The Planning Authority has issued a ‘partial compliance certificate’ to the American University of Malta (AUM) in order for it to start operations on time despite that work on its first campus in Cospicua is still far from complete, the Times of Malta is informed.
A spokesman for the authority confirmed that the ‘partial compliance certificate’, covering only a part of what was planned to be a full-blown campus, was issued on September 7, a day after the AUM started its first academic year through student orientation sessions.
The British building in Cospicua’s Dock 1 area – planned to be the first of two campuses for the proposed 4,000-student private university – was due to be completed last summer.
However, the conversion was not completed on time and the area is still considered to be a construction site with more workers than students on campus.
This newspaper is informed that since the AUM needed a compliance certificate in order to start its first academic year on time, the PA found a ‘solution’ but certifying only those areas which had been completed.
“A compliance certificate was issued on September 7 on part of the development covered by a PA permit,” a spokesman for the authority said. Adding the compliance certificate refers to halls 1 to 5 at ground floor and an overlying first floor, the PA said that “as per standard procedure, the partial compliance certificate was issued subject to clearances from the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability and a certification from a qualified engineer with respect to the building’s safety and ventilation, both of which relate to that part of the development for which the compliance certificate was issued”.
According to the licence issued to the Jordanian Sadeen Group to operate the university, the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHFE) had to ensure that the facilities were adequate and complied with the proposed plans.
The NCHFE did not reply on whether inspections have been carried to ascertain that the AUM meets the strict licence conditions.
The Sunday Times of Malta reported that the AUM project has started on the wrong foot with only 15 students enrolling for one of its first four courses on offer. Provost John Ryder and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had gone on record saying that the university planned opening its first academic year with some 330 students.
However, the AUM has found it hard to lure students to its courses despite the Sadeen Group making available numerous scholarships.
Questions sent to Prof. Ryder remained unanswered by the time of writing.
These include questions on the number of students that have already left their courses since last September’s opening and an explanation of why various members of staff were fired just a few days before their six-month probation period was up.
Industry sources told the Times of Malta that there appears to be a serious lack of investment in the project, including lack of funds for the necessary IT infrastructure needed to market the AUM programmes abroad.
It is not yet known whether the AUM will continue with its plans to build a mega-campus on undeveloped land in Marsacala, known as Żonqor, given to them by the government to develop another campus and a number of residential units for student accommodation.
Both the Prime Minister and the Education Minister have said the AUM should not go ahead with its Żonqor project until the facilities in Cospicua are completed and occupied by students.