Alfred Vella, who emerged as the clear winner in the race for University of Malta rector in Friday’s election, is planning to reach out to runner-up Godfrey Baldacchino with a view to bringing him on board.
“Godfrey is within my sights and I’m planning to have a long discussion with him,” Prof. Vella said when contacted.
“However, Godfrey would have to be willing to assist a team with divergent views from his for this to work,” the 65-year-old chemistry professor said.
One of the areas where the two professors do not see eye to eye is on the way senior academic promotions are awarded.
At present, applications for promotion to associate or full professor are sent to the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which then determines the process of adjudication, inclusive of the identification of suitable referees. Its recommendations are then sent back to Malta, a process Prof. Baldacchino has described as “neo-colonial”.
In an interview with this newspaper, Prof. Baldacchino said: “I don’t believe any self-respecting university should go through this process. I think it’s embarrassing and I’d like to ensure we’re able to manage our own promotion process.”
The big idea is not to have too many plans; flexibility is the name of the game
Prof. Vella is “absolutely not in favour” of this proposal, but believes the sociology professor has a lot to contribute.
Prof. Baldacchino has already come out congratulating his ‘opponent’ and said he was “looking forward to working with Prof. Vella to operationalise our shared vision of the university as the pre-eminent national knowledge institution”. Prof. Baldacchino said the voting by the university Council was unequivocal and sent a strong message in favour of stability and continuity in the university’s administration.
“Prof. Vella is best placed to lead our university in such circumstances,” he said in a statement.
Prof. Baldacchino was keen to work towards providing enviable conditions to employees, encouraging students and staff to aspire to excel and widen their horizons, and reaching out to build a stronger presence and reputation beyond the island’s shores.
At the moment, Prof. Vella is taking stock of the situation and working on putting together a team of pro-rectors. He has a few names in mind, but he has yet to speak with the concerned individuals, so is reluctant to spell out his thoughts.
He is not ruling out expanding the current structure of four pro-rectors, which can include advisers with a slightly different remit.
“The big idea is not to have too many plans; flexibility is the name of the game,” he said.
Among his short-term plans are the establishment of a teaching and learning support centre and a doctoral school virtual set-up to provide better job prospects for PhD students, as well as delving into the rapport between administrative and academic staff after concerns were raised in the run-up to the rector’s election.
“I have to better understand what the issues are and if there are any concerns. From my perch as pro-rector I wasn’t in that part of the engine room, so it’s something I need to examine and establish if there a situation worthy of note,” he said.
Another factor on Prof. Vella’s mind is the new University Act, which has been in the offing for years,
He hoped the Prime Minister would deliver on his promise to have a wide consultation before it was enacted, as this would have a profound influence on the university’s governance as it focused on recalibrating old practices to address new realities.