Thursday, April 14, 2011

Selecting Vice-Chancellors

(Note: This is a personal view only!)

Indian hierarchical society always favous a recipe of power
and so also academia (many). Inherently, academia has less power but
just at the time of getting grey, power in Indian academia lurks
and for many it remains illusive.

For some lucky and manipulative ones, the illusion may turn reality (DB!)
if one is at right side of fortune. The right side is measured on the basis of
many real factors (that are behind the screen) like caste, religion,
connections etc. etc. But on selection, the selected one starts singing
sermons, recites the names of Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge to drown
the community with obfuscate calls for turning the university to No. ONE!
Amused academicians with tongue-in-cheek have to listen
(for no other choice) to such oratory. And some of them
return to in the same words at the end of episode. But, the university
remains (if fortunate enough) at the same for future.


A university does not probably budge to change to the whims of the
selected one for it having grey or colored image; and as it decides
to run the business as per the wish of their gurus - (they
behind the curtain are the real honchos).

Search committee - the best heard term like GoM (Group of Ministers)
is one of the most wonderful committee for academia of higher learning.
The committee is of GoDs to select another GOD for academia! It could
turn to a snake for frogs begging the Lord a GoD to their better uses.

GOD loves to be an authoritarian and and prefers mostly to live in hierarchy,
(most of the GODs). That's why GODs thrive in Indian society for its well
marked hierarchy. What happens if GODs turn to democracy and so also
the process of vice-chancellor selection adopts?

Once search committee proposes some names; each of them should talk to
University community of their dreams for the university and globally, for
the fast changing knowledge society. Ideally, if a candidate does not have
its own dream then is not welcome!

On hearing dreams, community must vote and select
the best dreamer - not an executive who can't even put a stroke using
its own brush and paints! Modern way of selecting somebody is not a top-down
but a bottom-up process.

Indian Universities need to embrace a lot of changes; if they want to
be bit closure to reality of Stanford!

(Note: This is a personal view only!)
Hrushikesha
(Bishuba Sankranti)

11 comments:

A B Sagar said...

Our whole Indian perspective needs to change. Sir, you are very right. :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations for a timely Contribution

Anonymous said...

I concurrently agree with the view of your in regard to select the VC position for any of the university.

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

An interesting related article on VC appointment by two IIT profs. can be found in Times India April 13, 2011 (A very true story on University governance - wish civil society will soon take up this issue to stem the rot in higher learning in India)

The article is at

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-13/edit-page/29410287_1_vcs-vice-chancellor-models

Hrushikesha

Anonymous said...

Whatever way you may turn, the right side is always on the right!- Tagore

University politics is so vicious because the stakes are so small- Kissinger

Perhaps we deserve this. On a serious note, everyone in academia is an intellectual and needs no master. This fits very nicely in our caste system and the boss always knows best. First thing is to turn on the accountability and everything will fall in place. Teacher must teach and administrators must administer.
howdy

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

I think you make a point including accountability. That means VC and all stake holders must define it.

Anonymous said...

VC appoints ProVC,deans and Heads on his . He generates crony for supporting as parrots. This is what is the breeding ground of anarchy. Poor faculty has to oblige else, suffer at the selection committee that seats for name sake. If you are not in clique most possibly hard to make it. Thta has made Indian Univ. so barren land - just compare science in British Raj with that of today; where are we? Sorrowful state now, as univ. anarchy has been killing it systematically by insincere academician in the garb of Vice-Chancellors and Directors! Good God

Anonymous said...

As the ProVCs, deans and heads are hand picked, they should resign when new VC joins and give the new VC a free hand to chase his dream!

howdy said...

I too believe that the heads, deans and the PVCs should resign when a new VC is appointed (actually they should resign as soon as the current VC leaves and may be permitted as caretakers till the new VC takes charge) so that the New VC has a free hand in selecting his team.

Far more important is the accountability of the Heads and Deans in the central University system. One Dean I know is using the school van for his daily journey to and from home; the administration has turned a blind eye. One Dean has not taken a single course in the last 2 years; we are afraid to say anything as the dean will stop signing all the papers at his whims and fancy. They must be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

Interesting thing of them is their sermons - the king has forgotten, is so naked and a laughable stock!

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with the comments.