Dear Editor,
When Professor Jacob Opadeyi became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana in February 2013 he inherited an untenable situation characterized by financial mismanagement, cost over-runs, and spending beyond the income of the university, creating an inherited deficit of over $500M in 2013 which was reduced to $300M in 2014. Financial audits by the Auditor General’s Office discovered financial irregularities and transactions at IDCE whose annual income is $30M but which spends $60M.
Generally, a poor work ethic, minimum work, not fulfilling contractual working hours, and general lack of accountability permeated the university working environment. The MAD approach (maximum administrative delay) was employed in implementing or frustrating decisions, even some Council decisions.
A few examples would give the public and the responsible university community some insights into the reasons why the unrepresentative and unrecognized Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) is motivated to attack the integrity of the Vice Chancellor. It is primarily because the Vice Chancellor dared to challenge and correct these bad practices and replace them with comparative international best practices that he is seen by the leadership of UGSSA as a ‘sell out,’ upsetting the status quo.
In a special audit commissioned by Council under his leadership, it was discovered that the Bursary (prior to the appointment of the current Bursar) was functioning without standard operating procedures. This is what he inherited. Professor Opadeyi brought accountability to the university.
It is widely known that the university is underfunded; needs infrastructural and staff and student facilities’ upgrades; needs an assured annual subvention and increased fees to cover fully the operating cost of some $350,000 annually per student; needs scholarships for staff development; and needs a healthier working and classroom environment for staff and students, without being unmindful of the need for attractive remuneration, benefits and conditions of service for staff with due regard being had for national and regional comparative context.
The changes at UG (over the last 28 months) since the Vice Chancellor was appointed, at his initiative and with the approval of the University Council, include increasing the retirement age from 60 to 65 years so as to retain high quality lecturers and professors; the introduction of technology/facility fees of $50,000 per year for all students; the acquisition of a 30-seater bus for field trips; senior management being responsible for the hiring of UB and UA staff at the level of Lecturer I and AO; senior management being responsible for disciplinary matters relating to both staff and students; introducing the rule that generally no programme would have fewer than 10 students; the establishment of PhD programmes (a first at UG); and the establishment of the Audit Committee of the Council.
The Vice Chancellor, in spite of the challenges and constraints, further achieved significant improvement in the financial accounting and management systems; reduced the deficit through negotiated additional government funding to the tune of $800M; reduced expenditure on commuting lecturers; improved financial discipline through spending along budgetary lines; improved the physical infrastructure markedly; established online degree programmes in four disciplines (a first at UG); established an MPH programme (a first at UG); increased graduate enrolment; increased revenue streams from $1,092M in 2013 to $1,342M in 2014; decreased the deficit from $619M in 2013 to $334M in 2014; arranged the gifting by the private sector of 2000 classroom desk/chair combinations and the acquisition of additional 1100 classroom chairs, thus ending the chronic lack of classroom chairs that plagued the university over the past 10 years or more; installed 3400 student lockers (a first at UG); efficiently used capital grants that saw the acquisition of over 200 personal computers in two years; made technological investments ‒ software for statistical analysis of student assessment, a smart ID card system, timetabling software, smart classrooms, free Wi-Fi for staff and students and electronic message board; installed projectors and whiteboards in classrooms; established a Confucius Institute at UG; revised promotion criteria that saw the unprecedented promotion of staff for 3 new professors, 8 senior lecturers and 20 lecturers II, all achieved within two years in office.
Other achievements during this first two years of appointment include the establishment of an honorary degree programme; the investment in campus-wide CCTV cameras (a first at UG); naming university streets after former Chancellors; the effective and efficient management of the UG Science and Technology Support Project of US$10M of the World Bank facility; improving sporting facilities through the construction of basketball /lawn tennis courts (a first at UG); introducing conflict of interest declarations for staff who have family members enrolled in the classes; with the support of the Ministry of Health ensuring the posting of a medical doctor to UG medical centre (a first at UG); upgrading the terms of employment of 33 maids/cleaners who have been working for 13 years as part-time staff to full-time staff with full benefits; supporting the introduction and use of the Moodle teaching support system; and the institution of financial audits.
Professor Jacob Opadeyi has served the staff and the university very well as Vice Chancellor over a short period of time with an outstanding performance which deserves the nation’s gratitude and vote of confidence.
Yours faithfully,
Samuel J Goolsarran
