A number of newly established departments of Chittagong University (CU) are running with minimum faculty members.
The departments are computer science and engineering, genetic engineering and biotechnology, psychology and dramatics.
Five, out of 18 faculty members, are now carrying out academic activities in the computer science and engineering department against six batches, as others are on education leave. In genetic engineering and biotechnology department, five out of 9 faculty members are performing academic activities while others are on education leave. There are six batches in genetic engineering department now. The academic activities of five batches under psychology department are being carried out by only four teachers while dramatics department is conducting its academic activities of one batch by four teachers. Dramatics department reopened in 2009 after it was closed in1996 for lack of students and teachers.
Due to lack of adequate teachers, academic activities of these departments are being hampered. Inadequate manpower is forcing teachers to take classes almost three times more than they usually take. Consequently students are falling victim to session jam.
Ayesha Akter Simu, a 3rd year student of psychology department, said they are going to gradually face session jam due to inadequate number of teachers. The teachers of the department are being forced to take excessive classes for tackling session jam, she added.
A student of computer science and engineering department, on condition of anonymity, said a few teachers have gone on education leave without completing their courses. As a result, one teacher is taking two to three courses instead of one course, making them the victim of session jam, he explained.
S M Alam, a 3rd year student of genetic engineering and biotechnology department, said due to inadequate number of faculty members, their teachers are forced to take a huge amount of academic load.
Mohammad Nurul Islam, chairman of psychology department, said they are facing great difficulties to run the department because of inadequate manpower. Five more teachers are needed on emergency basis, he added.
Chairman of genetic engineering and biotechnology department A M Abu Ahmed said they are being forced to take a maximum number of classes so that the students do not suffer.
Kuntal Barua, a teacher of dramatics department, said they are not facing any problem as they have only one batch now. Three more teachers will be needed as batches are increasing gradually, he said.
Prof Dr Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, chairman of computer science and engineering department, said despite being chairman of the department he is to take classes almost three times more than normal. The department has sufficient number of teachers, but most of them are now on education leave, he said, adding that due to shortage of teachers, they are being forced to take additional classes.
Dr Shahadat said for want of adequate teachers, the department is going to face session jam to some extent.
Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Alauddin said they are aware of the matter. The new departments always face such problems, he said, adding that if departments want, the university authorities are always ready to appoint new teachers against the vacant posts.