FUTA sees problems ahead if UGC Chairman’s husband is made Colombo VC

March 12, 2013, 10:05 pm 

by Dasun Edirisinghe

 Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) yesterday warned that if the government appointed Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama, the husband of University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, as the Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University it would lead to several problems.

"If Dr. Kumara is appointed the VC, the UGC chief will have to withdraw herself, not merely from the appointment process for the VC, but also on all later occasions when the UGC is allocating limited budgetary resources, cadre, and other resources to universities," FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said.

Addressing a media conference at the Colombo University Faculty Centre, he said that although UGC Chief stated that they were only forwarding the three nominations selected by the University Council to the President, the University Act clearly indicated that the UGC would recommend a person to the President.

According to Section 34 (1) of the Universities Act as amended in 1995, the Vice Chancellor of a University shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (b), be appointed for a term of three years by the President, upon the recommendation of the Commission, from a panel of three names recommended by the Council of that University, Dr. Dewasiri said.

He said that it was a conflict of interest when one of the nominee’s wife headed the UGC.

"UGC Chief appointed two new members to the University Council after closing the applications for the electing of a VC and one of new member is a husband of a current member," Dr. Dewasiri said adding that it was very unethical.

The university council endorsed the applications of Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo Science Faculty, Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake of the Colombo Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Law Faculty.

Dr. Devasiri charged that only one of the three current applicants for the post of Vice Chancellor was a university professor, the highest academic position in the university system.

The senior academic said that two applicants, including the husband of the Chairperson, UGC, were not professors, nor have they held high administrative posts in the University of Colombo. One of these is a Senior Lecturer and currently Dean in a newly established Law Faculty at the Kotalawela Defence University, which is not a university under the existing Universities Act.

Answering a query by The Island as to why the FUTA did not oppose, when former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake was involved in conflicts of interest, Dr. Dewasiri said it was an outside matter, "but this issue is directly related to the university."

Courtesy: The Island 13/03/2013

Prof. Dissanayake tops University Council poll

Appointment of Colombo University VC

March 11, 2013, 9:42 pm ,Dailymirror


by Dasun Edirisinghe

Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake, of the Colombo University Arts Faculty, Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Science Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Law Faculty, obtained 15, 13 and eight votes respectively at the University Council election yesterday.

The 23-member University Council called for applications for the VC post which fell vacant after Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama assumed duties as the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) on February 01.

Only three applications were received for the post and the election was held yesterday. Each member has three votes. Normally the University Council election is held to prune down the number of nominees to three.

The names of three members would be sent to the UGC to be forwarded to the President shortly.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) and the Association of Law Teachers’ of the University Colombo opposed the nomination of Dr. Hirimburegama as his wife heads the UGC.

However, the UGC Chief Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama said the UGC’s function was to merely forward the three names selected by the university council to the President. It would not select the VC, she said.

Law teachers oppose Dr. Hirimburegama He has requisite qualifications says UGC Chief Colombo VC appointment

March 10, 2013, 10:34 pm 
by Dasun Edirisinghe

The Association of Law Teachers, of the University of Colombo (ALTUC), too, has expressed its opposition to Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama being a candidate for the Vice Chancellor post and called for a more transparent and participatory approach to the selection process, as it believes time given for the submission of applications and the selection process is not enough.

Earlier, President of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri frowned on Dr. Hirimburegama’s nomination.

The ALTUC Secretary Dr. Anusha Perera said in a statement to the media that his association had taken those two decisions unanimously at a Special General Meeting held last Friday (08).

"A Vice Chancellor of a university is the chief executive officer who acts as the representative of the institution and the officer who acts as the leader of the institution," the ALTUC Secretary said. "As such, the Vice Chancellor is called to provide vision, leadership and inspiration to the university community and assert, among other things, the autonomy of the institution."

Dr. Perera said that one of the candidates for the VC post was the spouse of the current chairperson of the University Grants Commission.

The UGC makes its own recommendation to the President as to who should be appointed VC out of three persons.

"The actual and perceived independence of a Vice Chancellor is essential for the autonomous functioning of the university," Dr. Perera said, noting that the UGC was the regulator of higher education in Sri Lanka and had to act independently from the respective university.

"The UGC makes determinations, among other things, regarding allocation of funds and appointments to university councils. The University Services Appeals Board is under the purview of the UGC. The independence of the university from the UGC therefore is essential. Therefore, either the candidate or the UGC chairperson must immediately withdraw from their respective positions."

Dr. Perera said the other thing was the call for applications or nominations and the time allocated for discussion and debate on the suitability of the candidates within the broader university community has been effectively eliminate. "The application deadline for the post of VC was February 28 and the candidates have been scheduled to make their presentations on March 11, she said adding a longer time period is desirable if the selection process is to be more participatory and transparent. Therefore, we request the Council to consider the issue of conflict of interest. Debate on the potential impact it could have on the process and reach an informed and carefully thought through decision on the matter."

When contacted, for comment, UGC Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama denied that the UGC would nominate one name to the President out of three selected by the University Council.

"We are doing only the handing over the three names, which will be sent by the University Council, to the President," she said.

Prof. Hirimburegama said that it was a fundamental right of an academic, who had the requisite qualification to apply for the VC post.

Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo University’s Science Faculty, Prof. Laskhman Dissanayake of the Colombo University’s Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Kotalawela Defence University have applied for the VC post, which fell vacant when Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama assumed duties as the UGC Chairman on February 01.

Courtesy: The Island 11/03/2013.

UGC head denies conflict of interest

March 7, 2013, 9:11 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama yesterday said that her institution was only handing over the names selected from the respective universities to the President when selecting a Vice Chancellor.

She was responding to the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) claim that there was a conflict of interest as UGC Chief Prof. Hirimburegama’s husband was also a nominee for the Colombo University Vice Chancellor’s post.

Prof. Hirimburegama said that it was a fundamental right of any qualified aca demic to apply for the VC’s post.

As a professional body the UGC was not favouring anyone and it was only handing over names of three nominees elected by the University Council, she said.

"When I was nominated to the VC post in the same university in 2007, I was a commission member of the UGC, but I went away when the commission processed the names at the time," Prof. Hirimburegama said.

The Colombo University VC post fell vacant as Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama assumed duties as the UGC Chairman on Feb. 01. When the university called applications for the post, Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo University’s Science Faculty, Prof. Laskhman Dissanayake of its Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Kotalawala Defence University sent in their applications.

The council meets on March 11 to endorse the nominees.

However, FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said that they accepted that Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama was qualified to hold the post and there was no legal barrier to prevent him from applying for it.

"We raised the issue of possible conflict of interest when his name went to the UGC as his wife headed that body," he said.

FUTA opposes nomination of UGC chief’s spouse Appointment of Colombo University VC:

by Dasun Edirisinghe

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) yesterday has opposed the inclusion of University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama’s husband, Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama for the Colombo University Vice Chancellor’s post.

The Colombo University VC post fell vacant as Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama assumed duties as the UGC Chairman on Feb. 01.

FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said that Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo University’s Science Faculty, Prof. Laskhman Dissanayake of the Colombo University’s Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Law Faculty and Dean of the Kotalawala Defence University had been nominated for the post.

"Normally the university calls for applications from suitable persons for the VC  post," Dr. Dewasiri said, adding those three persons had sent in their applications.

The University Council is scheduled to meet on March 11 to endorse the nominations which will be sent to the UGC thereafter.

Dr. Dewasiri said that when those names were sent for the UGC chairman’s approval, there would be a conflict of interests as one of nominees was the husband of the incumbent UGC chairman.

The appointment is made by the President.

Dr. Dewasiri charged that the appointment of VCs to had become highly politicized.

"It has been so since Karunasena Kodituwakku was appointed the VC of the Sri Jayewardenepura University by the then UNP government in 1980s."

Kodituwakku had not been a senior lecturer at that time but appointed VC because of his political connections.

Courtesy : The Island 07/03/2013