Uproar over lecturers' dismissals

Students protested at the campus, while the 14 lecturers filed lawsuits at the Administration Court.

University president Asst Prof Chatchai Sugrakanchana explained that the contract terminations were part of the institution's teaching-quality development programme, under which the lecturers had failed their evaluations.

Some 200 students majoring in Public Administration gathered at noon at the university in protest at the termination of the contracts, including that of Asst Prof Suriyan Suwannarat, who headed the Local Administration programme.

Former Tambon Khon Hat Administrative Organisation president Prayong Nooboonkhong, who studies in the Local Administration programme's special class, said the university's action affected about 500 Local Administration students. He said they would report the incident to their supervising agencies and would urge the university's council to urgently review the dismissal decision.

The reasons given for the contract termination include improper dress, failure to sign in when teaching weekend classes, reckless behaviour and corrupt behaviour, Prayong said.

However, he said the students suspected it was more a matter of internal politics ahead of the university-rector election, as the dismissed lecturers tended to support candidates other than Chatchai, who is standing for re-election.

One of the 14 lecturers, who asked not to be named, said the contract termination had come without any advance notice and resulted from internal politics, as the current rector's term end on December 8. However, the lecturer declined to give any further details, as the 14 had filed lawsuits at the Nakhon Si Thammarat Administration Court and information would therefore be revealed when the court considers the cases.

Chatchai insisted that the 14 lecturers had failed evaluations, which require a score of more than 60 per cent to pass. Although some had scored higher than 60 per cent, the university took into account other factors and qualifying criteria, under which they failed, he added.

The president said the faculty committees had conducted the evaluations and the notion that the dismissals stemmed from internal politics was wrong.

Humanities Faculty dean Asst Prof Jaturat Kiratiwuthipong said teaching staff must have integrity and creativity, and the decision to terminate the contracts had been taken to improve both quality and output.