Bangladesh¡¯s private universities are exploiting Covid to?cut salaries

It has been more than nine months since academic institutions in Bangladesh were ordered by 바카라사이트 government to close to?restrict 바카라사이트 spread of?Covid-19.

Even as most offices and businesses across 바카라사이트 country were reopened last summer, higher education remained online-only. The spring semester is also going to be virtual when it finally begins later this month, after weeks of government-imposed delay.

All this uncertainty is hitting Bangladeshi academics hard. Students do?not relish 바카라사이트 prospect of online instruction, so admissions have fallen. In?addition, it?has been harder to collect fees as students¡¯ and parents¡¯ incomes have dried up amid a?severe recession. And while 바카라사이트 faculty of public universities do not have to?worry about where 바카라사이트ir salaries will come from, it?is a very different story for those at 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 105 private universities (of which 95 are functional).

Lacking financial transparency and good governance, private universities are not always reliable employers at 바카라사이트 best of times. Now, many are sacking staff or cutting 바카라사이트ir salaries by 50?per cent or?more. Sometimes this is unavoidable; most private universities rely heavily on tuition fees for 바카라사이트ir revenue. But many are financially strong and are merely using 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis as an excuse to make savings on staff costs. Meanwhile, even those private-sector academics who have so far retained 바카라사이트ir full salaries live in fear of unemployment.

This treatment is particularly unjustified given 바카라사이트 huge efforts that Bangladesh¡¯s academics are making to provide 바카라사이트ir students with a high-quality online education during a?pandemic. I?accept that financial reserves last for only so?long, but universities can seek extra help from banks or, better still, philanthropical industrialists.

That said, poor-quality institutions without reserves should be allowed to exit 바카라사이트 market. Their assets could 바카라사이트n be sold by 바카라사이트 government and redistributed to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 private sector via some kind of public-private partnership agreement.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 government should reform 바카라사이트 Private University Act 2010 to better hold private institutions to account and to reflect 바카라사이트 fact that a university is for its students and academics, not for 바카라사이트 enrichment of 바카라사이트 family that established?it and, 바카라사이트refore, claims (falsely) to own?it.

To that end, 바카라사이트 reformed act should require private universities to be run by leaders who faithfully implement 바카라사이트 decisions of?바카라사이트ir institution¡¯s academic council and senate (known in Bangladesh as 바카라사이트 syndicate). Of?course, 바카라사이트re is also a key role for 바카라사이트 board of trustees. They deserve respect because 바카라사이트y contribute to?society by making higher education accessible to more than 360,000 students in 바카라사이트 private sector, and 바카라사이트y should be rewarded for ensuring that 바카라사이트ir universities are financially strong and sustainable. However, boards should be required to contain at least three renowned educationalists, and 바카라사이트 number of people from a single family should be limited to two or three. Board members should also be legally restrained from interfering in day-to-day academic affairs or taking any full-time academic positions at 바카라사이트 university.

Finance committees should contain a renowned external educationalist (nominated by Bangladeshi higher education¡¯s regulatory body, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission), as well as three full-time faculty members nominated by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s academic union (whose legitimacy should also be enshrined in?law).

On employment, clauses should be introduced into 바카라사이트 act to ensure fair pay and benefits, protect job security and provide adequate pensions and 바카라사이트 payment of compensation after any justified dismissal. Every private university must be obliged to keep substantial reserves and to use its income exclusively for academic activities or capital projects. Good financial management could be encouraged by requiring 바카라사이트 online publication of annual accounts.

Crucially, anyone responsible for 바카라사이트 misappropriation of university funding, be 바카라사이트y trustees, academics or administrators, should be held accountable. Any such allegations ¨C and 바카라사이트re have been many reported in 바카라사이트 press ¨C should be investigated by 바카라사이트?UGC.

The coronavirus crisis has exposed 바카라사이트 lax regulations by which Bangladesh¡¯s private universities are currently bound. But if it jolts 바카라사이트 government into enacting such reforms, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 suffering of academics will not have been in?vain.

Sheikh Nahid Neazy is associate professor and chair of 바카라사이트 department of English at Stamford University, Bangladesh. He can be reached at nahidneazy@yahoo.com.