AIOU shuts down old MBA programme

AIOU shuts down old MBA programme, introduces new
Islamabad, Aug 22: The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has launched a new Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme for the year 2011, closing down old MBA Programme that suffered a huge loss of Rs 20 million while nearly 3,000 students across the country were deprived of provision of degrees, above all wastage of time.

AIOU officials on condition of anonymity told this scribe that university was running MBA programmes in banking & finance, human resource management and information technology management, for the last six years with two years duration.

He said in 2008 Higher Education Commission (HEC) AIOU MBA department chairman Dr Syed Hassan Raza to chalk out a comprehensive plan of three years MBA programme and closure of the actually running programme of two years that, according to them, failed to impart quality education to students and also resulted in loss of millions of Rs in formulation of new strategy wrapped with nepotism.

Sources further disclosed that Raza failed to chalk out any strategy while the finances being used were the purpose were also wasted and university had to abandon it that cost Rs 20 million per annum and all in vain. "Ultimately, the administration was left with no option but closing the programme. Meanwhile, HEC wrote a letter to AIOU administration to restructure MBA programme for the duration of three years further advise AIOU to introduce four years BBA program which was previously being run in two years to meet the HEC requirements," sources informed.

They apprised that that these programmes were running but uncertainty prevails among 3,000 students of the country. "Now AIOU has started admissions in 3.5 years MBA programme with four specializations (HRM, marketing management, banking & finance and information technology management) but the old students future is bleak. "In this regard, students have contacted VC AIOU personally and also written applications were moved requesting for help helpless and hopeless," he said.

Students of MBA programmes claimed that chairman of the department Dr Hassan Raza was responsible for not formulating new MBA strategy but swindled students in the name of this programme. They said, under supervision of chairman, it was very difficult for students to pass the examination in first attempt even though student is competent enough to pass the exams.

The official of AIOU maintained that annual loss of Rs 20 million in MBA haddamaged the overall repute and dignity of university. "Earlier, the tempering of admission forms/ slips of thousands of students, not conducting internal audit, administrative and admission nuisance, number of various problems of students across the country have also appeared in recent months," he said.

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Probe committee to dig out causes of failure of programme: AIOU VC
Islamabad: The VC AIOU Dr Nazir Sangi confirmed that he had constituted an inquiry committee to probe the issue. "This incident has suffered huge loss to AIOU and we were looking to dig out the incident while all possible measures will be taken by AIOU administration to counter the difficulties of MBA students and make their future bright," he said. Daily times

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Private colleges almost double admission fees
Rawalpindi: Taking full advantage of the shortage of government colleges for boys, the administrations of private sector colleges in the Rawalpindi City have doubled their admission fees.

Students are worried about their future and have urged the concerned authorities to take action against such institutions. The government colleges in Rawalpindi have displayed their merit list and the students who failed to get admission are forced to take admissions in the private college, but because of their high fees it has become very difficult for them to continue their studies.

The administrations of private sector colleges knew that only four government colleges couldn t accommodate all the students of Rawalpindi that s why they have increased their admission fees to extort money from the poor students, affected people said. Parents have no other option but to pay the high fees of private colleges, but a large number of students couldn t afford to pay high fees are worried about their future.

Parents and students said that leaders are paying no attention on the education of boys that s why there are only four government colleges for boys in Rawalpindi. Education department should increase the number of government colleges for boys to facilitate maximum students so that children of middle and lower middle class could also get education, they added.

Rizwan Ahmed, a father, said that the government colleges merit is very high this time because they have limited capacity and the private colleges are taking advantage and getting maximum profit. Now they have increased their admission fees up to Rs60,000, which is not affordable for the middle class parents like me. He said the government should increase the number of government colleges for boys, as only four colleges couldn t fulfil the demand.

The education department should also take control over the private colleges and should make strict rules for them, he added. Rana Shoaib, another father, said that the government should bound these private colleges to get reasonable fees and should also announce quota for deserving students so that they could also get education. He said this is the responsibility of the government to give equal education to all its citizens but here who can pay high fees of private colleges is getting best education whereas children of middle and lower middle class keep on trying to get admissions in government colleges and in many cases dropout because their parents couldn t afford to pay fees of private colleges.

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QAU syndicate endorses committee recommendations against harassers
Islamabad: The third session of 156th syndicate meeting of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) proved to be historical where it has become first ever university in the country that has taken prompt action against the sexual harassment of its two female students.

According to information, the meeting that again continued for hours concluded with the endorsement of the recommendations by the anti-sexual harassment committee of the university that has recommended forced retirement of controller examination and termination of the lecturer.

The committees that have recommended the forced retirement of the controller examination and termination of the lecturer include QAU National Institute of Psychology Director Dr. Anila Kamal, Chemistry Department Chairperson Dr. Saqib Ali, Department of Biochemistry Professor Dr. Wasim and Campus Manager Colonel (r) Nadeem Gill.

Earlier the recommendation by the committee against sexual harassment has raised much conflict among the members of syndicate especially between PPP MNA Sherry Rehman and PPP MNA Justice Fakhar-un-Nisa where the first one was backing the recommendation of the committee while the other was totally against it.

It has been learnt reliably that Justice Fakhar-un-Nisa didn t attend the meeting this time.

The other members who attended the meeting included Dean Faculty of Sciences Professor Dr Qaiser Mushtaq, Department of Biochemistry Professor Dr. Waseem Ahmed, and Department of Chemistry Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Ishaq, HEC ED Dr. Sohail Naqvi, CADD Joint Secretary Rafique Tahir, Justice Nasir ul Mulk and representatives of presidency.

According to information Dean Faculty of Sciences Professor Dr Qaiser Mushtaq and Department of Chemistry Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Ishaq were against the recommendation of the committee however, the other syndicate members fully supported it.

The faculty members who opposed the recommendation of the committee were actually against the formation of the committee. They were of the opinion that two of the committee members were already having grudges against the controller examination and that is why have given such recommendation.

However, the competent authority during its last meeting has issued show cause notices to the two culprits with all other related evidences and asked them to submit their reply but, according to a syndicate member, the replies submitted by the culprits failed to satisfy the syndicate members and they endorsed the recommendation of the committee.

QAU VC Dr. Masoom Yasinzai while talking to this scribe said: We have given a clear message through this decision that there would be zero tolerance for the harassers on the premises of the university. One should make it clear that one should be at highest level of morality while entering, studying or teaching in the university.

He said that there was a misconception about the law against sexual harassment, as many believed that it was only for work place. It has been cleared by the Supreme Court judge that the law equally applies in education institutions as we cannot leave our female students on the mercy of nobody, he added.

He said that the syndicate that is the competent authority has given chance to the culprits to clear their position however, they have failed to do so.

QAU Gender Studies Department Head and women rights activists Farza Bari while talking to this scribe said that it was a positive step taken by the university by taking action against the harassment. Earlier there was no such mechanism to discourage such unfortunate cases nor there was any definition of harassment. Now Pakistan Penal Court (PPC) also has punishment for sexual harassment, she added.

She said that the decision was important, as it would discourage those who have the tendency to do such immoral act. Now everybody would have clear idea of the consequences one could face in case of committing such crime, she added.

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Distinction
Islamabad: Muhammad Ali Khan Malik of The City School, Capital Campus, Sector H-8/4, has shown outstanding performance in the GCE O Level May-June 2011 examinations, says a press release. He has secured 5 A* and 3A in science subjects. Muhammad Ali Khan has been a high-achiever throughout his academic career. The news

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