Rajshahi University - Organisation and Administration

Organisation and Administration

The university is run according to the Rajshahi University Act of 1973. The act, passed in 1973, allows the university considerably more autonomy than most other peer institutions. The president of Bangladesh is the de facto Chancellor of the university, but his role is mainly ceremonial. The highest official after the Chancellor is the Vice-Chancellor, selected by the senate of the university every four years. The Vice-Chancellor, as of 2012, is Prof Abdus Sobhan. Other important officers of the university include the Pro Vice Chancellor, the registrar, the controller of examinations and the proctor. The proctor is in direct charge of student activities and is the official with most direct contact with the students. The most important statutory bodies of the university are the senate, the academic council and the syndicate. As a public institution, most of Rajshahi University's funding comes from the government. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the body responsible for allocating funds to all public universities.

Students are admitted after they pass the Higher Secondary Exam (HSC exam). Students partake in entrance examinations, a separate one for each department. This has been a contentious issue, as there used to be only one exam for each faculty, after which students would be allocated to departments according to their result and choice of program. As a public university, Rajshahi University's tuition fees are relatively low; nevertheless, a hike in admission fees, during the 2006–07 session, have drawn criticism from student bodies. As of 2007, the university awards a total of 340 scholarships, whose annual value is around 1.1 million taka. In addition, there are merit awards given by residential halls, departments and the university itself. Students are also eligible for the Prime Minister's Gold Medal award. All colleges of the northern and southern regions of the country used to be affiliated with Rajshahi University. However, the administration of colleges across the country was taken over by the National University when it was established in 1992.