In a move that has left the academic community astir, the Dean of Social Sciences at the prestigious University of Karachi (UoK) has given the green signal to the BS Digital Media Marketing degree, a decision that initially faced rejection from the Board of Faculty. Despite concerns raised by faculty members about the approval process, there are apprehensions that the Vice-Chancellor might proceed to launch the program through the Academic Council, circumventing the initial disapproval by the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Amidst the anticipation of the impending announcement of the degree program, faculty members are expressing unease, suspecting an unusual level of interest from specific media reporters and private college owners. This suspicion draws parallels with previous occurrences, notably the swift proliferation of Physiotherapy courses from the Department of Health Education to numerous private colleges.
The potential conflict of interest becomes apparent as some KU faculty members are already engaged as visiting faculty at private colleges, raising legitimate questions about the alignment of the interests of a government university with those of private institutions seeking affiliations.
The controversy unfolded during a pivotal meeting on November 10th, where 56 members of the Board of Faculty of Social Sciences convened at the Dean’s Office. The rejection of the Digital Media Marketing syllabus, primarily due to its alignment with the Business School, led to the establishment of a sub-committee tasked with reviewing the course content and reaching a consensus.
Despite the committee’s conditional approval and the directive to incorporate recommended changes, the Dean Faculty took an unexpected turn. Bypassing the Faculty, they unilaterally granted conditional approval to the first year of the four-year Digital Media Marketing program, with a stipulation for the department to address the committee’s concerns and enhance the syllabus.
Currently, there are lingering suspicions about the potential bypassing of the Academic Council, with concerns that the administration might expedite the program for the upcoming admissions, intensifying the controversy surrounding KU’s latest degree offering.
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