GCU admin’s directive sparks controversy among faculty

LAHORE:A recent directive issued by the Government College University (GCU) administration has sparked strong opposition from university’s senior faculty as well as the GCU Academic Staff Association (GCU-ASA).

The issue revolves around Dispatch No. 299, dated February 03, 2025 which outlines new guidelines for the preparation of remuneration bills for faculty and staff. In their separate letters addressed to the GCU Registrar, Prof Dr Babar Aziz, Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Prof Dr Muhammad Nauman Aftab, President GCU-ASA, expressed serious concerns, stating that the guidelines contradict established university policies and undermine the principles of shared governance.

The copies of the letters are available with The News. Prof Dr Babar Aziz highlighted that the guidelines conflict with the decisions of the Syndicate and the Powers & Duties of Teachers as outlined in the GCU Ordinance 2002. He emphasised that such policy changes were introduced without consultation with statutory academic bodies, including the Academic Council and the Deans Committee. He noted that the issuance of these guidelines had long-lasting implications for the faculty, yet these decisions were never presented before any statutory forum for deliberation.

‘Furthermore, as a Dean, I was neither consulted nor informed about these policy changes, which raises serious concerns regarding the decision-making process. It is also surprising that the recommendations originate from the Treasurer’s Office, which is not the appropriate forum for introducing academic policies or faculty-related directives,’ the letter reads. The Dean urged the immediate suspension of the guidelines until they were reviewed and approved by the appropriate statutory forums.

A GCU faculty member told The News that the workload of teachers was determined while keeping in view the number of research scholars with honors, MPhil and PhD degrees they had. However, according to the new notification, the Treasurer had arbitrarily subtracted the research load from the basic workload of teachers, which was contrary to the university Ordinance as well as the decisions taken by the Academic Council and the Syndicate.

Similarly, the ASA president, in a strongly worded letter, rejected the guidelines, calling them ‘unilateral and irrational.’ The association criticised the lack of consultation with key stakeholders, including Deans, Chairpersons, and faculty members, and alleged the Treasurer’s Office of interfering in academic governance. The GCU-ASA warned that the new guidelines could have severe consequences, such as discouraging faculty from participating in summer semesters, increasing uncertainty among non-teaching staff, and leading to the resignation of Evening Programme Coordinators due to inadequate compensation. The association also cautioned that the increased workload expectations might deter visiting faculty from continuing their engagement, potentially jeopardizing the university’s self-supporting and replica programmes.

Both the Dean and the GCU-ASA have called for the immediate withdrawal of the guidelines, emphasising the need to uphold institutional transparency and shared governance. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Executive Council of the GCU-ASA was held on Friday. The Executive Council expressed its strongest reservations and categorically rejected, what it termed, the unilateral and irrational guidelines. The meeting also expressed concerns over non-issuance of budget for evening programmes even after more than seven months. ‘As a result, departments are suffering badly, unable to manage essential academic and administrative functions. This gross negligence is severely impacting the quality of education and creating unnecessary hurdles for faculty and students alike,’ reads the GCU-ASA statement.

When contacted a senior GCU official claimed that the new guidelines were for the visiting faculty members as guidelines for regular staff were already approved by the relevant statutory bodies, including the Syndicate. However, this claim was rejected by Prof Dr Babar Aziz who referred to section 3.1 and onward of the new guidelines which clearly mention regular faculty members as well.

Talking to The News, Prof Dr Muhammad Nauman Aftab called for the immediate withdrawal of Dispatch No 299 and also appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Governor to pay attention to the deteriorating situation at GC University warning that otherwise, the ASA may announce protests as well as a boycott of evening classes.