The purpose of this paper is to diagnose the main problems that the University of Prishtina faces and offer remedies to those based on research with stakeholder as: students, teachers, and civil society. The paper addresses top nine problems afflicting the UP and offers practical remedies how to address them.
Kosovo has little academic tradition to turn to and the professors are increasingly seen as a major source of the problem and not the solution. This is an ideal moment to embark on an ambitious reform. Short of a critical mass of academics who uphold high standards, it may only be possible to raise the quality through competition and performance indicators.
Given the current environment, it would be virtually impossible to remedy poor teaching by merely adopting minimum standards and monitoring. The university should further help its academic staff set targets, measure their output, and identify ways to promote the professors who make the fastest progress over time. University management should cease to reward mavericks who pretend to complete four times their regular workload. It should instead reward those who manage to transform their teaching to match the future needs of the market.
University’s governance ought to change, to make it more accountable vertically and more agile horizontally. Individual merit (and promotion) cannot be subject to democratic vote. Minimum standards must scotch the reason why informal interest groups exist, paving the way for a dynamic institution where individual hard work pays more than building sinister coalitions. Long seen as a role model, UP’s professors have acquired an image of unethical loss of integrity. Meritorious professors should realize there is a new environment and they should abandon clans in order to build a meritocratic academic environment.
Holding high standards is difficult and the first generations caught by high expectations rightfully feel cheated. The new Rector has demonstrated he is willing to be seen as the villain by his former colleagues, in the interest of us all. He should be supported in setting high standards against cheating and plagiarism, as harsh as these may be seen considering their tolerance for decades. He did not have to wait long to be vindicated, for he has mobilised Kosovars like few have done before.
Students must realize that job openings that asked for no more than a formal diploma and rote learning have largely been filled. Students and their parents today need to understand that there are few options other than hard work. If students at the Senate cease to have voting rights, their political ambitions may subside, paving the way to their deliberation of student issues.
