PATUAKHALI Science and Technology University has been running without Vice-Chancellor, pro-VC and treasurer since January 5 while the tenures of Khulna University and Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University VCs will end today and on January 31 respectively. VCs tenure of nine other public universities will end shortly, while over 30 private universities have no VCs for years. While quality education in higher education crumbles due to less qualified teachers, lack of digital infrastructure, lack of research fund and overall lack of diligence, non-boarding academic chief VC will worsen the academic atmosphere.
Even, 25 out of 46 public universities have no pro-VC since the beginning of their operations while 87 out of 98 private universities in operation have no pro-VCs for years. The government has started VC appoint process for most public universities, where there is no head of the university. Many incumbents had been lobbying with the government high-ups, influential political leaders and bureaucrats to hold onto their posts as VC, pro-VC and treasurer are usually appointed through administrative orders.
Amid the uncertainly centring VCs, educationists opined that the process of appointing VCs should start six months before the end of the tenure of existing VCs so that outgoing VCs can handover responsibilities to their successors smoothly. The Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagar Universities have only separate statutes that illustrate the VC recruitment process through Syndicate. All other public universities have no fixed provision of appointing top three posts that gave the government an opportunity to appoint partisan people.
The position of VC in higher education is important as the chief in military force for planning, executing, managing and quality ensuring of the higher education. In past, prominent educationists were appointed as the VC in Dhaka University, but after independent partisan people use to get the position as a reward of lobbying and partisan role. The universities should be out of partisan grip, the influence of bureaucrats and politics for the betterment of higher education. A national commission involving prominent educationists of home and abroad can appoint capable educationist as VC.
