Punjab Advocates for Faculty Development in Affiliated Colleges

News Desk

Islamabad: There is a need for a well-structured policy for the professional development of college faculty to improve standards of teaching and inculcate creativity among students through quality teaching, opined Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) Project Coordinator Dr Mahmood-ul-Hasan Butt.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), under its Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project, conducted a one-day consultative seminar on ‘College Faculty Professional Development Policy Dialogue’ in collaboration with the HED Punjab.

Education Testing Council (ETC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Iftekhar Mahmood, along with his, delivered sessions on assessment, affiliating systems and quality assurance.

Under the HEDP project, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)was earlier signed with the Punjab HED to build the capacity of teachers at affiliated colleges. The seminar is the preliminary outcome of the MoU signed by HEC.

As per the MoU, HEC will assist the Punjab Government in the faculty professional development and staff training policy of HED Punjab which includes providing technical support around conducting training need assessments, developing SOP for delivery of training, evaluating the learning outcomes and periodically reviewing the training policy.

Affiliated colleges across provinces are primarily offering undergraduate degrees but have limited capacities and resources. They are not as well versed in the latest trends in teaching and learning methodologies as compared to large universities, and thus need support.

The Punjab Government will provide necessary local access to premises and resources, and designate a focal person(s) to HEC for this activity.

Under the policy, various kinds of professional training will be identified along with timelines to be mandated with proper assessment. The training performance will be reflected in the career growth and promotion of faculty and staff.

Several HED Punjab initiatives are focused on supporting the tertiary education system of Pakistan, composed of affiliated colleges across the country.