| President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) Dr. Patsy Francis has objected to the proposals forwarded by newly placed Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi in his quest to realise “value for money.”The union president has argued that,Artemi Panarin Jersey, “Professor Opadeyi has failed to lay before Council a comprehensive plan for the improvement of the University,” while opining that the tertiary institution is being downgraded to a “High School of Arts and Science.”Professor Opadeyi told media operatives last week that to realise value for money, a move to have lecturers work more hours, is under consideration by the UG Administration. Professor Opadeyi is of the view that “you cannot have a full-time lecturer teaching one course in a semester and get 12 months’ salary…”Professor Jacob OpadeyiHe said that other workers across the country are required to work a certain amount of hours per week, and the University will be looking to ensure that lecturers are assigned teaching duties of at least 18 hours per week. The Professor had further disclosed that the greatest expenditure of the University is salaries and entitlement, with salaries accounting for a monthly expenditure of $120M; an amount he said is always increasing although the productivity is not.Professor Opadeyi stated further that the contractual obligations of lecturers stipulate that they work at least 360 hours in a single year but according to him, “…we interpret that at most (360 hours).” He disclosed further that moves are being made to realise a quality assurance system to see all programmes having a second examiner, even as all third and fourth year programmes will have an external examiner.Professor Opadeyi had noted however, that efforts will have to be made to address the poor level of staff salary and compensation. “We cannot run a quality University using salaries that are not conducive to decent living.” He spoke also about moves to facilitate the upgrade of the University’s infrastructure.Francis says however, that Professor Opadeyi would have met on his commencement at the UG, “a highly qualified and mobilized staff struggling to improve the quality of their output, 5000 young Guyanese and others pursuing various programmes at UG and 1000 more waiting to enter.”She said, “Some of the programmes are already accredited,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, while an architectural plan for the new and emerging university was produced by the department of Architecture and a quality assurance plan and programme with staff from every section trained in its delivery with a set up cost of $G8M.”She continued that a $US 10M dollar loan and other systems are already in place to facilitate the retrofitting of the science departments. The delivery of a final document costing $US250, 000 to enhance the regulatory framework for the improvement of operations at the University of Guyana was already in place, plus a loan agency providing funding for students.Additionally Francis said the budget submissions for 2011 included additional new activities totaling $39.3M. This included the establishment of a Quality Assurance Unit at $8.8M, strengthening of software services at $10M, licenced Software Programs at $11.4M, Awards for Excellence at $1.7 M,Throwback Jerseys, extension of medical services after 16:30 hours at $2.4 M and additions of security consultancy at $5 M.“We therefore strongly urge Professor Opadeyi to put an end to piecemeal approaches and table for discussion a holistic plan for the reform of the university. To desist from tarnishing the university and its staff by issuing unwarranted and unfounded public statements, to help to revoke the powers of the UG Council to fire staff without due cause or process and desist from doing same, to support the implementation of effective financial management and oversight (no one,Brad Richards Red Wings Jersey, including the VC,Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey, is actually opposing this objective; ideas on mechanisms may however vary).”The union further urged Professor Opadeyi, “to avoid all actions that lead to division, suspicion,China Jerseys Cheap, conflict and duress among staff and to urgently address the issues of salaries and other conditions of work for staff.”Francis pointed out that, “Professor Opdeyi said during his public presentation before landing the job ‘that he is the man for the Job.’ He claimed that he had the ability to create new products (programmes), attract new money and transform the ailing UG into a 21st century university. He has not delivered. ‘Show us the money’ if you can. Of 56 universities including UWI, no lecturer teaches 12 hours a week as is done by UG lecturers. This policy is grounded in scholarship and public service. High schools in Guyana carry the hours proposed by Professor Opadeyi. Maybe we should pay each of 5 top lecturers $US2200 a month to improve UG. We’d say that’s value for money.” |
