Corporate executives
This refers to the article written by Mr. Mamun Rashid (published on 28 October) entitled "What are we teaching in private universities?"
The unfortunate aspect of the write-up was his endorsement of the UGC Chairman's derisive remarks about private universities. True, all private universities are not of the same grade, just as all public universities are not of the same stature either.
Mr. Mamun Rashid displays a subtle affront toward the regular business school teachers in universities by obliquely referring to their preoccupation with textbooks and "dictating the same class notes for 10 years!"
My humble response to his remarks about teachers is that-- are not the teachers expected to be conversant with textbooks and research reviews?
The course teacher in a private university is not only expected to give lectures for the whole semester, but also conduct tutorials, take midterm and final examinations, mark all exam scripts, conduct periodic quiz tests and grade those papers among other things, which Mr. Mamun Rashid condescendingly calls "housekeeping."
The real situation is that many corporate executives welcome the opportunity of just lecturing the students in universities (not necessarily following the prescribed syllabus), yet disdain the so-called "housekeeping" tasks of a course, and they enjoy the title of "Adjunct Professor" without performing all the duties.
I, therefore, humbly request the Vice-Chancellors of private universities to engage corporate executives ONLY as occasional guest lecturers and NOT to appoint them to teach a full semester course, in which case, the students unnecessarily suffer.
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