New VC of Peradeniya University pledges reforms for six key areas
View(s):The new Vice Chancellor of the Peradeniya University Prof M.D. Lamawansa has spelt out his vision to make the university a world-renowned university.
Prof. Lamawansa was speaking at his induction ceremony held recently.
Excerpts of the speech follows;
“Let me briefly outline today to a wider audience what I pledged before the council of this university a few weeks ago. I pledged for reforms and interventions in six key areas: Institutional management, academic and research activities, satisfaction and wellbeing of key stakeholders, natural and built environment, outreach and external relations and central administration.
Strengthening the institutional mechanisms through implementing policies and procedures has been a successful leadership strategy I have used to achieve institutional goals. I understand that the Professional behaviour improves morale of workers, enhance the reputation of the institution and minimises the partisan behaviour. Accountability needs to echo in all corners of the university, including in the VC’s office.
In line with the university’s vision and strategic directions, action plans are required to be developed for all divisions- faculties, Institutes, departments, centres, units and committees. Inherent defect of poor dialogue and coordination between the council and those divisions will be addressed through a council sub-committee whose membership could be expanded to will include non-council academics.
For sustainability, optimal management of the university should not be top-down, command or control type, but rather bottom up and autocatalytic with enablement of peripheral divisions. However, I, on behalf of the council, will not hesitate to maintain some degree of command and control in the initial phase where required, to establish the governance structure and the best optimum practices.
The backbone of the university is its academic and non-academic administrators. Grooming them and ensuring maximum leadership and management skills is a priority. Financial transparency and management can be optimised to facilitate growth of the institution. In-depth analysis of financial management under the guidance of a powerful council subcommittee is an urgent need. New projects, consultation services and academic programmes with high national and international flavour can be initiated to attract additional funding. The university is not spared from the global economic downturn due to the pandemic. Finding alternatives to mitigate the effects of economic hardships is a responsibility bestowed upon us.
It is with evidence that I believe, human resource development alone can improve institutional outcomes by about 30%. The development of a master plan for human resource management is a timely need. A minimum profile for each category of staff need to be defined. Academics may wish to seek assistance to broaden their profile by acquiring additional skills, especially unrelated to the main subject.
Improvement of academic and research activities requires staff development, support for educational research, sharing best practices and establishment of quality assurance as a living culture. The university has already adopted the 2019/09 circular on strengthening quality assurance mechanisms. I consider this as a valuable opportunity to ensure QA a living culture rather than a time consuming endeavour to achieve a grade on paper.
Ensuring wellbeing and satisfaction of both students and staff is a key responsibility of the university administration. Student services cannot be delivered by sitting in a central room. Therefore, senior management will be expected to engage with students and physically observe the service delivery points. Student surveys, timely provision of students need such as transportation and sports facilities are basic requisites. Upgrading curative and preventive health facilities, automating accommodation division, revision of Canteen system are some key considerations to improve student wellbeing. Provision of correct information on all matters, adherence to the schedules and time tables, academic mentoring and professional counselling service are priority areas.
Natural and built environment of the University of Peradeniya has made us proud inhabitants for generations. The maintenance division which look after the natural and built environs of the university has to be revamped after a scientific evaluation. Some weak aspects such as poor human resource management, lack of professionalism and skills, absence of culture of preventive maintenance vs. reactive maintenance are pretty obvious.
From a more local perspective, the university has the capacity to interact with the community entities of full range.