LAHORE, Feb 8: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool has directed all public sector universities in the province to strengthen the office of dean for smooth functioning of departments under its administrative control.
Sources in the education department said on Wednesday that the governor was not fully satisfied with the internal functioning of the varsities and wanted immediate improvement in this regard.
The governor directed that each department of every university should develop linkages with local and foreign varsities. He also asked them to give priority to complete land acquiring process for their new and sub-campuses.
Some deans are of the view that the directive would help them perform their duties with authority.
Punjab University dean of faculty of behavioural and social sciences Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Shaikh said the deans should be given appointment of powers. The teaching staff should follow the instruction of a dean besides giving him respect. They (teachers) must not bypass the office of dean in certain cases as well, he said.
“Besides exercise of powers depends upon the personality of a dean,” Prof Mughees added.
It is learnt that most of the new faculties of the PU are facing problems. They are short of staff and required paraphernalia.
Regarding the campuses, some 17 sub and three new campuses are being set up in the relatively under-developed areas of the province.
The PU is acquiring 100 acre state land on lease for its Gujranwala Campus and the possession is under process. At present, it has opened it in a rented building and some 880 students are studying there.
The Bahauddin Zakriya University, Multan, is opening sub-campuses in Sahiwal and DG Khan on 43 and 100 acre state land, respectively. The land in Sahiwal has been acquired while the other one is in process. At present, the varsity has opened the sub-campus in the Government College, Sahiwal, with 165 students and Government College, DG Khan, with 157 students, respectively, on a temporary basis.
The Lahore College for Women University is opening its new and sub-campuses in Harbanspura and Jhang on 207 kanal and 811 kanal, respectively, and the land acquiring procedure is under process. For a make-shift arrangement, it has opened the campus in the Government High School, Jhang, with 34 students.
The Islamia University, Bahawalpur, is opening its sub-campus in Rahim Yar Khan on 125 acre land and 50 acres in Bahawalnagar. The possession is under process. At present, in RYK it is functioning in the Khwaja Farid College with 173 students and in Bahawalnagar in the Comprehensive High School with 89 students.
The University of Sargodha is opening a medical and agriculture college on 50 acre each. The possession is in process. The Agriculture College has started functioning temporarily in the Agriculture Research Training Institute, Sargodha.
The University of Education is opening its main campus in Okara on 200 acre. It is functioning temporarily in the Kalsoom Complex and the Islamia High School, Okara, with 950 students.
The UET is opening its sub-campuses in Kala Shah Kaku, Faisalabad and Sialkot on 305 kanal private, 209 kanal state and 200 kanal private land, respectively. The land for first two campuses has been acquired while the third one is in process.
The Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, is opening its new campus on 1711 kanal private land in Rawalpindi.
The UET, Taxila, is opening its sub-campus in Chakwal and Pind Dadan Khan on 800 and 1,925 kanal private land, respectively.
The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, is opening its sub-campus in Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Depalpur and Bahawalnagar on 66, 118, 68 and 1,571 acre state land, respectively. The possession is under process.
The Government College University is opening new campus in Kala Shah Kaku and sub-campus in Faisalabad on 500 acre private land and 645 acre state land, respectively. The possession is in process.