Useful Article "Formula Professors" by Dr Noman Ahemd

Our colleges and universities distinctly show two types of faculty members. Many professionals chose academics after gauging their interest and acumen on a sincere basis. The second category comprises professors who regard teaching and research as a sOweat- less pursuit. Folks term them as formula professors. Teachers who deliberately practice mediocrity fall in this muster. A formula professor normally passes through a dubious process. The incumbent catapults into higher academia through the back door whenever and wherever he finds an opportunity. Relaxed timings, limited monitoring by the bosses that be, possibility of seeking part-time work and a hoard of similar incentives lead to this crucial choice. In other words, the career is anticipated to be completely bound by routines with little or no variations. Formula professors stand out in academic fraternity for all the wrong reasons. One such characteristic is the manner in which they discharge their prime task — teaching. Most in the tribe remain confined to the bare fundamentals of the subjects that they teach. While beginning their teaching career as a lecturer, they put up with the one-time labour of preparing the teaching notes for personal use. They consider it inappropriate and worthless to revise, add, improve or build upon the golden narrative written a few decades ago. If, by sheer bad luck, any student dares to remind about the obsoleteness of the lecture, he is not only admonished but his name is registered as a potential target worthy of academic victimisation throughout his stay in the institution. In the mechanics of teaching, formula professors successfully prevent the students from referring to any secondary sources of information, reference material and even other professors in the same field. The students are given this firm assurance that by memorising prescribed lecture notes, they shall pass with flying colours. The gauge of performance becomes the word-by-word reproduction of the texts in beautiful hand writing. In situations where such professors have the opportunity of giving tuitions, the students in the college/university classrooms are lured into joining their tuition classes. The incentive of obtaining the lecture notes remains the most worthwhile outcome. It has been found that some college professors deliver notes to their students under a strict oath that they would not pass on the copies to any of their classmates. Attempts for revision of curriculum are also resisted by this cadre of academics. Most formula professors make pretensions about their enthusiasm about research and scholarship. Actually this affinity derives from varied reasons. Participations in research of some kind generate monetary benefits. Thus such professors pick up any field of work which is easy to manipulate. In most cases, these professors choose the topics of their postgraduate dissertation even if it does not have a relevance to the research policy of the university. Study of agricultural trends in the Tundra region, behavioral changes in the movement of a dragonfly in winters or comparative study of the poetic genius of Iqbal and any obscure soul constitute the prime areas with below-average relevance to the subject. A hunger for publicity, self projection through mundane public events, shoddily compiled publications and participation in professional events of dubious credibility are some trade marks of the breed. In each of such discourses, they attempt to impose their viewpoint and apparently succeed by closing down all avenues of open dialogue. As research publications area compulsory attribute in judging the academic performance, the formula professors adopt quasi-criminal approaches to fulfil the requirements. Crafting plagiarism, forcing subordinates into writing joint papers, transforming review papers into original contributions and targeting obscure substandard publications for quickly overcoming this hurdle are few of the norms adopted by them. And since they are a powerful group in the respective institutions, the administration normally buckles down to accept their unscrupulous submissions. No wonder many universities in the country have professors and associate professors not even known in their own local professional fraternity. Relationship with students is a crucial aspect in the conduct of formula professors. They would shrewdly take such measures that the students would keep praising them for their intellect, wisdom and command on the respective subjects, atleast on the face. This is made possible through a chain of terrorising tactics adopted by formula professors. Manipulation in marking, victimisation during the academic career, public insults and other attempts to ruin the careers of students along with punishment for all those who dare challenge the academic status of the formula professors are some examples. Similar treatment is also frequently meted out to junior colleagues who attempt to disregard the formula professors in any manner. The formula professors draw their strength from many sources. A few of them have been prominent student leaders in their student life with connections to outside political parties. Some of the formula professors develop linkage with political, sectarian or ethnic groups to add weight to their clout. They overtly or covertly support the followings of any student group — leaders of which reciprocate in safeguarding the interest of formula professors in instances of need. At times formula professors make groupings of like-minded souls in order to flock together. Experiences have shown that it becomes an extremely difficult task for the managements of universities and colleges to root out this lot. This breed carries high ambitions for various administrative posts in the academic management. While some of these posts do not even need the services of a professor, they push hard to obtain them. Thus they can be found beaming with the joy of self fulfillment upon becoming a registrar, provost, director (of some institute), warden, controllers, vice-principal, finance controller or chief of security. Their highest dream remains to become a vice chancellor in the case of a university or principal in the case of colleges. Influencing through political affiliations, canvassing within statutory bodies or tinkering with the rules and regulations are few common options. Some desperadoes even go to the extent of coercing students to organise demos/rallies in their favour. The track record of our educational institutions reminds us that these folks have been successful on many counts. The existence of academics is causing damage to education beyond repair. The overall image of the teaching fraternity is continuously tarnished. Common people are made to believe that probably all the teachers have similar traits. Formula professors cause the most tenacious resistance in the way of any progressive reform generated through the internal desires of the institution. Constant nabbing and interference in the work of the serious-minded and competent academics frustrate them to no end. At times, when the formula breed is at loggerheads with worthy professors, the latter have to retreat due to their inability to win these mundane duels. The tragedy of the matter is that the supra bodies managing education are well aware of the existence of this mediocre cadre. However they have not considered it as a serious issue to be dealt on priority. It must be remembered that the progress in scientific domains require open-ended serious scholarship. The existence of formula professors is a handicap which limits the sphere of academic progress and forward working. the overall standing of our academic standards is not likely to improve unless this menace to intellectual pursuits is dealt with foresight and conviction.The writer is professor and chairman, Department of Architecture and Planning, NED University, Karachi.


Sunday, 23 Aug, 2009 Daily dawn 09 02:23 AM PST