UoL swaps degrees for money

The University of Lahore (UoL) is fleecing students by charging for degrees and convocation, Pakistan Today has learnt. Students claim that the varsity administration demands Rs 3,000 for holding convocation. The UoL claims to be among the top 500 varsities of the world but its lack of interest towards the most prestigious functions of a varsity has disappointed students.
A UoL student, who did an MBA this year, told Pakistan Today that the varsity administration demanded Rs 9,000 for giving a degree at the convocation. He said the date of the constitution was also announced but cancelled later, as students did not submit the convocation fee. He said students were required to submit Rs 6,000 in order to get degrees and an additional Rs 3,000 for the convocation, which they refused to deposit.
UoL Pro-Rector Nasir Mehmood told Pakistan Today that there was no legal binding on the varsity to hold annual convocations. He said that the administration only demanded the degree fee, which was their right and demanded by every varsity. Mehmood claimed that neither the varsity announced the convocation, nor was it held. The UoL controller and registrar office official said that the last convocation of the varsity was held in 2005 and there was no specific reason for not holding convocation afterwards.
Punjab Higher Education Department Additional Secretary (Academic) Chaudhry Akram told Pakistan Today that a varsity has to hold annual convocations but there was no legal binding to hold it during a specific time. He said that according to law, “The patron (governor) or his nominee will preside over the convocation of the university”. Akram said that overall reputation of the UoL was not bad but it is sad that they were taking Rs 6,000 to issue degrees.
He said that morally the varsity should hold convocation and demand a reasonable degree fee. UoL has spread his wings over the years, as it has five campuses including four in Lahore, one in Islamabad and a huge campus on Raiwind Road, Lahore. The university was chartered in 2002 and started functioning in 1999. Thousands of students are enrolled in the varsity in various programmes of engineering, MBBS, pharmacy, business administration, nursing, creative arts and other subjects.
The varsity is also accredited by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan. The varsity also claims that “It is our approach to excellence that the university is now ranked among the top 500 universities of the World (QS & Times Higher Education Supplement 2006)”. According to students, the university convocation is the most memorable day for them, as getting a degree from governor, while wearing gowns, is a dream of every varsity graduate.
Students claimed that they are already paying hundreds of thousands of rupees in fees but demanding additional money for degrees and convocation is undoubtedly ruthless on the part of the varsity administration. They claimed that an MBA student is giving around Rs 0.4 million fee, MBBS student spending Rs 2 million, whereas a D-Pharmacy student is paying about Rs 0.6 million for their academic programmes.
A D-Pharmacy student, seeking anonymity, told Pakistan Today that the additional fee should be mentioned on the prospectus and the Punjab government should have a check on it. He hoped that the varsity would soon hold convocation in order to calm its graduates.