Moalims

While the process of appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) by Punjab Higher Education Department is in its final stages, one of the incumbents is trying hard to ensure she stays at the same position even after her tenure expires, Pakistan Today has learnt.

In a bid to be given the status of Professor Emeritus, the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) vice chancellor has put her case before the Syndicate meeting for approval.

Dr Sabiha Mansoor, the serving LCWU VC, has not been shortlisted by the search committee that was constituted to fill the positions of VCs that are vacant or will be vacated later this year.

“As per the rules, a sitting VC cannot nominate herself for the position of Professor Emeritus in a Syndicate meeting,” said an official of the Punjab government who attended the meeting the other day.

“The Syndicate meeting is not empowered to approve her case as she has not been shortlisted by the search committee nor has she retired yet,” the official said, adding that her case could only be considered after her retirement on July 13.

“Another problem is that Dr Sabiha doesn’t even fulfil the criteria to become Professor Emeritus,” pointed out another participant of the Syndicate meeting. “To become Professor Emeritus one should have an experience of professorship for at least 10 years according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) standards.” The status of Professor Emeritus, the participant said, could only be awarded by the applicant’s parent institute.

“She came here as VC and is not an employee of LCWU. She can be considered to be appointed Professor Emeritus at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) where she has been teaching but not at LCWU,” another participant of the Syndicate meeting told Pakistan Today.

The official revealed that when a representative of the Finance Department objected to the agenda of the meeting, Dr Sabiha humiliated her. The meeting didn’t approve her case, he added.

He further said that Dr Sabiha tried to pressurise those faculty members who objected to her appointment as Professor Emeritus by threatening to write letters against them to higher authorities.

“At least two of them were present in the Syndicate meeting and are among those 23 candidates who have been shortlisted for the coveted post of VC by the search committee,” another official added.

Taking to Pakistan Today, Dr Sabiha claimed that she is eligible to become Professor Emeritus as she has served at the LCWU for four years, which were sufficient for her to become her parent institution.

She further said that her name was proposed by Dr Rubina, a member of alumni of the varsity and approved unanimously.

It is pertinent to mention here that the competent authority to appoint Professor Emeritus is the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and not the Syndicate.