Revised-Salary

http://www.scribd.com/doc/60717666/Revised-Salary-2

Unique global opportunity at Peradeniya University

Daily News 23/07/2011

A new Master of Development Practice (MDP) degree is to be launched by the University of Peradeniya in September. This is an internationally recognized two-year, graduate level professional degree programme, designed to equip development professionals to confront complex development challenges.

The University of Peradeniya was one of 14 universities selected worldwide to receive seed funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to develop a new innovative postgraduate programme in development practice. It is the only University in Sri Lanka and one of five universities in all of Asia to receive such funding and be accepted as one of 23 member universities in the global MDP network.

Non-academic university staff of Sri Lanka also demands salary increase

ColomboPage 22/07/2011


July 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka University Executive Officers' Association and the Inter University Federation of University Non-academic Staff are in discussions now to initiate a joint trade union action demanding salary increases similar to the salary increase university academics received.

The Chairman of the University Executive Officers' Association Jayalath Muttettuwegedara says that the University Grants Commission, the Minister of Higher Education and the President have been informed of their demands.

The official argued that all non-academic staffs of the universities should also be granted the salary increases in same percentages. He urged the authorities to rectify the salary anomalies in line with the circular number 879 of the University Grants Commission.

The academic staff, who continued their trade union action for over two months demanding pay raises, terminated the union action yesterday after the government agreed to their demands.

Uni lecturers could return to work on Monday

Dailymirror 23/07/2011

Saturday, 23 July 2011 01:09

By Ranjan Kasthuri
Lecturers could return to work at universities as early as next Monday (25) states the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA).
FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri said that they would offer their fullest corporation to the Vice Chancellors of all the universities in conducting lectures as normal. Special arrangements would have to be put in place to overcome the difficulties caused due to the resignation of heads of faculties until new faculty heads were appointed he added.
Arrangements were now being made by the University Administration to recommence lectures at the Colombo University starting next Monday (25). Dr. Devasiri said that he had made a request to the Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education to re-appoint the Heads of Faculties to the positions they held earlier. He also said that discussions were being held to have the university teachers’ cooperation toward the early reopening of universities.

Science Popularization, Promotion Awards 2011

The Committee for the Popularization of Science (CPS) of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) calls for applications from Sri Lankans for its annual Science Popularization and Promotion Awards. These awards are for individuals who have contributed best to popularize and promote science within Sri Lanka during the period 1st May 2010 to 30th April 2011. Selections will be made separately for Sinhala, Tamil and English media.
Science communicators including journalists, scientists and others who have excelled in print and electronic media are invited to apply for these awards. Those who have won this award previously will not be considered again. Applications will be accepted until 01st August 2011 at the office of the SLAAS, 120/10 Vidya Mandiraya, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. Phone: 011-2688740, 011-2691681. Email: hgslaas@gmail.com, Web: www.slass.org chairperson, CPS, 0779659330.

"Doctors, Doctorates and Professors"

The Island 22/07/2011

Further to the series of articles and letters on the above subject which appeared in a Sunday newspaper, I wish to add the following and emphasise the necessity of wider publicity and awareness to society and factual statements on the correct usage of the above. It would be useful if the other newspapers also publish these statements to confirm that they too reflect the importance of correct usage of titles!

Doctor is a commonly used title in Sri Lanka for those registered in the Sri Lanka /General Medical Council as a medical practitioner.

A doctorate, however, is awarded for those who have earned a PhD or similar/equivalent qualification usually through research studies at RECOGNISED UNIVERSITIES, listed in documentation for the purpose. Furthermore, a Doctor (Honoris Causa), ie a Honorary Doctorate can be also conferred on a person by a senate or equivalent academic body of a RECOGNISED University as mentioned above.

Professor is usually a cadre position in an academic department of a university and is referred to as the Chair. Furthermore, for those promoted on MERIT, the position and the title is conferred. In both instances and also for the position of Associate Professor, there is a very rigorous scheme of assessment in the Sri Lankan Universities. At this stage, it should be made clear that the Doctorate and Associate Professorship/Professorship are two separate titles and that for Professorship an earned Doctorate would be an advantage. Thereafter, after a specified period of service and other requirements, the title, SENIOR PROFESSOR would be conferred by the Senate of a University. Finally, on retirement from the university, the Senate of the University could -confer on its own criterion, the EMERITUS PROFESORHIP.

THE LEGAL USAGE OF THE TITLES

DOCORATE is an academic title/qualification either earned or honorary and as such, the person could use the title continuously as specified by the respective university unless for some rare valid reason, according to the regulations of such a university, it is withdrawn.

The PROFESSOR title is somewhat different. While in service at the respective university, the title Senior Professor/Professor

/Associate Professor should be used. On leaving the university service, the professor title can be used only if the Senate of the respective university as per its criteria has granted the status of EMERITUS PROFESSOR.

In other words, a Senior Professor/Professor/

Associate Professor, who has not been conferred the Emeritus Professorship from his /her recognized university, on leaving the university on retirement/resignation/termination of services, could continue to use his/her conferred Doctorate title, or would have to use only Mr/Ms/Rev as appropriate.

While the University Grants Commission is very specific on the use of word ‘UNIVERSITY’ for a higher education institute, it would also have to include the legality of the use of these personal titles when considering the amendments to the University Act.

Another retired academic,
Colombo 7.

Cambridge Journals Content from 2009 and 2010 is FREE TO ACCESS for Six Weeks

Cambridge Journals

In order to reach out to new readers, who may not enjoy access to high quality scientific and academic research, all content published in 2009 and 2010 on Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) will be made free to access between 15th July and 30th August 2011.

We hope this period of free access enables researchers, students and interested individuals to benefit from some of the world’s most valuable academic content.  It will also enable Cambridge Journals to study patterns of usage and formulate improvements to CJO which will benefit all users of CJO going forwards.

To access the free articles, you can browse our journals by subject , or alphabetically by title. Once at a journal's homepage, you can find the free 2009 / 2010 material by expanding the 'Journal Menu' section of the left hand page menu, and clicking 'Back Volumes'. From there you'll be able to click down to Journal Issues and, subsequently, read or download individual articles. You don't need to have registered with CJO to read the free material, however to take advantage of all CJO functionality, including the ability to bookmark papers and save your searches, we recommend that you do so. Register for free here or at any other point on CJO, using the gold button at the left hand menu.

We hope that you enjoy this period of free access and that you will take the time to inform us about your experience. All comments can be sent to Cambridge via the CJO feedback page.

FUTA suspends TU action

 

July 21, 2011, 9:48 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) yesterday evening suspended its two-month-long protest campaign after the Higher Education Ministry agreed to grant two of its demands and negotiate the other on Wednesday.

FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri told The Island that the decision to suspend their protest had been taken at a FUTA Executive Committee meeting.

University teachers resorted to trade union action to pressure the government to rectify their salary anomalies, beginning with a one-day token strike on March 15. They quit voluntarily administrative posts in universities on May 09.

Dr. Devasiri said that Higher Education Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne had agreed to appoint a committee to find lasting solutions to the university teachers’ problems and cancel a circular issued by the University Grants Commission preventing university dons from resigning from the posts they voluntarily held without giving a three-month notice.

The FUTA Chief said that Dr. Navaratne had agreed to explore the possibility of incorporating their research allowances into the basic salaries.

Dr. Devasiri warned that failure on the part of the government to keep its promise would compel FUTA to resume its trade union action.

Academics suspend TU action

Friday, 22 July 2011 00:00 By Lakna Paranamanna The university academics yesterday decided to suspend their trade union action which had crippled the university education sector for over two months, following their acceptance of an interim solution proposed by the government.  Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) spokesman Dr. Mahim Mendis speaking to Daily Mirror yesterday said that they had decided to suspend their trade union action as the government had agreed to their three demands on Tuesday, following the interim proposals of the government. FUTA, in a letter to President Rajapaksa on Wednesday, had said that the academics were not satisfied with the outcome of the discussions held between FUTA members and government officials on Monday, and asserted that they would continue their trade union action until their demands were met. The first demand was the removal of the conditions imposed on components of the academics' salaries – particularly the conditions imposed on the Research and Development Allowance. They demanded that the salary revisions implemented through the interim proposals exclude the R&D allowance. The second demand was that a committee comprising government and FUTA officials be appointed to work together to bring about a final, effective solution to the academics’ salary anomalies that went beyond the interim proposals. The third demand was the withdrawal of circular No: 956 issued by the University Grants Commission on May 3 that made it compulsory for academics to tender three months notice prior to resignation from voluntary administrative positions. Following the acceptance of these demands by the government, FUTA decided yesterday to suspend their trade union action. “Hence the academics will resume duties in their voluntary administrative positions in the 15 national universities; the academic activities in the universities will be resumed and continued as usual, and we will not boycott the 2011 G.C.E. A/L evaluation supervision process,” said Dr. Mendis. “We believe that the government wasted too much time unnecessarily in arriving at an agreement to address the grievances of the university academics. Although we were disillusioned by the manner in which the government responded to our demands initially, we decided to be flexible for the sake of the university students who are dependent on us for empowerment,” he added. Total Views: 77

 

 

FUTA wins two demands

July 21, 2011, 6:55 am
 


 The Island


by Dasun Edirisinghe

Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) last night said that the Higher Education Ministry had agreed to grant two of its demands and to negotiate the other one.

FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri told The Island that his outfit had put forth three demands when it met Treasury’s Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera on Monday. They were the appointment of a committee to find lasting solutions to the university teachers’ problems, cancellation

of a circular issued by the University Grants Commission debarring university dons from resigning from the posts they voluntarily held without giving three-month notice and the incorporation of their research allowances into the basic salaries.

Dr. Devasiri said that higher education secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne had agreed to grant the first two demands.

However, Dr. Devasiri said FUTA trade union action was on and the Higher Education Ministry decision would be discussed at the FUTA executive committee meeting scheduled for today.

University teachers launched their trade union action with a one-day token strike on March 15 and quit voluntarily posts on May 09, in protest against the government’s failure to rectify their salary anomalies.

FUTA had discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 25, but to no avail.

Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake told a press conference yesterday that the university teachers’ salary dispute would be settled in the course of this week.