The agony that retiring Professors go through

It is better to face difficulties in youth than being made a plaything of fate in old age. This is the agony many retiring professors who have big titles, empty wallets and failing health experience.

A good number of professors cannot survive on pension. They rely on post-retirement contracts to meet their needs. Professorship and poverty were never meant to be partners in the academy. Ironically, the harsh reality is too open to conceal. Professorship is a title coveted by many. It is the ultimate crown for women and men committed to the pursuit and purveyance of knowledge. They spend most of their time in laboratories, libraries, lecture halls, and conferences. Professors hardly notice the passage of time.

The number of university professors reaching retirement age is growing. While many African countries address the matter as a national concern, Kenya has delegated the matter to individual universities. A few years back, the government of Tanzania made retirement of academic staff in public universities mandatory on attainment of 60 years with no option for post-retirement contract. The policy was reversed when retired professors were quickly absorbed by private universities.

Last year, Ghana’s National Council for Tertiary Education directed all public universities to terminate the post-retirement contracts of professors above 65 years of age; delete their names from Ghana government’s payroll by October 30, 2018 and reassign them as consultants if their services are still required and pay them from internally generated funds. The directive was draconian.

In South Africa, opinion is divided on how to treat ageing professors. Young and well educated youth argue that senior professors should retire and create space for fresh brains. Young scholars argue that it is unfair to lock young qualified staff out as those who have served their full terms continue to hang-on to the system.

Contrary to the youth’s aggressive stand on retirement, research conducted in South Africa revealed that professors nearing their retirement account for over 50 per cent of the total publications in high impact journals. The same is true to Kenyan situation. When such scholars are let go in large numbers and at once, they go with their research outputs and funding networks.

Financial health

In Kenya retirement age for professors is 70 years with possibilities of post-retirement contract. In the past, these contracts were automatic but currently they are hard to come by. Universities are keen to inject new thinking into the academy, a number of senior professors have reached the limits of their intellectual productivity and government policy requires that deserving Kenyans get equal opportunity to serve. University administrators are in the dilemma of keeping professors on payroll and increasing the wage bill or disappointing professors but reviving financial health of universities.

There has been a suggestion that retiring professors be retained as Emeritus Professors. This is an honorary appointment extended by a university council to a deserving retired professor based on a specific request from the host department. It is a non-employment position and often for life.

An Emeritus Professor is neither on payroll nor entitled to medical cover. The university only provides the professor with office space and equipment. This distinguished position is mainly for research and mentoring faculty. Emeritus Professors survive on their active intellectual circuits and research networks. A good number of retiring professors do not have projects that can qualify them for emeritus positions.

Certainly, we should not adopt the Ghana approach. It can be disruptive to learning. The number of professors retiring at once is too high to be left to university councils alone. The Government should intervene to address anxiety in the academy that professors are destined to misery in old age. How the country treats her professors now will determine choices that young scholars make; whether to stay in the academy or look for greener pastures. This may reignite the next phase of brain drain.

Professors should be assisted to plan for their retirement well in advance. When that time comes, they should exit the stage with pride. Universities should handle this process carefully so that dignity of professors is protected as they exit active academic engagement.

There must be a clear government policy on how to handle post-retirement contracts so that professors are not humiliated through harassment, nepotism, cronyism and high-handedness. Those who retire should be given small incentives like university commendation and transport to ferry their belongings.

It must be remembered that some of these professors were headhunted by the Government from Europe and America to return home to strengthen our higher education sector.

They responded to the call of the motherland and discharged their mandate with patriotism. They should not be abandoned.

One of the strong reasons that make professors apply for post-retirement contracts is medical cover. Previously, universities were known for the best unlimited medical cover.

The Government should seriously consider giving retiring professors noncontributory post-retirement NHIF cover. These are Kenyans who have given their best to the country until retirement. They should not be abandoned to die for lack of reliable medical cover.

As the Government invests on Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) at the lower levels, it should support revitalisation of university education lest the CBC students reach university only to find professors missing.

Mr Wasamba teaches at the University of Nairobi.Pwasamba2019@gmail.com