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| Sunday, 24 February 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Autonomous Universities Act violated, alleges senior lecturer By Jayanthi Liyanage The 14-member Council of the Sri Jayawardenapura University has allegedly abused the autonomous Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 over human resources development, states a senior lecturer at the University's Medical Faculty. University Vice Chancellor Professor Jagath Wickramasinghe, however, denied all the allegations. The senior lecturer, who wants his name withheld, has called on Minister of Tertiary Education, Kebeer Hashim, to appoint a commission to probe its activities, disband the Council and appoint a new independent body. He says the Act should be amended to control autonomy and abuse of power. Constant failure to fill senior academic vacancies in the Departments of Medical Education, Anatomy and Surgery for several years has resulted in six students being unsuccessful in Anatomy, thereby terminating their university careers, he said. In 1998, six consultant specialists had responded to an advertised post of Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, but none had been employed. At present, there are 12 Academic vacancies in the Department of Medical Education. As such, the senior lecturer has requested three of the six students, who had passed all subjects but Anatomy, to be given another chance to sit for the exam. Swedish-sponsored SAREC funds for university staff development had been misappropriated for overseas travel by Council members without proper approval, he alleged. "The Vice Chancellor (VC) is due to retire next year, but an official visit to People's Friendship University, Russia, by him and two other academics has been planned with SAREC and VC funds," he said. The VC had violated the Ministry of Policy Planning and Implementation regulations requiring State Corporations to seek legal services from the Attorney General's Department. Instead, the Council secured such services from a private legal firm, Julius and Creasy, he said. A Council member, formerly a senior partner of the firm, had facilitated it. The Japanese Grant Aid Project had given a big sum for the purchase of equipment for the Medical Faculty, but the University had failed to fulfil conditions of the deal, with the equipment lying idle at the Medical Faculty and Kalubowila Hospital. The lecturer has pointed out certain irregularities in the purchase of Thaksala Weaving Mills at Kohuwala for conversion as a University Hostel. Its purchase price is very much less than the cost of rehabilitation. Council members could not provide paid service to the University but one member had been allocated Rs.60,000 to publish a calendar, he said. Prof. Jagath Wickramasinghe, said that nominations for overseas studies and research from donor funds came from the Faculty Deans with the Council giving the final ratification. "An internal audit refuted any misdeed," Prof. Wickramasinghe said. "In three months, my tenure as the VC ends, not that I am retiring." "Rehabilitation of the hostel was a Cabinet-approved plan to be done in stages. Ninety-five percent of its work is complete and it will be opened next month," Prof. Wickremasinghe said. "The Cabinet approved Julius and Creasy services after the junior lawyers assigned by the AG's Department lost several cases." "There are three senior lecturers and a probationer in the Anatomy Department. Since five out of 150 students invariably fail, we cannot grant additional attempts for the exams for everybody. Some applicants for lecturer posts will be interviewed next week," he added. "As far as University Administration is concerned, the Japanese embassy is satisfied with the JAICA project. Only one 160 KW generator could not be used due to power cuts and has to be replaced." |
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