– to lessen members, submit reviewed Acts, Statutes to Education Ministry

THE University of Guyana (UG) is moving to depoliticise its 26-member council in order to ensure that political biases do not affect the affairs of the tertiary institution.
Management of the university wants to assemble people who have the abilities and skills to contribute meaningfully to the university in terms of oversight of strategic planning, financial management and policy making, said Chancellor of the university, Professor Nigel Harris.

“Our view is that over the years of the university of Guyana, the council itself was politicised and indeed political biases did not only affect the affairs of council but they did affect other management decisions within the context of the university,” the Chancellor lamented while speaking to reporters during a press conference at the university’s Education Lecture Theatre on Thursday. Over the past 18 months, a team led by Professor Lawrence Carrington conducted an assessment and review of UG’s Acts and Statutes. The team compiled a proposal which was submitted to the management of the university during the first annual business meeting of the UG council on Thursday.

Although the consideration of the proposal is still ongoing, the Chancellor said they want to identify and bring talented individuals to the university instead of designating political groups to be represented since it has not served the university as well as it can. “The proposal is not final but we expect that there will be representation from the ministries of finance and education…we want to do away with the whole question of representation of political parties and other entities… there are still mechanisms proposed to get the input of the broad-based Guyana community without the specifications within the existing Act,” he explained.

Their intent is not to do away with politics completely but to create a way to remain responsible to the Parliament and people of Guyana without direct political intrusion.
In order to maintain their political obligation, Harris pointed out that the council will ensure that arrangements are made for a report on the activities and finances of the university to be submitted to Parliament. “The point is that we are aiming to have a university that can be efficient and effective but still accountable to the Government and people of Guyana,” said Harris.

UG, he said, intends to create a council that is going to be responsive and responsible to the people of Guyana but at the same time will be independent in terms of oversight and enabling management of the affairs to occur under the egis of the managers. “The problem that existed previously is that the separation between oversight and management was not always there and the bodies doing the oversight would usually get involved in university business to the detriment of the university,” the Chancellor lamented.

As part of the revision that was conducted by Professor Carrington, he explained that their intent is to revisit the construction of the council and reduce the number of persons within the council but maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation.
In addition, the roles and responsibilities of the Chancellor, Pro Chancellor and Vice Chancellor are also under review. Prior to the review of the Act and Statutes, he said they had not been revised in a major way since the establishment of the university in 1963.

Harris believes that the policies and regulations are outdated and need to be improved in order for the university to be modernised. Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith echoed the sentiments of the Chancellor, especially with regards to the depoliticising of the council.

He explained that their intent is to reduce the vulnerability of the university’s operation to political intrusion into the management. “The work done by the committee was not only the view of what happens in Guyana but as the university builds its maturity it has to look at other governance structures,” said Professor Griffith.

The vice chancellor as such highlighted that the conversation does not end as yet because there has to be further consultations before they take the proposal of the team to the council and to the Minister of Education before it reaches the National Assembly.

Attorney General, Basil Williams is also expected to review the draft proposal before it is submitted to the National Assembly, said Griffith