AMMAN -- A group of professors at the University of Jordan (UJ) on Tuesday issued a statement calling for protests against the appointment of Ekhleif Tarawneh as president of their university, as another group voiced support for the decision taken a day earlier by the Higher Education Council.
Around 60 UJ instructors plan to hold a sit-in today at 10:00am to protest against Tarawneh's appointment and also plan to go on strike on Sunday, according to Professor Zu'bi Al Zu'bi.
Some UJ professors and other teaching staff are demanding that the president be chosen from the university's faculty.
Since 2004, university presidents have been appointed from outside the university, which has sparked protests among UJ employees.
"In the US, the teaching staff elects the president and he presents his vision and is removed if he does not fulfil his vision," a UJ professor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Jordan Times in a telephone interview yesterday.
The professor, who has been working at the university for around 40 years, said the UJ faculty has become accustomed to outside appointments made to serve "certain goals".
Meanwhile, another group of university professors and employees issued a statement welcoming the appointment of Tarawneh, according to several news websites.
Voicing confidence in the capability and academic qualifications of Tarawneh, the statement said the calls for strike were not justified.
Tarawneh had been serving as president of Balqa Applied University since 2010 until his nomination as UJ president.
Holder of a PhD in educational administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor's degree from UJ, Tarawneh has served as president of Higher Education Accreditation Commission and a member of the Higher Education Council.
Zu'bi confirmed that not all UJ faculty members agree with the decision to protest against Tarawneh's appointment.
"I think protesting on the sheer concept that a university president should come from the university faculty and not from outside the university does not constitute solid grounds," Zu'bi, who is chairman of the UJ business management department, told The Jordan Times.
University presidents have always been appointed by the Higher Education Council and it has never been the custom to consult university faculty members, he pointed out.
"A president should be judged on the basis of his competence and qualifications," Zu'bi added.
Remarking on the expected effects of a protest on lectures, Zu'bi said students are being put in the middle of academic politics and this should not happen.
They already know that a strike is planned for Sunday, he elaborated.
"I think we can't use students as a bargaining tool to achieve the staff's interests. Students' interests and their education must be put above any other concerns," Zu'bi added. "Education must not be disrupted."
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Rowaida Maaitah, who is also head of the Higher Education Council, could not be reached for comment despite several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact her.
© Jordan Times 2012
