gets maximum 30 points. A candidate holding a PhD from top 100 Quacquarelli Symonds ranked universities will earn 30 points, 101-300 universities 28 points, 301-500 universities 26 points and other HEC recognized universities or UNESCO listed universities 24 points.

Professional and leadership experience is also given maximum 30 points: if a candidate has experience in a senior academic, research or management leadership position in teaching/research institutions i.e VC, Pro-VC, dean or equivalent position, they are worth three points for each year and one-year experience as chairman, director, or principal of a constituent college is worth two points.

International experience has10 points: if a candidate has experience of working in an international organisation (excluding NGOs) in teaching/research/ management at relatively senior position (C level executives/director or equivalent) would earn two points for each year of experience.

Maximum points for the publications category from the Higher Education Commission recognized journals are 30. Each conference or journal publication earns a candidate two points, a book four and a listed patent by world earns four points.

In this way, qualification points are 100 (30+30+10+30). Candidates scoring 75 points will be short listed for interview and qualification points obtained during the short listing process will carry 50 percent weightage in the total points.

Similarly, interview points are 100 and the points obtained during interview will carry 50 percent weightage in the total points. Total points are 100 - 50 percent each for qualification and interview.

The member said they also suggested the constitution of a search committee for every university separately.

The committee consisted of Punjab Higher Education Minister Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz as convener and Punjab Higher Education Department Secretary Sarah Saeed, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Nizamuddin, Lahore University of Management Science professors Dr Arif Nazir Butt and Dr Muhammad Ahsan Rana, Punjab University VC Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, and Government College University Faisalabad and Quaid-i-Azam University VC Dr Muhammad Ali and Fatima Jinnah Women University former VC Dr Najma Najam.

The committee was assigned to come up with some radical propositions to overhaul the process in which candidates were appointed to the most influential slot in institutes of higher education.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2018