Don’t interfere – new UG VC warns against interference, plugs research
Professor Ivlaw Grifith, UG’s incoming Vice- Chancellor
Professor Ivlaw Grifith, UG’s incoming Vice- Chancellor

By Ravin Singh

VICE-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Guyana (UG), Professor Ivelaw Griffith is warning the governing council of the institution not to be tempted to assume his role as was practiced in the past and also called for more scientific research by university to make it more relevant in today’s society.He also described the nation’s premier tertiary institution as being in a “crisis” after his examination of three critical areas, which support the existence of the university and advanced some ideas as to how these can be fixed. The VC made this revelation on Sunday during his address to stakeholders and employees of the Turkeyen-based institution in the Education Lecture Theatre.

In his elaborate, but comprehensive presentation, which was supported by a power-point display, the VC stated that honesty would beckon all to recognise that the university is currently facing a crisis. His contention was supported by the examination of core challenges which UG has been confronted with for decades; a resource challenge, an esteem challenge, and what he described as a perspicacity challenge. “We’ve got to face that three dimensional challenge and fix it” he said.

Meanwhile, he commented on the role of the University’s council, admonishing that it must not assume the responsibilities of the VC as was practiced before. Rather, he suggested that the two must know its role and requirements at the university and effectively and efficiently work to fulfil their obligations. “We have to enable the Council to do the Council’s work and not the Vice Chancellor’s work. I will not be a VC allowing the council to do my work” the VC said.

Resources challenge
The Professor who served in a number of leadership positions in several universities in the United States explained that UG’s resource challenge revolves around two resources; financial and human capital resource. And part of what has accentuated the human capital challenge, he said, is insufficient money to replace employees who have left, and insufficient money to pay those who are here, which leads to those people eventually leaving.

Further, he went on to suggest that politicization, even at the level of the council has affected the way in which the university should run.

“If we don’t accept that reality and do something about it, we are wasting our time. We cannot allow that political overlay to affect what we do. That has resulted in issues such as lost of accreditation and products produced by the university” he said.

Just last year, UG’s School of Medicine (UGSM) lost its accreditation which had the potential of diminishing the regional recognition of Medical Students’ certificates. The accreditation was lost in July 2015, following the university’s delay in submitting a report on the school’s progress to the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).

Morale of staff
Secondly, Professor Griffith highlighted that the morale not only of the academic, but the average staff at the institution has not been what it should be. And according to him, the low morale and the financial and human capital challenge are not entities in and of themselves. “They have domino connections and implication which go beyond the campus” he added.

Passionate in tone, he declared that, “We’ve got to do some things to fix the morale and we’re starting this year.” To this end, he hinted at a possible luncheon for fathers on campus this year, to celebrate Fathers’ Day. He also revealed that beginning next year, management will work towards making both Fathers’ Day and Mothers’ Day luncheon, an annual event.

“It is aimed at building morale. And we have to recognise that morale is low and morale affects efficiency; it affects people coming on time, people’s willingness to leave at five, even though the job is not finished”, the VC said.

Get back to research
The third challenge as was pointed out by the Professor, who was the first UG student to graduate with a distinction in Political Science, is a perspicacity challenge. He related that the university once had a reputation for research, and that must be regained. “That is what I call perspicacity, and part of that perspicacity is connected to our brand. So we will work towards building that back. This university should be in the forefront in asking questions about the social issues which address this nation” he said.

He envisioned a group leading research on critical issues, which affect Guyana including road-rage homicide, and extending as far as deaths in the mining and logging industries.

He questioned the role of the university in making a contribution to the social, economic, and political landscape in Guyana, noting that a national university cannot fail in that obligation to be in the research business and to inform policy makers. Further, Professor Griffith reasoned that policy makers do not have time to hold seminars, which underscores the need for entities such as the University to produce a five-page report to inform these policy makers on critical issues and the causes. “So we need to get back into the research environment, not only lecturers, but also the students” he added.

Don’t interfere
Professor Griffith will assume office as UG’s 10th Vice-Chancellor on June 14, 2016. Professor Griffith, who has the honour of being the first person in the University of Guyana’s history to graduate with Distinction in Political Science in 1980, has achieved an outstanding record as a scholar, academic leader and teacher.

Currently, he is the Executive-in-Residence at the University at Albany State University of New York. Previously, he held a number of other leadership positions, including President of Fort Valley State University in Georgia (2013-2015), Provost and Senior Vice- President at York College in New York (2007-2013), Provost at Radford University in Virginia (2006-2007), Dean of the Honours College at Florida International University (2001-2006), and Budget Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University (1998-2001), all while maintaining his tenure as a political science professor.

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