With teaching posts at the University of Mysore continuing to remain vacant, affecting academic activities, the university’s Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Board has resolved to take up the issue with the State Government as more posts are expected to fall vacant with the superannuation of professors in the coming months.
As many as 382 teaching posts are vacant for many years and the student-teacher ratio affected the chances of the century-old university getting higher NAAC grades.
About 52 per cent of posts are vacant and the government was permitted to fill up the posts in 2020 but it had to withdraw the consent over the COVID-19 situation.
Out of 664 sanctioned teaching posts, the university is managing the academic activities with about 280 posts. “At least 35 professors attained superannuation after I assumed charge. Before I leave office, a few more would be retiring, resulting in more posts lying vacant,” said Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar.
The issue came up for discussion at the PMEB meeting here in which a resolution was passed to appeal to the government for its nod to start the process of filling up the vacant posts at the earliest.
“We have also decided to take a delegation for a presentation on the problems faced by the university over the severe shortage of teaching posts. I and a few other members of the Board will soon be meeting the Minister for Higher Education to discuss the issue,” the Vice-Chancellor told The Hindu.
One of the major reasons for the university getting ‘A’ grade in NAAC assessment was vacant posts, and this will affect the university in the long run as universities with ‘A plus’ grade will move ahead despite the UoM being a reputed and one of the oldest universities, he said.
With 282 professors, associate professors and assistant professors, the academic activities are being run along with the support of 700-plus guest faculty. The vacant posts may also affect research activities in the absence of permanent faculty for guiding research students. “This will also hit the sanction of grants,” he added.
The University had aimed for ‘A’ plus grade in NAAC accreditation. However, it lagged behind in two parameters after having successfully cleared other parameters. If the vacant posts had been filled and the student-teacher ratio improved, the chances of getting higher NAAC grades would have been higher.
Also, as per the UGC norms, guest lecturers cannot guide research students. If the faculty were appointed on contract basis they could guide the research scholars, improving research activities on the campus. However, the State Government has so far not given its consent for appointments on contractual basis. The last time the University appointed teaching faculty was in 2007.
The student-teacher ratio should be 1:15 but the current ratio stands at 1:19.56.
The dearth of faculty affected the ratio though the university has well-established infrastructure and facilities. It started a School of Engineering last year and is also gearing up for launching the School of Pharmacy this year. It is establishing a new campus on the foothills of Chamundi. But the only hurdle it is facing is shortage of teaching posts.
