Graduate Studies Faculty established to promote research in local universities
View(s):A Graduate Studies Faculty has been established as an administrative centre for promoting research and providing courses of study leading to higher degrees, and other academic distinctions in any branch of learning as agreed by the respective University and the Commission.
An ordinance cited as the Faculty of Graduate Studies Ordinance No. 05 of 2020 has been put into effect by a gazette notification for this purpose. The Faculty is expected to promote, co-ordinate and regulate postgraduate studies and specialised or multi-disciplinary research carried out within the university. It is also under the direction and control of the Senate of each respective university.
The Faculty has the following powers:
- specify requirements for postgraduate admission, course requirements, course contents and schemes of examination and admit students other than those admitted to postgraduate institutes affiliated to universities for postgraduate studies.
- identify and introduce, after the approval of the Commission, new postgraduate degree programmes based on the demand and the stakeholder feedback.
- establish and regulate, standards in respect of quality in postgraduate teaching and research in the university.
- assist the students to prepare competitive research proposals and conduct pure or applied and interdisciplinary research addressing regional, national and international issues.
- encourage the students to comply with research ethics and facilitate them obtaining ethical clearance, if necessary.
- promote inventions and innovations through outstanding research.
- recommend people for appointment as supervisors, co-supervisors, and other resource persons as required for the conduct of research degrees.
- n recommend people for appointment as visiting lecturers, examiners and coordinators.
- n recommend students for the award of higher degrees and other academic distinctions.
- n promote inter-faculty, intra-faculty and inter-university collaboration in postgraduate teaching and research.
- n facilitate the students to develop necessary skills through conducting research, presenting the findings of such research at conferences and symposia and publishing them in proceedings or journals.
- encourage scholars to undertake research and provide necessary facilities for such research and for the dissemination of knowledge.
- establish and maintain links with other graduate faculties and schools, research institutions, universities and industry stakeholders both in Sri Lanka and abroad.
Provisions had been made for a dean of the faculty, who would be a full-time officer of the university and the academic and administrative head of the faculty.
The first dean of the faculty could be appointed by the commission. Every subsequent dean would be appointed by the council from a panel of three names (an associate professor, professor and senior professor of the university), recommended to the council by the Board of Graduate Studies.
The dean of the faculty could hold office for a period of three years from the date of their appointment, unless removed from office.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies would have a Board of Graduate Studies consisting of the Dean who would be the Chairman, Chairpersons of Boards of Study and Deans of all other faculties.
The Faculty would also have the following nominated members: two members nominated by the university’s council from among the appointed members of the council, two members, not being members of the university staff, nominated by the University Senate from among eminent people in the areas of study relating to the Faculty and one member nominated by the council, with the concurrence of the commission, from among teachers at postgraduate level in the Boards of Study of the Faculty.