MKU Faculty Demand End to Leadership Monopolies Through Mandatory HoD Rotation
The Madurai Kamaraj University Faculty Association is calling for the immediate adoption of a three-year tenure limit for department heads. The group alleges that administrative stagnation and bias have resulted from individual professors holding leadership roles for up to fifteen years.
Persistent Holdout on State Tenure Policy
Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) stands as a notable exception to state-wide administrative reforms, according to the Madurai Kamaraj University Faculty Association (MUFA). In a formal communication sent to P. Ponniah, the Commissioner of Collegiate Education, the association highlighted that MKU has failed to enforce the Tamil Nadu government order requiring a rotational system for Heads of Departments (HoDs). This delay persists even as peer institutions such as the University of Madras, Bharathidasan University, Bharathiar University, and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University have successfully shifted to a three-year tenure model.
Stagnation and Allegations of Administrative Bias
The absence of rotation has created a lopsided power structure where certain individuals have maintained control over departments for 15 years. MUFA argues that such prolonged retention occurs even when faculty members were recruited on the exact same date and year, effectively blocking junior professors from leadership experience. C. Muniyandi, the general secretary of MUFA, stated that this status quo breeding personal vendettas and partisan decision-making. The association identified several specific grievances resulting from the current system:
- Violations of Protocol: Incumbent HoDs frequently refuse to hand over responsibilities to junior colleagues during leave periods, which MUFA labels a direct breach of administrative norms.
- Erosion of Transparency: The lack of turnover facilitates a monopoly on power, hindering democratic processes within the institution.
- Academic Stagnation: Resistance to leadership changes prevents new perspectives from influencing departmental growth and accountability.
A Call for Democratic Reform
MUFA maintains that the three-year tenure guideline is the only way to restore fairness and non-discrimination to the campus. By dismantling long-standing monopolies, the association believes the university can inject fresh accountability into its administrative framework. C. Muniyandi emphasized that the government mandate intends to ensure equitable opportunities for all qualified faculty, rather than allowing a select few to dominate departmental affairs indefinitely.
Source: The Hindu — Home
