GU registrar pitches for 5-year term for lecturers in self-financing courses

PANAJI: Goa University registrar Y V Reddy suggested that lecturers for self-financing courses be given a five-year appointment as opposed to yearly contracts that have to be renewed. “It is high time we think about tenure appointments in the 7th pay commission when we prepare the statue,” he said, adding that this would ensure only qualified candidates are appointed and give them some job security. The model is being followed by Pune University, where five-year appointments are being given at all levels - assistant, associate and professor level.
He was speaking at the two-day national workshop on ‘Initiatives for Quality Enhancement in Higher Education’ organized by Goa University where stakeholders discussed ways and means to improve higher education in the state.

Considering colleges have a six-day-week and Goa University a five-day-week, director of higher education Prasad Lolayekar proposed that university professors consider conducting a lecture in a college on a Saturday. “This will help the student in many ways. A college professor can also conduct a lecture at the higher secondary level. After a few months, we can take stock of whether this is helping or not. What’s the harm in exploring the possibility?” he said, during the panel discussion on ‘coordination among colleges, university and government for higher education’. This will ensure greater coordination between the educational institutions and benefit students, he added.

The panel also stressed the need for an education policy for the state. Lolayekar said the directorate of education, higher education, technical education, Goa University and all other stakeholders must come together to frame the state education policy.

Reddy appealed to the government for more funding for the state’s only university, reiterating chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement that higher education must be given priority. He also appealed to the government to involve faculty members in policy-making or at least in discussions through various committees, whether it is biodiversity or planning. “I think it is necessary that university faculties who have spent 30 years teaching and who have a lot of research in their respective areas, need to be involved in policy-making and their inputs considered,” he said.