Faculty Service Structures in Universities to Be Inspected By HECq

There are two faculty service structures being implemented in Pakistan Universities currently, which are the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) and the Tenure Track System (TTS). The Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system is a system adopted by Government of Pakistan to determine pay of the employee on the basis of his grade, rank, and difficulty of his job and the time of his services within the employer’s organization.

Tenure Track System (TTS) is a process of career growth in the tenure of a faculty member which leads to his/hers professorship, if pursued without any hurdle. Through this system, the Government selects researchers and faculty members. The TTS system is designed on the basis of strict policies, academic expertise, achievements of the scholars made during their tenure. It was adopted 12 years ago by HEC, for the purpose of selecting highly qualified and talented researches and also to encourage scholars for advancing in research programs.

HEC has decided the review the structure now, because the scholars and researchers have failed to achieve standards set by HEC. According to the experts, only 10 percent of scholars in Pakistan have met the TTS and BPS system standards. BPS and TTS systems for faculty services are international based measures of faculty excellence.

HEC has formed a committee to review both the structures. The Committee is assigned to evaluate the weaknesses and qualities to make requisite amendments in the structures and also to prescribe methods and aversions for its effectiveness. The committee will determine which of the faculty service structure (BPS) or (TTS), has been more effective in order to promote the development of learning and research system in Pakistan.

One of the committee members has informed the press that, the TTS service was designed to select the scholars for research programmes, but now those faculty members falling under BPS service are doing researches. There has been clash in judging for selection and promotion of ranks under both TTS and BPS service. Therefore, the reviewing committee is accorded to submit the report within 60 days.

He said that this evaluation will ensure uniform education system and he assured that incentives will only be awarded to faculty members after the committee completes its task. So far, informing about find outs of weaknesses in the system, he said BPS faculty members have not been given their due share incentives even though they have done research work. TTS service members have failed to provide record of their research accomplishments in general.

The thirteen members committee includes:

1. Convener Prof. Dr Raheel Qamar—Acting Rector, Comsats university
2. Prof. Dr Farooq Bazai—Vice-Chancellor (VC), Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta
3. Prof. Dr Muhammad Asif Khan—VC, University of Peshawar
4. Prof. Dr Sarosh Hashmi Lodhi—VC, NED UET Karachi
5. Prof. Dr Tasawar Hayat—Chairman Department of Mathematics, QAU
6. Prof. Dr Abdus Salam—University of Punjab
7. Prof. Dr Zahid Anwar—University of Peshawar,
8. The representative of the establishment division,
9. The representative of the ministry of finance,
10. Dr Faisal Bari—Lums,
11. Dr Mehboob Hussain—President Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA),
12. Musharaf Zaidi—CEO Tabadlab, and
13. Muhammad Ismail—consultant Quality Assurance Division (QAD) HEC, as secretary of the committee.