ISLAMABAD: While ignoring around 22 other cases of staff members’ perks and promotions, the management of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) has taken up only one female faculty’s promotion case, in a strange way – through a circulation among the Syndicate members for their official nod instead of holding a formal meeting. According to a letter, a copy of which is available with Daily Times, the QAU has notified that Dr. Mona Liza has been selected as Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences (DES). The information suggests that her case of promotion was presented before the selection board of the varsity. However, the approval of the Syndicate was yet to be made. The case of Dr Liza was just presented before the Selection Board meeting held on December 9. Beside the said case around 22 other cases were also finalised by the board at the meeting. Instead of holding the Syndicate meeting, the hasty QAU management prepared a letter and sent them to all Syndicate members for their official approval. In the letter they (members) are requested for checking two options as to mark his/her signatures for approving or disapproving Dr.Mona Liza’s case for promotion to Professor based on “unanimous recommendation of Selection Board”. While commenting on this weird approach, a senior faculty member of the university who wished not to be named, said that though this way, all other Syndicate members would be unaware from the consensus of the other members because they just had to sign just on the letter received by them. The said post of “Professor” was advertised as vacant for the first time in the national press on November 25,2014 and Dr. Liza was shortlisted against the post and was presented to the scrutiny committee even though she did not meet the criteria for the post. A departmental scrutiny committee on August 17,2015 selected the name of Mona Liza from a couple of shortlisted candidates. Thy are Liza and Shazia Asim, Assistant Professor at the DES of QAU. Liza did not fulfil the HEC’s criteria of the appointment against the post of “Professor”. According to HEC prescribed requirement for the appointment of “Professor” in any higher education university or Degree Awarding Institute , the desiring candidate must have a PhD degree from an HEC recognised institution in the relevant field as well as 15 years teaching/research experience (out of which at least there should be eight years post-PhD level experience in an HEC recognised university or post-graduate institution or professional experience in the relevant field, in a national or international organization. If not so, he/she should have 10 years’ post-Ph.D. teaching/research experience in a recognised university or a postgraduate institution or professional experience in the relevant field in a national or international organisation. Beside the above mentioned qualifications and working experience, the candidate should have 15 research publications including at least five publications in the last five years in any HEC recognised journal. The documents available stated that Dr. Liza did not fulfil the second requirement: that of the publications. An official who was highly informed with the entire episode, says on the condition of anonymity that chancellor Javed Asharf personally desires to appoint Dr. Liza against the slot by and large. Several committees constituted and deferred in this regard. Soon after a formulation of a scrutiny committee in chair with Zakaullah, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences on July, 2015. Dr. Liza filed a request in the DES for seeking relaxation in her less published papers. In the result of her filed request a new cycle of forming and postponing of scrutiny committees started once again. The Selection Board finally decidd to use the old referee reports and acceptance of less publications of Dr. Liza for her promotion. This is considered a sheer violation in the QAU law book. “If any faculty possesses even one less publication paper, his/her promotion or appointments are rejected, the above faculty’s promotion on less papers would be illegal as well as the discrimination with such other candidates,” adds an official. VC Dr Javed Ashraf refused to speak. However, spokesperson Dr Ilhan Naiz said the decision was made on directions of board.