Unfair effects of UTT’s restructuring exercise

THE EDITOR: I applaud UTT’s effort at restructuring. When one hears the term “restructuring” it evokes a thought process of organising something differently, which in my humble opinion, and I am sure that of many others, is with a view to the improvement of an existing system.

However, I am shocked and amazed at the negative connotation which this word now has in my mind since it has become synonymous with the dismissal of Dr Andrea Kanneh.

It is with a heavy heart and great distress, therefore, that I attempt to bring some pertinent information that the statistical reports on the “restructuring” process would not have brought to the general public’s attention.

As a fellow professional in the field of education and an avid practitioner, I am fully aware of the benefits and the intangible and intrinsic rewards in the said field. As a proud UTT graduate, under the charge and supervision of Kanneh, I was able to experience this firsthand as one of her students.

Not only did Kanneh deliver pedagogy (which she did exceptionally well I might add), but she motivated me to graduate summa cum laude, pushed me beyond the limits of my expectations for my final research project, led me to receive the Prime Minister’s Award for Scientific Ingenuity, and up to as recently as the last three weeks, provided me the opportunity to collaborate on a paper that was presented by one of UTT’s presently enrolled students at the IEEE Symposium in Malaysia.

Kanneh maintains contact with a number of us who have graduated from UTT and keeps reminding us to continue pursuing education, to continue making a positive difference in our workplace, to strive to be professional representations of UTT and lead lives of productive citizens of our nation.

Sadly, this qualitative approach and this unwavering dedication are not written in the books of “restructuring.”

When one speaks therefore of “restructuring,” it is unfair that facts like these are not taken into consideration because they mean nothing to the businessman’s bottom line which involves the relentless pursuit of the almighty dollar, often skewing the perception of its benefits, much to the dismay and disadvantage of the people who are most affected.

Hence, the data on restructuring will not capture the turmoil and dismay of the presently enrolled students and measure the extent of their loss in the person of Kanneh (and others like her).

I reiterate that it is rather disheartening to hear of the dismissal of one of the most industrious, diligent, motivational, dedicated, inspirational, professional and caring lecturers, nay, human beings, whom I have ever encountered in my life – Kanneh.

That being said, it is my hope that careful consideration be given to make amends to this process that business professionals call “restructuring” and that such amends take into consideration the intangible value that a person like Kanneh would have added to the lives of students such as myself.

GEORGETTE G MEDFORD
, UTT graduate

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