Students Want Chiang Mai Dean To Step Down

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Students want Chiang Mai dean to step down

By The Nation

Pressure is growing on the dean of Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Mass Communi-cation, after about 200 students yesterday staged a protest to demand that she step down to take responsibility for her alleged poor management.

The students gathered in front of the faculty's building in the morning with banners attacking Assoc Prof Dr Kulisara Kriwarakarn, who has been at the helm for more than a year.

Wearing black, they also received backing from some of the lecturers at the faculty. Kulisara came out to meet them and listen to their complaints. She later called a press conference to deny allegations that under her leadership, the faculty had failed to pass an internal quality assessment.

"It's not true at all. The assessment results have not yet come out," she said, adding that she blamed someone who wanted her post for using the students as a tool.

CMU president Pongsak Angkasith yesterday said he did not believe the fight for the much sought-after post had led to the move against Kulisara, given that the opposition against her had arisen only after she had been working as dean for quite some time. But he confirmed that the results of the internal quality assessment had not yet come out.

Asked about Kulisara's future, Pongsak said he expected to receive conclusions of a panel's fact-finding probe into her management performance soon.

The investigation was launched many months ago, after an official complaint against Kulisara was lodged with the university on January 19.

Assoc Prof Sodsri Paoincha, a former dean of the Mass Communication Faculty, said students had staged the protest because the university's response to the complaint against Kulisara had been rather slow.

"After I receive the probe results, I will present them before the CMU Council. The council will decide on the matter," Pongsak said.

On Saturday, the CMU Council resolved to remove Assoc Prof Dr Nimanong Ngamprapasom from her post as the dean of the Faculty of Education. She too has been facing protests from students and some lecturers.

Although Pongsak vowed to act on the protesting mass-communication students' complaints, he urged them to stop any action that would further damage the good image of CMU and its students.

"Members of other faculties are now complaining," he said. "The CMU Council is also worried about such moves. The students had better let the council and lecturers handle such issues," he added.

-- The Nation 2011-07-26

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Pressure grows on Chiang Mai dean to quit

By The Nation

The president of Chiang Mai University (CMU) yesterday convened an urgent meeting of the committee overseeing the faculty of mass communication in the wake of growing pressure on the faculty's dean to resign.

The dean, Associate Professor Kulisara Kriwarakarn, has been blamed for a drop in quality at the faculty. Written complaints have been lodged with CMU management and an investigation is underway.

Sources said CMU president Pongsak Angkasith was expected to conclude the case on August 3 next Wednesday.

On July 25 Monday, about 200 students wore black to pressure Kulisara to step down as dean but she refused.

Nopasit Chakpitak, who heads the CMU College of Arts, Media and Technology, has quit the committee overseeing the faculty of mass communication to show responsibility for what has happened.

Submitted along with his resignation letter on Monday was a recommendation that someone else be assigned to run the faculty in place of Kulisara.

"CMU should appoint an acting dean," Nopasit said in the letter.

Committee chairman Manich Sooksomchitra yesterday said the movement against Kulisara had become too big to handle internally.

"It's not possible to tackle the issue within the faculty any more. The CMU management will have to deal with it," he said.

Manich said that many problems had indeed plagued the faculty and that he would not be surprised if it failed a quality assessment.

Kulisara, meanwhile, yesterday held a session to defend herself in front of students and university lecturers who have been pressing for her resignation.

"The problems have arisen because someone is trying to create rifts," Kulisara said. "I am not seeking to keep power in my hands only."

Kulisara said she had invited qualified lecturers to serve as deputy deans and heads of the divisions but they had declined. This meant she had had to take the positions in an acting capacity herself.

On the quality of educational services at the faculty, she pointed out that CMU's faculty of mass communication was ranked among the three best in the field.

"I won't deny there have been problems. But I would like to emphasise here that I have been trying to solve them," Kulisara said. "I don't run away from problems and I am here to ask for the opportunity to solve them. Please give me cooperation."

She said she did not want to resign now because she wanted the truth to come out first.

Kulisara urged students to get information from all sides before jumping to any conclusions.

However, a fourth-year student said that although Kulisara might not be wrong, she should nevertheless leave her post.

"Set a good example for your students. Show responsibility. I won't accept a degree with your signature on it," the student said, before walking out of the session.

-- The Nation 2011-07-28