Visva-Bharati tries to rein in profs, faculty calls move demeaning

Kolkata: Visva-Bharati issued a notification stating that no employee — teaching and non-teaching — shall leave office premises during working hours without obtaining prior permission from the heads of the departments and centres. The notification prompted the teachers to email the authorities, saying that such instruction is “highly demeaning to faculty members”.A Visva-Bharati source said the notification was issued to enforce discipline among employees, both teaching and non-teaching, because there are a few teachers and staffers who do not come to the university on time, or they leave early.Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) wrote a letter to the vice-chancellor, registrar and other officials demanding withdrawal of the notification.“It unnecessarily casts doubt on their integrity and sense of responsibility. As a result, most faculty members have expressed their resentment. They are unable to understand why their dedication and integrity are being questioned without any valid reason. Moreover, quantifying teaching and research in terms of hours is both absurd and counterproductive, and it demeans the role of a faculty member. Many faculty members actively engaged in research spend considerably more time in their departments and laboratories beyond their prescribed working hours, often until 10 pm or later. This office order is humiliating to their sense of responsibility,” the VBUFA letter read.