By JULIA DAIA BORE
THE Mining Department at the University of Technology (Unitech) will not close as reported recently.
Chancellor Phillip Stagg made the assurance during a press conference that the department would continue this year contrary to speculations in the media that it would be closed for this year’s academic year.
“The university council is aware that these reports by former disgruntled staff and students are totally untrue, fabricated, and misleading.
“They have been constructed as revenge for their separation from the university for professional and disciplinary misconduct,” he said.
Mr Stagg told reporters that the university council had not made any decision to close down the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering.
Neither is council aware of any decision by the Government of the same.
Mr Stagg also indicated that the council he heads was very pleased to report that with the mining and petroleum boom in the country, there is great demand from industry from mining engineering graduates, including graduates from other engineering schools and departments.
He said the council was proud to say at this juncture that Unitech’s mining and other engineering graduates had been lured by overseas mining and construction engineering companies and organisations to work in Australia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Mr Stagg said given the all important role the Mining Department played, the university council had already addressed the staff shortage situation by recruiting additional 33 new lecturers, in preparation for the 2008 academic year.
He said Unitech had a total of 172 teaching positions in the 12 academic departments.
He said last year, there were 90 teaching staff on strength with 84 vacancies.
However, towards the end of last year the university recruited 33 new staff, bringing this year’s teaching staff to 123.
“This means that there will be 49 vacancies in the departments, and has been the case over the year, these vacancies will be filled by part-time teaching staff,” Mr Stagg said.
In relation to the claims in the media of mass exodus of staff from Unitech, Mr Stagg denied the allegations.
However, he said 32 staff had resigned and left the university last year for various reasons.