Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 07, 2014 News
Attracting quality lecturers is undeniably dependent on the compensation package that is made available. This was the
assertion of Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), Professor Jacob Opadeyi. During a recent interview he disclosed that he is not very proud of the compensation package afforded lecturers at the local tertiary institution.
But while addressing this shortcoming, the Vice Chancellor said that the University will however be seeking to first embrace an improved level of efficiency.
“We can’t just go and increase salaries and everything continue the way they are…” said the Vice Chancellor. There are several lecturers who are currently not doing their fair share of work, he added.
“Can you imagine a full time lecturer teaching one course? You go and increase the salary and that lecturer still teaches one course. So what we are working on now is what are the ways we can cut expenses, increase efficiency and when we increase the salary we will see that we will be able to attract well qualified persons,” said Professor Opadeyi.
According to him, he inherited a University “where the centre has fallen…with everybody doing their own thing. So the first thing I said is that nobody can sign any agreement without the consent of the Vice Chancellor (and) they don’t like that.”
In order to improve the operation of the University, he said that moves were made to invest in software which is intended to “make it so easy to teach. Everybody wanted to teach at 4 (16:00 hours). What happened to 9 o’clock? What happen to 10 o’clock? Everybody is on part time and students are complaining.”
“There are objections about why do we need a software…People will object to that order because when there is chaos some people benefit from that chaos and we are dealing with that,” said Professor Opadeyi as he pointed out that the objections to “order” are usually from a minority.
It is therefore the expectation of the Vice Chancellor that UG will begin seeing an improved level of efficiency within the next three years. “What we are doing now is plugging all the holes…where we are using money and we are getting nothing at all,” said Professor Opadeyi as he disclosed that efforts in this regard has allowed for the University to reduce lecturing at the Berbice Campus from $10 million to $2 million.
Turning his attention back to the need to improve lecturers’ compensation packages, the Vice Chancellor shared his belief that the critical things that should be included in a decent package should be housing and vehicle.
“We are in discussions with various stakeholders how we can have affordable housing for our staff…and negotiations (are ongoing) in terms of vehicles and duty free concessions so it doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in salary but increasing the package so that it is commensurate,” explained Professor Opadeyi.
However, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who shared the interview with the Vice Chancellor is convinced that even without the proposed “better compensation packages” the University has been able to attract some quality academic professionals. He in alluding to Professor Opadeyi who just last year took up the position of Vice Chancellor at UG noted that “we know that other places would have wanted him so I don’t accept this idea of package…”
The Prime Minister is convinced that “the issue of package is overplayed and in my view the important question is a fair distribution of the society and what the society and the group in which you are can bear…something everybody can live with.”
The Prime Minister, like the Vice Chancellor, was nevertheless adamant that the important factor that must be given keen attention is that of performance. “Once people perform whether it is $10 an hour or $1 an hour; once you perform you improve what is there and the package will naturally get better.”
“We should start taking that position and we should demand performance; we shouldn’t be anywhere sympathetic when people don’t perform,” added Prime Minister Hinds.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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