Minimum standards for use of title of ‘University’ by private sector
View(s):The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) will soon set minimum standards for the use of the title of ‘University’ by the private sector.
The move has been prompted by various sectors using the term ‘University’ without meeting proper criteria.
The MoHE will seek Cabinet approval and, thereafter, issue a Gazette notification in September this year, stipulating the criteria required for the use of the title ‘University’, said Additional Secretary (Non-State Universities) of the MoHE, K.R. Uduwawala.
Among the criteria will be the imposition of a minimum investment (amount to be determined), a long term lease agreement on the land, of over 30 years or, ownership of the land, with a minimum building area of 50,000 sq.ft.
The owner cannot be the Vice Chancellor, while the University should have the required cadre, an academic Board, hostel facilities and grounds for sports activities, among other facilities.
Its ownership cannot be restricted to a small group or an individual, and should be a broad-based company in the Share market.
A minimum number of students to be enrolled will also be fixed, to ensue that small institutions with 1,000-2,000 students do not claim ‘University’ status.
Currently some Higher Education Institutions use the term of ‘University’ by coupling it with another name.
Once approval is granted to an Institution to use the title of ‘University’, they will be able to use the title only in about five years. The objective being to have about 5 private sector institutions with ‘University’ status.
- Damith Wickremasekara