UGSS denies it backed Kissoon’s termination
FEBRUARY 2, 2012 | BY KNEWS
The University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) has denied statements made by the PPP/C which said that none of the 14 council members present at the last Council meeting objected to the termination of Frederick Kissoon’s contract.
Duane Edwards, President of the UGSS, in a press release yesterday stated that he was one of the participants at the meeting as the representative of the UGSS.
He deemed the information in the PPP/C press release as an “incontrovertible truth” which borders on gross misrepresentation of facts .
“Apart from coming close to falsity and mischievousness, the press release which claims that not a single member of the 14 council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS, supported Mr. Kissoon’s retention is a reduction to absurdity of what exactly transpired at that meeting,” said Edwards.
He explained that it is inconceivable that in less than two weeks before the beginning of the second semester the academic staff and himself would be party to such a decision. The consequences of that decision could be inconveniencing to students and burdensome to the faculty and therefore was not supported unanimously.
“When the version of the unfolding of the Council meeting presented by the press release is juxtaposed with the fact that the matter had to be transferred from the Appointments Committee, a body dominated by academics, in order to secure the intended outcome then the claim that no academic staff supported Kissoon’s retention becomes even more absurd,” the UGSS press release also stated.
Kaieteur News also understands that Edwards was one of the voices who “highlighted the totally irrational and inconsiderate nature of terminating a contract in the middle of the academic year.”
He added that in representing the interest of the students, he pointed out to the Council members the extant situation as it relates to the shortages of lecturers for key courses, and the fact that lecturers are expected to “fetch” extra courses to make up for the shortages.
These shortages are also said to consequently result in reduced quality instruction and engagement and lack of programme preparation. Classes at the University of Guyana are expected to be suspended until further notice as protests continue at the Turkeyen Campus.
On Monday the leading figures in “Operation Rescue UG” which comprises students, workers and academics, spoke to a packed audience in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, outlining a series of issues which they are fighting for.
The purpose of the meeting was to urge the UG community to come out in support of the closing down of the University until the demands of staff and students are met. These demands include contract renewal for Freddie Kissoon and Vincent Alexander.
On Tuesday, padlocks were seen on the doors of the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, the Small Lecture Theatre, along with the ‘Stables’ classrooms. A few of the classes which were opened had no lecturers. Staffers and Faculty members are contending that there will be no classes until their demands are met, which include contract renewals for Freddie Kissoon and Vincent Alexander, and better working conditions.
On Tuesday, UG’s Council members, Indra Chandarpal, Bibi Shadick, Nirmal Rekha and Gail Teixeira, all senior officials in the PPP/C, issued a release of the ongoing UG protests claiming that there were no objections to a decision made to terminate Kissoon’s contract during a meeting on January 18th.
Citing a number of reasons, the Council said that it was “unimpressed and not one single member of the 14 Council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS and fellow colleagues of the academic staff, not a single member supported his retention. The Council rescinded his contract.”
Kissoon has been a fierce critic of the PPP/C administration.
“incontrovertible truth” which borders on gross misrepresentation of facts ? Please, I man went to school in August month suh I am easily bamboozled by these big words. Could someone translate in simple Guyanese twang what this highfluneted UG scholar is saying here! After all the mumbo jumbo by Duane Edwards is there now an [b]incontrovertible repudiation of the facts as stated by the 'PPP 4' that "...not one single member of the 14 Council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS and fellow colleagues of the academic staff, not a single member supported his retention..." ?
FEBRUARY 2, 2012 | BY KNEWS
The University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) has denied statements made by the PPP/C which said that none of the 14 council members present at the last Council meeting objected to the termination of Frederick Kissoon’s contract.
Duane Edwards, President of the UGSS, in a press release yesterday stated that he was one of the participants at the meeting as the representative of the UGSS.
He deemed the information in the PPP/C press release as an “incontrovertible truth” which borders on gross misrepresentation of facts .
“Apart from coming close to falsity and mischievousness, the press release which claims that not a single member of the 14 council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS, supported Mr. Kissoon’s retention is a reduction to absurdity of what exactly transpired at that meeting,” said Edwards.
He explained that it is inconceivable that in less than two weeks before the beginning of the second semester the academic staff and himself would be party to such a decision. The consequences of that decision could be inconveniencing to students and burdensome to the faculty and therefore was not supported unanimously.
“When the version of the unfolding of the Council meeting presented by the press release is juxtaposed with the fact that the matter had to be transferred from the Appointments Committee, a body dominated by academics, in order to secure the intended outcome then the claim that no academic staff supported Kissoon’s retention becomes even more absurd,” the UGSS press release also stated.
Kaieteur News also understands that Edwards was one of the voices who “highlighted the totally irrational and inconsiderate nature of terminating a contract in the middle of the academic year.”
He added that in representing the interest of the students, he pointed out to the Council members the extant situation as it relates to the shortages of lecturers for key courses, and the fact that lecturers are expected to “fetch” extra courses to make up for the shortages.
These shortages are also said to consequently result in reduced quality instruction and engagement and lack of programme preparation. Classes at the University of Guyana are expected to be suspended until further notice as protests continue at the Turkeyen Campus.
On Monday the leading figures in “Operation Rescue UG” which comprises students, workers and academics, spoke to a packed audience in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, outlining a series of issues which they are fighting for.
The purpose of the meeting was to urge the UG community to come out in support of the closing down of the University until the demands of staff and students are met. These demands include contract renewal for Freddie Kissoon and Vincent Alexander.
On Tuesday, padlocks were seen on the doors of the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, the Small Lecture Theatre, along with the ‘Stables’ classrooms. A few of the classes which were opened had no lecturers. Staffers and Faculty members are contending that there will be no classes until their demands are met, which include contract renewals for Freddie Kissoon and Vincent Alexander, and better working conditions.
On Tuesday, UG’s Council members, Indra Chandarpal, Bibi Shadick, Nirmal Rekha and Gail Teixeira, all senior officials in the PPP/C, issued a release of the ongoing UG protests claiming that there were no objections to a decision made to terminate Kissoon’s contract during a meeting on January 18th.
Citing a number of reasons, the Council said that it was “unimpressed and not one single member of the 14 Council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS and fellow colleagues of the academic staff, not a single member supported his retention. The Council rescinded his contract.”
Kissoon has been a fierce critic of the PPP/C administration.
“incontrovertible truth” which borders on gross misrepresentation of facts ? Please, I man went to school in August month suh I am easily bamboozled by these big words. Could someone translate in simple Guyanese twang what this highfluneted UG scholar is saying here! After all the mumbo jumbo by Duane Edwards is there now an [b]incontrovertible repudiation of the facts as stated by the 'PPP 4' that "...not one single member of the 14 Council members present at that meeting, including the UGSS and fellow colleagues of the academic staff, not a single member supported his retention..." ?
