In the evolving and increasingly demanding culture of Pakistani universities, a variety of non-teaching responsibilities are assigned to faculty members. Such non-teaching and administrative nature roles are necessary for the smooth functioning of universities but assigning these jobs to the teaching faculty members can have significant effects on the teaching competencies of faculty. This situation raises an important debate on the effects of non-teaching assignments on faculty and what are the potential challenges and opportunities related to this issue.
This has become a trend in Pakistani universities that faculty members are increasingly engaged in administrative roles such as registrars, deputy registrars, director students affairs, security in charge, and director purchase, etc. Faculty members are hired for teaching and research but then expected to take various administrative roles, affecting their real role as mentors in the classroom.
The non-teaching assignments range from departmental administrators, such as director examination, and additional charge of director IT, to the more specific roles such as external linkages officer, and focal persons of various projects. In addition to this, this has become the new normal in Pakistani universities that a full professor is spending more time signing bills than conducting research. This is alarming when a teacher is everything but not a full-time teacher.
The teaching capacity of faculty is negatively affected by these non-teaching assignments. One of the most notable challenges is that their time and attention have been divided and they are unable to focus on students’ capacity building in the classroom. The more faculty members are burdened with administrative assignments, the more they will find themselves with no or less time to prepare class lectures, do research, and pay attention to students’ academic issues. This may result in a decline in quality teaching, as faculty may not be able to dedicate appropriate time and focus to their roles as teachers or mentors.
The stress and workload of non-teaching assignments are also crucial challenges that may affect the mental and physical well-being of faculty. Managing multiple responsibilities and meeting important administrative deadlines may lead to exhausting situations which may result in decreased job satisfaction. These circumstances can adversely affect teaching, as a mentally exhausted teacher is not so enthusiastic to engage students in a productive learning environment.
Furthermore, there are many benefits of engaging faculty members in non-teaching assignments, such as administrative roles provide teachers with opportunities to gain administrative experience which may lead to earning more than an ordinary teacher. In Pakistani universities, the administrative roles of directors of various departments or branches pay well. This may lead to a situation where more teachers will intend to engage themselves in administrative assignments and their role as teachers may get compromised. In such cases, universities in Pakistan may have more administrators than teachers, in the future.
In contrast, there are many non-teaching assignments that complement the teaching role in an evocative way. Such as engaging faculty members in curriculum development can bring innovative transformations in syllabi, resulting in an enhanced learning environment for students. In addition, faculty members who are engaged in research projects can not only increase students’ knowledge but also improve universities’ ranking among top academic institutions. Such roles of teachers are beneficial for their own capacity building as well as their institutions without sacrificing their teaching capacity.
Dual roles of teaching and non-teaching roles can be balanced efficiently in Pakistani universities by implementing different strategies. The much-needed strategy is to plan a clear description of responsibilities to evade the overburdening of faculty. This can be done by devising specific time slots for teaching, research work, and administrative assignments to confirm that no one role rules the workload of faculty members. Moreover, faculty members taking non-teaching assignments by choice should be provided with sufficient assistance, required resources, and recognition.
There should be a culture of flexibility and understanding within universities, where heads of academic departments and university administrators should be sensitive to the issues regarding the effects of non-teaching assignments on teaching capabilities and they should consider the willingness of faculty before assigning such tasks. They can also support such faculty members engaged in administrative assignments by adjusting their teaching workload and providing them with enough supporting staff.
Overall, universities should create an environment for faculty members where they feel valued in their roles. This may include recognizing their efforts in non-teaching tasks, by giving them chances of promotions, or any other productive form of acknowledgment. Universities should value the contribution of faculty in both non-teaching and teaching assignments, which will result in a supportive and balanced professional environment.
The approach is very important in maintaining a professional standard that universities in Pakistan endeavor to achieve. Recognizing the dual roles of university teachers and providing them with proper support, will ensure the preparation of skilled, academic, and administrative sound, and knowledgeable professionals and the establishment of a balanced work environment.
