KU in an unprecedented ‘administrative’ vacuum
KUWAIT CITY, March 26: Kuwait University has been in an unprecedented administrative vacuum for about four months due to the absence of original occupants of all its leadership positions both at the level of university administration and at the level of the university’s general secretariat. This necessitates work to fill the leadership positions quickly in accordance with terms and regulations that would depend on the formation of the new government, reports Al-Qabas daily.
According to informed sources, the state of vacancies and the appointment of acting directors to take over the position of university rector after the resignation of its former director Dr. Yousef Al-Roumi had contributed to the state of stagnation and the randomness in work, as a result of the decisions taken by the acting officials to accommodate some commissioned positions, which led to a state of administrative conflict.
While university circles are awaiting the formation of the new government in preparation for holding a meeting of the Supreme Council in order to start the procedures for selecting a new director for the university, the director’s appointment will represent the beginning of a way out of the current stalemate.
Relocating
In such a case, it is customary for the position of the university’s rector to be settled at the beginning, so that this original director can complete the procedures for relocating the rest of the positions, such as deans of faculties, and other administrative positions, according to what was stipulated in public universities law No. 76/2019.
The sources said they believe the first tasks for the university council, which is expected to meet immediately after the formation of the government, is to determine the members of the university rector’s selection committee, and start arrangements for faculty members wishing to occupy the position to present their papers to the selection committee.
The sources went on to explain that the new director of Kuwait University has many important files that directly affect the educational process and its progress at Kuwait University, and even in other educational institutions.
Among the urgent files awaiting the new director is the start of the formation of committees to select deans of faculties and the deanships of admission and registration and student affairs, in preparation for filling these positions with qualified candidates according to the names submitted by the committees, in addition to the nomination of a university secretary and assistant secretaries to fill the administrative vacuum in the university secretariat field.
Completing the process of transferring the faculties of Kuwait University to their new buildings in Sabah Al-Salem University City is the second task for both the upcoming minister of Higher Education and the university rector.
The plan that was developed in 2019 to partially move to Sabah Al-Salem University City was intended to be completed.
Transfer
The transfer of six colleges in the first phase, which happened in September 2019 after the partial opening of AlShaddiya, was based on a decision by the Minister of Education and former Minister of Higher Education Dr. Hamed AlAzmi at that time. This was followed by the transfer of the rest of the colleges in September 2020. Some factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, led to the postponement of the plan. Eventually, it became necessary to complete it, and to hand over the buildings to Abdullah Al-Salem University in accordance with what was stipulated in the public universities law No. 76/2019.
One of the tasks of the future university administration is also to work on improving the university’s classification in global indicators, aligning the university’s outputs with the requirements of the labor market, and developing study programs and scientific departments to keep pace with modern disciplines.
The planning sector at the university prepared a previous study in this regard, which is concerned with restructuring university majors, and requires its implementation.
The sources said academic ability tests are among the important files that will be tabled by the university administration, especially after the file of approving national tests for admission to higher education institutions has become a general trend in the educational sector in order to subject all high school graduates to national tests to measure their level of educational attainment.