ISLAMABAD-Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on Friday postponed the selection board of Comsats University Islamabad (CUI) till appointment of regular rector.
Meanwhile, the teaching faculty staged a protest after the selection board was postponed following the directions of Higher Education Commission (HEC).
A notification issued by the MoST and available with The Nation said that “I am directed to refer to CUI’s letter No. CUI-reg/5-3(1)/19/3831 dated 19.12.2019 on the 31st selection board to state that proposed selection board may create legal implications, so it may be postponed till appointment of regular rector and other officers/officials.
General Secretary Academic Staff Association (ASA) CUI Dr. Mazhar said that around 250 cases of Tenure Track System (TTS) (appointments of both Phd Lecturers/RAs and promotions of APs and Associate Professors) have been excluded from the selection board.
He said that the selection board for TTS faculty has been postponed as the ministry of Science and Technology has advised CUI not to conduct selection and HEC has banned inductions and promotions on TTS.
He said the candidates travelled for hundreds miles to appear in selection board on the call of admin but they were sent back without any process.
“This is quite shameful and condemnable attitude showed by CUI admin. Division among faculty is their aim based on OG and TTS,” he said.
HEC has announced a moratorium on new appointments and promotions on TTS at COMSATS on account of massive irregularities and misappropriation of TTS salary grants to CUI. This was unearthed by an HEC investigation earlier this month.
The HEC earlier this week issued a notification regarding implementation of TTS review committee recommendations.
The notification issued said that TTS review committee visited Comsats University Islamabad on 13 and 14 December and evaluated 271 TTS faculty cases lying pending at the universities and due to protocol delays.
It said that out of 271 TTS faculty cases, the review committee suggested that all those cases which fulfil the eligibility criteria as per TTS statutes version 2.0 with all other codal requirements may be placed in forthcoming selection board and syndicate for approval.
It said that the rest of the cases which do not fulfil the endorsement criteria and have already been decided by the committee will be dealt in view of the clause 2 of letter No. DG (QA)/HEC/TTS-13/21/68 dated November 25, 2019.
The notice said that it is further advised that implementation of the directions were already communicated vide HEC QAD letter No. DG (QA) /HEC/TTS-13/21/68 dated November 25, 2019. No faculty (existing/new applicants) subject to even previous advertisement is allowed to be hired on TSS by Comsats University Islamabad.
Earlier, Higher Education Commission observing serious violations in faculty recruitment procedures stopped CUI from hiring TTS faculty without approval of the HEC.
The HEC Quality Assurance Division (QAD) has issued a notification following the recommendations of a review committee evaluating the appointments and promotions of TTS faculty at CUI.
The notification said that “This is with reference to the visit of TTS review committee to Comsats university, Islamabad on 11th September, 2019 and 8th and 9th October, 2019 to evaluate the appointments/promotions cases of TTS faculty members working in Comsats university, Islamabad.”
Notification also said that the committee reviewed almost 200 un-endorsed TTS faculty cases of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors. “Committee observed serious procedural violations of the TTS Statutes version 2.0 about selection, evaluation and promotion of faculty hired on TTS.”