Representing the academic body

The academic body at the University does not lack representation. It is legally represented by the Rector, and even if he no longer carries the title of Magnificus he still carries its weight. Just look at the number of court cases brought against him.

The academic body is also represented by Council, Senate and the faculty boards. Academics elect their representatives on all these boards including the highest board by law, the University Council. The recent election of an academic member representative to Council has been telling. UMASA, which is an organisation representing academics at the University, organised a block vote for their selected candidate contesting a seat in Council. He was beaten, however, by an academic member of the University with major duties assigned at the Junior College. This is significant since it appears that UMASA finds it hard to reconcile that the Junior College is an integral part of the University.

UMASA in its stand to promote the University as a beacon of knowledge and truth finds it fit to encourage discrimination towards a significant number of the University's members, namely the academic staff of the University who are posted at the Junior College. This discrimination is uncovered, not through any explicit statement, but by considering the implications of organising such a block vote. Organising a block vote is an excellent and creative idea, truly worthy of a full-fledged union. In this way members of UMASA express their ideas in a clear and logical way while respecting the opinion of others. There is no doubt that the majority of academics took exception to this decimator attitude and voted in a confidential (sive anonymous) manner against the UMASA's suggested view, electing instead one of their own from the Junior College.

Another representative of academics at the University is the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT). The MUT took over this role from the now defunct Association of Teachers of the Royal University of Malta (ATRUM) during the 'dark days' of the University. It was a historical moment when, inspite of ATRUM being unable to withstand the stampede which trampled over the University staff, they held the flag of knowledge up in the face of attacks, both psychological and sometimes physical. We will leave it up to the unions concerned to discuss who is the strongest or most effective representative fighting for the good of all University academics.

But there remains a void in representation that needs to be filled not by a union, or an official university body. There is the need to express the opinions of academics (or at least some of them) in public. He or she, or they, anonymous as they may be that take on this task may be perhaps impostors, or maybe they are achieving some of the things that UMASA has failed to do. Solving the parking problem, the promotions exercise dilemma, or the illogical bureaucracy at the Academic Work Resources office all seem to be beyond the reach of unions. That this commentator or commentators might perhaps even poke their noses in the up-and-coming collective agreement and even have the cheek to suggest that the Minister of Education could be a good Prime Minister, point in the same direction. These issues all point to the fact that there was a void in representing the (divergent) opinions of academics to the public, that no union or official body is addressing.

This column does not proclaim to be a representative of the whole academic body at the University nor do they claim to be an infallible beacon of knowledge and truth. The commentaries are only meant to present some food for thought and discussion. Something any association of academics ought to relish. The authors do not look for credit nor laudable statements. They only expect respect for their views. Those who have different views are similarly respected and appreciated (vide the different views of Professor John Portelli and Professor Albert Cilia Vincenti, Dean and Deputy Dean respectively on the numerus clausus debate).

The bottom line, for the academic body, should be to ensure that education is given top priority nation-wide. This is achieved through as wide a discussion as possible and whether the discussion comes from UMASA, the MUT, Junior College lecturers, John Bull, or Ibn Campusino does not really matter. The fact is that this commentary tries to be a voice in favour of the education system in general and particularly the University, and tertiary education. And to several academics this is a feather in the cap of this newspaper. If some good comes out of it, it is all the better and we are sure that one and all will be pleased, including UMASA. Such is the strength of the media, and only those wishing to impose their opinion and will find exception to this fact.