The term ‘guest faculty’ is a very popular term in the Odisha higher education system. But it has been a bane rather than a boon for the State.Earlier, renowned professors or scholars of repute were called to colleges and universities to deliver lectures on specific topics in which they have expertise. They were called guest faculties. Students always made it a point not to lose the chance of attending the classes of the guest faculties as they bore special importance.
But the term now has been a fashion. As per the instruction of the Department of Higher Education (DHE), the colleges and universities are appointing guest faculties since they are running short of regular ones. Besides, appointing temporary faculties helps them save money.
As per reports, it is learned that the persons working in these posts are treated like untouchables by the regular faculty members. Since their job is purely temporary and payment utterly low, they obey the seniors with an intention to please them by which their service period may further be extended. It is seen that some unemployed persons are getting this job in specific institutions in regular intervals because of their rapport with local political leaders and college staff.
Even though these job holders do teaching work, they are not involved in other administrative or examination works. The institutions do not recommend their names to CHSE or universities for teachers’ registration. Since expertise takes a backseat while selecting these guest faculties, quality of teaching nosedives.
As the DHE has been continuing the system of guest faculty without considering how the quality education has fallen, it is serving no purpose, except saving money. For, regular faculties in their place would have taken higher salary than them.
In the new academic season, the Government has enhanced 20 per cent seats in all colleges and admitted students accordingly without considering the infrastructural facilities and staff position. In almost all non-Government colleges, the new managing committees are yet to be formed. As a result, the principals run the institutions as per their whims and caprices. They are handling the college money since they do not find any higher authority controlling them.