Days before the University of Guyana (UG) commences the semester, minor work is being done on the Turkeyen Campus and while the unions which have been rallying for more to be done say they are thankful for this, they do not believe that much change will follow.
“We are going to resume the new academic year with a few roofs repaired, a few buildings painted and a few toilets fixed. We have gotten a facelift and we are thankful for this but really nothing has changed,” President of UG’s Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Patsy Francis told Stabroek News on Thursday.
UG lecturers and members of the student body protested for several weeks earlier this year following the dismissal of three lecturers, including Freddie Kissoon, and against the deplorable conditions at the campus. The UG Students Society (UGSS), the UG Workers Union (UGWU) and the UGSSA had joined with students in a collaborative effort, dubbed ‘Operation Rescue UG,’ to fight for these causes.
Relief came on February 26 when a meeting was called by Minister of Labour Dr. Nanda Gopaul and several terms of agreement were signed and the parties returned to work the following day.
However, Francis on Thursday told Stabroek News that little work has been done. The activity over the past several days she attributed to the reopening of the university. “They are painting everywhere, the Education and Humanity buildings; there is scaffolding all through the compound,” she said.
The University was scheduled to commence its teaching activities last Monday, August 27. However, the university’s administration said that after due consideration of the delays which were occasioned by the industrial action during the 2011-2012 academic year, the consequential effects and other factors including the recent release of results by CXC, it was decided to postpone the commencement of the 2012-2013 classes from August 27 to September 10.
“The administration has been a little less than truthful… I don’t know if they are scared to say the truth,” Dr. Francis said and referred to the reasons cited by President of the UGSS, Duane Edwards in a press release for the reopening being postponed.
According to Edwards, what the UG administration should be telling the public is that there is a gross shortage of teaching staff as a result of the failure of the Appointments Committee to meet, hire and re-hire teaching staff. The Appointments Committee cannot meet because it is a sub-committee of the currently defunct University Council, he also observed.
“It is startling that absolutely nothing was said to the public about the whopping $500 million dollar deficit with which the university is beginning this academic year and the fact that the slothfulness exhibited by lecturers to mark exam scripts in a timely manner interferes with the registration process which in turn interferes with timely income (by means of tuition fees) for the university,” he added.
Francis, on Thursday, pointed out that the release of CXC results should not serve as a factor for not reopening as scheduled, since this is the usual situation every year. “The whole world knows that we have serious financial difficulties and that is the main reason why we are not in a position to reopen the university… No, CXC results were not late. Does this mean that every year they would have to open late because CXC results came out the same time it does every year,” she said, while adding that the World Bank loan of $US10 million is still to be signed.
‘Operation Rescue UG’ had also called for the appointment of a new, fully constituted University Council to ensure that UG “has a governing body that has the capacity to transform the institution into a truly national asset.” A petition for this was presented to the National Assembly by APNU parliamentarian Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and was subsequently sent to a special select committee by House Speaker, Raphael Trotman. “There is a new council but nothing has really changed.
They have not met yet,” Dr. Francis said. She explained that the union’s parliamentary lobby is currently stalled, since it has to wait until Parliament resumes for further action to be taken. “The unions recognise that it will take some time for our matter to be ventilated,” she said.
With regards to the report by the Jamaican firm Trevor Hamilton and Associates on the issues being faced by UG, Francis said that this has been submitted to the university and is currently being reviewed by the various sections and hopefully by other stakeholders.
The unions were asked to submit comments. “I do not believe that the Trevor Hamilton document will fix the problems of the university. There is nothing fundamentally different from what has been recommended by other studies that were done… Unless the government is willing to accept what the new consultants and stakeholders are saying, nothing will change,” she opined.
According to the UGSSA President, the Trevor Hamilton document is nothing more than a “stalling device,” which is not intended to effect any “real change”.
“Trevor Hamilton says we need new governing structure and new financial mechanisms… but all these things have been said before,” she added. “The University has to sit and decide what is necessary… we need work, real work by academics and people off of campus who really know to make money. We have to have plans and programs designed to do this. Many of these plans and programs have already been written but have never seen the light of day. The administration needs to work at this,” Francis emphasised.
