outback to jungle

Musings on experiences of volunteering in Papua New Guinea with some gratuitous domestic social and public comment

Friday, November 24, 2006

from the National 23 Nov

Unitech unsure of ’07 academic year
By PETER KORUGL. THE fate of the 2007 academic year at the University of Technology hangs in the balance as the National Academic Staff Association (NASA) staff members will not participate in the selection of Grade 12 leavers.The members said they would respect the National Court orders and mark the final examinations and submit the results and participate in the selection of non-school leavers for students at Unitech next year. “But we will not participate in the selection of students who are coming out of Grade 12 this year,” a member said, adding that the matter was going to the full council. The full council of the university will meet on Dec 1 – eight days from today – to address issues raised by the National Academic Staff Association (NASA).The source at the Taraka campus told The National four members of the council who met with NASA executives on Tuesday decided that the issues raised were sensitive and required the full council to deal with them.“We put to them that we want the senior executive management of Unitech to be sidelined, an interim management be put in place and allow for an investigation to be conducted into allegations of mismanagement and misappropriation of resources,” the source said. NASA has raised other issues, like the non-payment of remittance of NASFUND contributions, payment of domestic market allowances.Other issues also arose as a result of alleged mismanagement and misappropriation by the Unitech administration. Last Thursday, the NASA members conducted a secret ballot, supervised by the Electoral Commission, and the result overwhelmingly supported a strike action. The following day, the National Court ruled on an appeal by the University of Technology against the striking members of NASA and ordered them to return to normal duties.The court ordered that NASA members carry out final assessments for the students and attend examination committee meetings. The court also ordered the NASA members to participate in the selection of students for next year, comply with relevant provisions of their own constitution. “The university wishes to advise all stakeholders, including the Government, corporate and private sponsors, parents and students of its obligation to ensure a successful conclusion of 2006 and commencement of the 2007 academic year,” acting Vice-Chancellor Wilson Tovirika said when commenting on the National Court decision.NASA has agreed to obey part of the orders issued by the National Court. NASA members agreed to mark the final examination papers “because the examinations were taken by the students before the vote to strike was taken” last Thursday.The member said NASA would not participate in the selection of the students but only non-school leavers whose applications had arrived at Unitech.“We will not be involved in the selections of school leavers or this year’s Grade 12 students,” the member said.

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