Dr. P.K. Abdul Azis
Vice-Chancellor Designate
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh
Respected Sir,
On behalf of the AMU Network (AMU Alumni and well wishers email group of about 6500 people spread across the globe), we would like to extend our heartiest congratulations and gratitude to you for accepting the coveted position of Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. It is a pride for AMU to have an academician as its head after a gap of almost 13 years. Since its inception, AMU is the nerve center of Muslims of Indian sub-continent. It has its own glory and pitfalls like all other institutions on the globe.
It was a happiest moment for AMU fraternity that your name was proposed by a group of teachers who care about academic excellence at AMU and you secured highest votes in AMU Executive Council and Court in the recent history and finally our honorable President of India; Dr. A.P.J. Abul Kalam approved your name for the coveted post. Over whelming support in EC and Court for you is an indication of the high expectations.
In a popular sense AMU being a minority institution gives lot of powers to its Vice-Chancellor but we all know, great power comes with great responsibilities. Now the time has come for you to assume the great power with great responsibilities.
Here I would like to summarize some of the highlights of various discussions that took place at AMU Network. These are some of the expectations of alumni from the new vice chancellor to reclaim the lost glory of their alma mater.
· Appointment of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Director of Academic Program in a reasonable time frame.
· Appointment of a retired, IPS/Army person as a full time Proctor. Establish strict checkpoints at all the university gates to control the detoriating law and order situation.
· AMU Academic Council needs to be reconstituted to make it on Faculty basis. Academic Council should meet on regular basis.
· Appointment of an administrator as Registrar/Controller of Examinations & Admissions.
· Creation of professional Human Resource, Public Relation Office and Training & Placement Centers for all faculties.
· Regular Evaluation of Teaching Staff by external experts. Obtaining research funding and publication in peer reviewed journals of international repute should be mandatory for all faculty members.
· Formation of AMU Alumni Directorate.
· AMU Statues needs amendments to restrict the Vice-Chancellor to use 19 3(c) or other special powers. These special powers gives easy way-out to the VC to pass a simple crises which accumulates and later becomes a big issue.
· AMU Executive Council & Court needs to be reconstituted to make it more effective. No Restriction to be an Indian Citizen/Resident for its membership. The details of the structuring can be discussed in depth in future. We need to understand that AMU is an Academic Institution, not a Political battleground where every segment of life should have a representation.
AMU fraternity has high hopes and will extend all possible cooperation to you. Let’s join hands together and work for the AMU of which we all are proud.
Regards
Afzal Usmani
M.Sc. Engg. (Electronics)-1997
Austin TX