UG needs to be revamped

Jan 08, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Many students of the University of Guyana (UG) are lacking knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in the job market. The reason(s) for this deficiency can be one or all of the following:
1. There are lectures who only have a first degree. These lecturers are supervising students who are doing their Master degree. How can someone who has not done graduate studies help anyone pursuing such a goal?
If these lecturers have reached retirement age then they should retire. The administrator should insist that lecturers, who want to remain at the institution, pursue their Master degree. If they are unable to do so then they should resign. In most universities, lecturers have to have a Master or PhD in order to be considered for a position.
2. There are lecturers who are teaching courses without having a degree in them. Each Faculty should have a bulletin board showing staff’s qualification, which institution he or she attended and their specialty. Specialty must be confirmed by transcripts. The student council needs to have this information. By being privy to this, the students would know whether or not they are taught by scholars of their field.
3. At most universities, a full time lecturer does not have a second job. He or she is involved in teaching, meeting with students, writing grant proposals and doing research. At UG, some “full time” lecturers have other jobs. There are lecturers who are also Member of Parliament. These individuals are getting two salaries at the expense of the public. In most countries, if someone became a MP, the individual takes leave of absence. If a lecturer has to be in Parliament then he is neglecting his commitment at the university. He is being paid for being non-functional.
4. There are people given titles at UG based on certain affiliations rather than their academic achievement. This kind of selectiveness should not be tolerated. For someone to be called a Professor, he or she must be highly qualified, have several years teaching and researching, having publications in peer journals and able to solicit monetary funds for the institution.
5. Monetary reward is always an incentive to propel individuals to do their best. At UG, lecturers are not paid according to academic achievements. They are lecturers with PhD who have lower wages than someone with a lower degree. This is demoralising and as such one would expect minimal work from such individual. An individual with a PhD should earn more than someone with a Master.
I do hope my above suggestions will be implemented.
Sherlock Rawana, PhD

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UG needs to be revamped

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