The life of the last Council of the University of Guyana expired on December 31, 2020, and to date, there has been no information from the government as to whether it was extended or when a new Council will be appointed.
The Council is the governing body of the University and is empowered under Statute 13 of the University of Guyana Act.
Efforts to contact both Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and Vice-Chancellor Dr Paloma Martin on the matter were unsuccessful.
However, a source close to the Council said that while it is true that the life of the last Council ended in 2020, the University still has a functioning body.
“There is the question as to legally who really appoints the Council because if you read the law, it specifies that the trade unions have a rep, the academic board have a rep etc but there are few instances in which it specifies the role for the minister. So the question is if the minister appoints the whole Council or the minister only appoints those persons which the law specifies that he or she has a role to appoint. So it is a question that lingers and one does not have a clear answer to it but I can say that there is an active Council,” the source said.
The source explained that the procedure in the past was that the Minister of Education writes to the University informing it of the nominations for Council members and then names are submitted. The nominations would then be approved by Cabinet and gazetted.
Stabroek News’ source further explained that the University of Guyana earlier this year called a meeting of the past Council members informing them that those persons who were duly nominated would form the new Council.
“So in a situation of uncertainty and crisis, the university called a meeting of the persons who are legitimately appointed using the interpretation of the law which says that if all of the members are not appointed that does not interfere with the life of the Council, so on that basis the University had a meeting of the Council with the persons whose nomination did not require the minister’s intervention. So we do have a functioning Council,” the source related.
It is unclear whether the Council is legally recognised since it was not gazetted and whether its decisions could be implemented.
According to UG’s statute, the Council is empowered to make the appointments authorized by the Statutes; institute, confirm, abolish or hold in abeyance any Professorship, Associate Professorship or other academic offices in the University following the recommendation of the Academic Board; to govern, manage and regulate the finances, accounts, investments, property, business and all affairs whatsoever of the University and for that purpose to appoint bankers and any other officers or agents whom it may deem expedient to appoint.
Stipulates
Statute 13 of the Act stipulates that the Council shall comprise 26 members and include the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. Additionally, the Committee of Deans, Academic Board, Guild of Graduates, Students’ Society and UG Workers Union all have one representative each on the Council.
The Ministries of Education and Finance also have one representative each on the Council. The governing political party, Office of the Leader of the Opposition and the Guyana Trades Union Congress are all entitled to a representative on the Council as well.
The Minister of Education also has the power to nominate 7 additional members with four being from non-governmental organisations representing the interests of women, farmers, Amerindians and businesses. The other three should be persons who can contribute significantly to the University in the fields of medicine and law.
The Chancellor of the University is empowered to nominate six members to Council from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Committee for International Co-operation in Higher Education of the United Kingdom and the University of the West Indies.
However, at an extraordinary meeting of the Council on July 27, 2018, a proposal was approved for the reduction of the membership from 26 to 17. Effectively, removing the provisions for special interests and international representation. It is unclear if the decision was ever implemented.
The last list of names for Council members was gazetted on February 21, 2018, and said that its life would end on December 31, 2020. The members were Professor Nigel Harris (Chancellor), Pro-Chancellor, then Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith, UG Academic Board representative Jacqueline Murray, Dr Paulette Bynoe (Committee of Deans), representative of the Guild of Graduates, Norwell Hinds (UGSS President), Dr Jewel Thomas (UGSSA President), Vibert Welch (then PS of the Ministry of Education), Sonya Roopnauth from Ministry of Finance, Vincent Alexander who represented the then governing political party, Opposition Leader representative, Jasmin Harris (women’s interest), Patrick de Groot (farmers), Marian Andrew (Indigenous people’s representative), Allison Butters-Grant (business interest), Ivor English (GTUC), Timothy Jonas (Lawyers Association), Navindranauth Rambarran (Medical Council of Guyana) and Dr Marissa Seepersaud.
The Chancellor’s nominees were Major General (retd) Joe Singh, Myrna Bernard, UG Registrar Nigel Gravesande and representatives from UWI and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
According to the University’s website, the members of its current Council are Pro-Chancellor Major General (retd) Joe Singh, Dr Nigel Gravesande, Calvin Bernard, Jacqueline Murray, Devta Ramroop, Sara Bharrat, Jewel Thomas, Adele Clarke, Sonya Roopnauth, Vincent Alexander, Jasmin Harris, Patrick de Groot, Miriam Andrew, Ivor English, Timothy Jonas, Dr Navindranauth Rambarran and Dr Marisa Seepersaud.
