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AT a recent seminar organised by MaltaToday’s sister nerwspaper, The Malta Financial & Business Times with the theme of ‘A national policy for architecture in Malta’ Environment Minister George Pullicino did not mince his words – the Faculty of Architecture is in a shambles and in dire need of reform. Hard-hitting words intended to provoke those responsible into long-awaited and much-needed action to revamp the architectural faculty from its very roots. The statement, although a brave one coming from a Cabinet minister, did not come as a surprise to those even vaguely familiar with the workings of the Faculty of Architecture at the University.
The malaise has long been festering. Some high-profile Maltese architects with international experience and who could have made a valid contribution to architectural education in Malta, have been ostracized and unofficially declared persona non grata by certain individuals with vested interests in keeping them out of the scene.
The so-called ‘democratic’ process of the academic faculty staff electing the head of department and dean is an actual perversion of the democratic process. Basically, it is tantamount to trading one’s vote to vote-in the person who will retain the status quo and show his gratitude by allowing free rein to one’s activities.
It boggles the mind that some faculty members are still registered as full-timers on the university’s books when they have flourishing private practices and are more to be seen at the MEPA offices than on campus.
Over the past 15 years, there have hardly been any new recruits to the academic staff within the architecture faculty. The reason from a Machiavellian point of view is logical as any new recruit might inconveniently upset the power balance and the incumbent head or dean could risk losing his ‘electoral’ base. Obviously there are no term limits so one ends up with a head of department who has been holding the position for more than 15 years! So whereas in overseas universities, academics are more than relieved not to go beyond a 3-year stint in an administrative capacity, in Malta the situation is totally different. Being a head or dean of a faculty is equated with being a powerbroker and hanging on to privileges bestowed or thrust upon oneself, for as long as possible.
That is the sad state of affairs that has led to the stagnation of the Faculty of Architecture. The students end up as pawns in this power game, and it is not the first time that some of them have been discouraged from communicating with any persona-non-grata architect. So please can we seek your advice beyond the physical realm of the campus lest some preying eyes discover this heinous crime of consulting you? Under these circumstances one cannot blame the student from toeing the line.
On the other hand, social engagement and activism is part and parcel of student life on campus. I still remember in the early 1990s, the manner by which Fine Arts students at the University of California at Berkeley, protested against the threatened closure of the Arts departments due to financial cut-backs. They wrapped all the works of art on the campus in black garbage bags, with the message that ‘Without an Arts department, there will be no Art on Campus.’ The university authorities could hardly have been pleased with such a symbolic gesture, but the students were actively engaged to communicate their message across without fear of retribution.
So will the ‘Revamping reform process’ at the local Faculty of Architecture actually materialize? It is pertinent to ask what initiatives the university administration will be undertaking to address the current state of affairs. Or will it be a case of a Soviet-style denial and ‘long live the status quo’ approach? I fear that a truly deep-rooted reform can only be implemented by some forceful authority from outside. The minister responsible for Education is the ultimate authority to delve into the matter although finally it all depends on his degree of commitment and political will to change the state of affairs. If a truly effective reform is to be implemented there can be no compromises. Only time will tell whether the winds of change will ever reach that remote part of the Tal-Qroqq campus.
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