Lecturer terminated for asking offensive question to class

ISLAMABAD: Comsats University Islamabad (CUI) has notified the Ministry of Science and Technology that a faculty member’s services have been terminated because he posed a contentious question during the English composition exam.

The university administration allegedly stated in a letter dated February 2 that inquiry into the substance of the quiz of English Subject of BEE, 1st Semester Course Code HUM 100. I am required to make reference to the letter from the Ministry of Science and Technology dated January 19, 2023, regarding the aforementioned subject and to inform them that the matter has already been resolved and that the service of the Lecturer (visiting faculty) has been terminated as of January 5, 2023. It went on to say that the professor had also been put on a blacklist.

The fact that students of the Bachelor of Electric Engineering (BEE) at CUI were “shocked” to read a very disagreeable question in their most recent English exam and were required to write a 300-word essay on the subject is pertinent to mention here.

When contacted, Assistant Registrar Naveed Ahmed Khan said that the BEE English Composition exam students were given a “very unpleasant question.”

He claimed that the following day, the rector held a meeting and challenged the faculty member to justify asking pupils such a “dumb question” in the first place. He said, “The faculty member admitted his error, and the CUI terminated his services.” What else could we do?

He noted that the faculty member had plagiarized the question from Google and that his services had been terminated. The quiz had also been retaken.

When questioned about the Ministry of Science and Technology’s inquiry, he stated that the CUI’s response had already been forwarded to the ministry.

According to one of the university’s professors, the episode was “very embarrassing and it also exposed the examination system.”

He wondered, “Why were the students asked a question like this and why did the examination department and concerned department stay blind to this question?” and stated that the university’s administration reacted quickly when students brought up this matter.

The professor, however, had a suspicion that the lecturer’s employment had been terminated once the ministry learned of the incident.

The extra registrar, however, claimed that while the ministry became aware of the dismissal on January 19, the faculty member was fired on January 5. He noted that the ministry received the CUI’s response on February 2.