Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Infobox_University
name = The Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
native_name =


motto = Naththi Paggna Sama Aha (Pali)
established = 1991
type = Public
endowment =
staff =
faculty =
president =
provost =
principal =
rector =
chancellor = Venerable Rajakeeya Pandith Aththudawe Sri Rahula Annunayake Thero
vice_chancellor = Prof. Rohana P Mahaliyanaarachchi
dean =
head_label =
head =
students =
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =
city = Balangoda
state =Ratnapura
country = Sri Lanka
campus =
free_label =
free =
colors =
colours =
mascot =
nickname =
affiliations =
website = http://www.sab.ac.lk/

The Sabaragamuwa University located in Belihuloya, Balangoda, Sri Lanka. It was founded on 20th November 1991 and consists of 5 Faculties.

History

Palabaddala Monastic University

The history stands proof of an existence of a monastic University in Palabaddala in the district of Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa province. This ancient University had been established by Kalikala Sahittya Sarvagna Pandita ParakramaBahu, the Second (1235-1271 AD) in Dambadeniya Period. Bhikku Dharmakirti held the position of Chancellorship in the said University. Meanwhile the monastic institution of higher education in Sabaragamuwa had been in the custody of Deva Pathiraja, the royal agent to the King Parakramabahu, the second.

Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College

It is in such location that carried an ancient seat of Learning in the Country, it has been decided to set up a modern institution of higher education in lighting once again the blown out lamp of Pragna.

Still, even a block of land had not been identified for the establishment of a university as the first director of the proposed institution of higher education was appointed to the post. The first director appointed by the UGC was Professor Dayananda Somasundara. His main task was to find out a suitable location for the future affiliated university in Belihuloya. The potential location, as had been suggested by those concerned was the housing complex used by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) at the time of constructing the Samanalawewa hydro-power project. The newly appointed director informed of the said location to Professor SB Hettiarachchi, the then vice Chancellor of University of Sri Jayawardhanapura through Mrs Chithra Karunarathna, the secretary to UGC, thereby taking action to get released the above said block of land for the affiliated university with the help of MLM Abusali, the government minister of Labor and Vocational Training. Later on, the President Ranasinghe Premadasa swiftly released the block of land amounting to 71 acres, and the housing complex in it, valued at 100 million by that time for the use of affiliated provincial university.

Consequently, on 20th November 1991 the affiliated University in the Sabaragamuwa province was commissioned under the Sabaragamuwa province affiliated University College Ordinance No 14 of 1992 in the presence of chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa province and other distinguished guests as well as the community in the area on the above mentioned location. The academic program of the AUC commenced on 7 th May 1992.

The affiliated Universities in Sri Lanka were a new concept for the country at that time. The primary objective behind introducing such a facility to the Island had been to give a chance in higher education for students in the periphery with no opportunity to enter mainstream Universities. It was also meant to provide the less privileged people and institutions in Distant corners of the country with higher education, thereby making the contribution made by them to national development more effective. Therefore, the English education and other vocational training programs in these institutions was stressed from the very beginning, given the lack of facilities to that end being prominently felt at the moment. The affiliated University in Sabaragamuwa province too, was set up with the same motive in mind.Meanwhile, the University set up in this way experienced a gradual development. Still the basic requirements for an institution of this nature had not been fulfilled sufficiently. As a step forward in this direction, the authorities in the university administration took immediate action to add highly needed library and the centre for computer studies to newly established AUC, which were declared open by President R. Premadasa on 8th February 1992. The year 1992 saw the addition of several more facilities to the institution, an auditorium, a Medical Centre etc are just two to name. The AUC in the Sabaragamuwa province had been attached to the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura in Nugegoda in Colombo.

It was one of the five institutions affiliated with the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. The affiliated University initially possessed three boards of Study. Travel and Tourism Management, Accounting and Finance, and English are those three. These were called not departments but boards of studies, for they were coordinated by a study coordinator in the respective faculty of the mother University. At the same time, all the programs of studies came under purview of the Senate of the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. The first student batch of the affiliated University included 225 students. The first academic staff was less than 10, excluding several visiting academic members from outside universities and institutions.

By the end of the year 1993, Sabaragamuwa affiliated University had achieved a reasonable success in respect of many areas. The University admitted the second batch of 166 students on 6th September 1993 from all the ethnic communities in the Island. Now the total student population was 344.Meanwhile, fulfilling one of the founding objectives of regional affiliated universities, the year 1993 witnessed Sabaragamuwa AUC conducting several study programs in Computer awareness, English and Japanese for the community at large. The records to this effect shows that the new wave of education was enthusiastically welcome by the surrounding communities.

For the first time in the AUC history, after two years of function, the university had introduced a department of study for Travel and Tourism Management. A separate Computer centre too had been one of another addition to the list. One more noteworthy incident in 1993 was laying the foundation stone by the then Prime Minister for a new building to house the library.

The increased number of students admitted to the AUC in 1994 points to the gradual upbringing of the institution. The student batch taken in this year for all the programs was 204 in contrast to 166 in 1993. It is also noteworthy that the first batch of students to the University sat for the final semester examination in 1994.

From the very outset, the Sabaragamuwa affiliated University was concerned about the sports and welfare of both students and the staff. The University was lucky to acquire a very sophisticated swimming pool from the previous owner of the building site. This had paved the way for the upliftment of sporting caliber of students. In 1994, the construction of an open air theater was started, completed and named in the honor of renowned dancer Paniibharata. By this time, a play ground also for the University was under construction.

1995 was a crucial era for the Sabaragamuwa affiliated University. By this time, a committee appointed to look into the factor of affiliated Universities in Sri Lanka had recommended Sabaragamuwa affiliated University to be given the national University status. There were a number of requests too on the part of students to that end.

he souvenir issued on the triumphant occasion of the conversion of the AUC into a national University, reports the existing status of the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University as follows: “In the course of past four years under the affiliated University college system, it was possible to develop such facilities as lecture halls, the Auditorium, Computer and Language Laboratories, Libraries, and Reading Rooms, the Welfare and Medical Centers. Open air Theatre and Herbarium. Of those which were taken over together with the housing Complex, the residences, offices, Gymnasium, Swimming pool, Tennis Courts and a well-planned water scheme have made possible to fulfill as many of the requisites and basic needs of a University.” In terms of this report, Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University by this time had accomplished all the prerequisites for upgrading herself into national university.

The Establishment of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL)

The wish of everybody in the University, in the region, and all those concerned was a national University for the Sabaragamuwa province. Realization of that long felt and much awaited dream took placed on 7th November 1995. That was the issue of the Gazette notification announcing the establishment of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. At a ceremonial gathering, on 2nd February 1996, the newly established University was declared open by Mrs Sirimawo RD Bandaranayeke, the then Sri Lankan Prime Minister. The history records that” accordingly, by virtue of powers vested in him by clause No 21 of the University act No 16 of 1978, the Hon Minister of Education and Higher Education has, by Gazette Notification No 896/2 of 7th November 1995, published in the Gazette extra ordinary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, announced the Establishment of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka withfrom date of the said Gazette. Subsequently by the Gazette extra ordinary of the 21st December 1995, it has also been announced of the establishment of the Uwa campus attached to Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.”

According to the arrangement made those days, the newly unveiled Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka functioned at Belihuloy.

At the foundation of Sabaragamuwa national University, it boasted of four faculties.

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences,Faculty of Applied Sciences ,Faculty of Business studies,Faculty of Social sciences and Languages ,These four faculties offered five Degree programs in Bachelor of Science (Applied Sciences), Bachelor of Arts (languages), Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences), Bachelor of Management Science (Business Studies), Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Sciences) ,The initial plans in the Sabaragamuwa University were to offer special degree courses of three year duration. After the completion of the first foundation year and the two specialization years, a special degree could be obtained in a Major subject and a minor. Intake of 500 students was the initial plan. It was also hoped to increase the intake to 1000 when the facilities allows. Now, the admission policy of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka equals that of other Universities in the country; that is the requirement of GCE (Advanced level). At the introduction of the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University as a national University, the students who were admitted to follow the Diploma programs under Affiliated University were given the opportunity to obtain a Degree after engaging in further studies in their respective subjects.

With the emergence of Sabaragamuwa affiliated University as national University, she received all the honor of other national Universities in the country by being treated with all the formalities. A University logo and a Flag were introduced. She also possessed a new academic and administrative structure. Under this new structure, the positions held by officers in previous AUC changed from top to bottom.

In the year 1996 itself, all the university legal bodies were formed. The council, the Senate, the respective faculty boards came into being. The first meeting of the council of Sabaragamuwa University took place on 18th January 1996, and the first gathering of the Senate was on 19th February 1996.

In about almost one year, the all three staff categories saw an increase of a 23 per cent. The Staff had increased from 157 in 1996 to 193 in 1997. Meanwhile, the student population too experienced the same progress. The statistics shows that the number of registered students went up from 366 in 1996 to 1025 by 31st December 1997.

The University from the very inception started adding new departments and faculties to its list of academic facility. Most of these faculties were meant to conduct professional-type degree programs considering the need of such professionals in country in national development. For the first time in the University history of Sri Lanka, Sabaragamuwa University introduced a degree course in Surveying Sciences in 1997.

Convocations

The inaugural convocation of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka was held on 3rd June 1998 in the University premises in Belihuloya. The jubillous occasion was graced by H.E the President Chandrika Bandaranayake Cumaratunga. At this inaugural convocation, two Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) were conferred on Most Venerable Aggamaha Pandita Balangoda Ananda Maitreiya Thera and Mr Richard Pathirana, the then Minister of Higher Education. So far the University has held eight convocations in its ten year history. The number of graduates who have been awarded degrees in these convocations amounts to 2144. These graduates have been conferred their degrees in the following programs of studies.

Bachelor of Science (Applied Sciences) ,Bachelor of Arts (Languages), Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences), Bachelor of Science (Business Studies), Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Sciences), Bachelor of Science (Geomatics), Bachelor of Science (Military Studies), Postgraduate Diploma ( Ayurvedic Hospital Management) In addition to the first degrees offered, the University was proud to award a number of Honorary Degrees to eminent personalities who have excelled in many fields in the country. In the first convocation, two honorary Degrees were conferred as noted above. In the second convocation held in 1999 Dr Panibharatha and Dr SU Deraniyagala were awarded with honorary degrees by Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The convocations that followed witnessed the following personalities being honored with degrees. Professor S Sandanam,(2000) the most venerable Madihe Pangnaseeha thero, Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar (2001), Rajakeeya Pandith William Alwis, Dr ROB Wijesekara (2002) Dr Jayantha Dhanapala, Professor Mahinda Palihawadana (2003) Dr CR Panabokke and Dr Vernon LB Mendis (2004).

The Sabaragamuwa University at the Moment

The student population of the University amounts to 2105 with latest batch admitted in September 2005.The batch that includes 764 students is the highest number of students in the ten year history of the University. The University makes available for these students some 11 study programs through its five faculties. An academic staff of 191 is busy in all five faculties preparing a prosperous future for their students.

Faculties

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences ,Faculty of Applied Sciences ,Faculty of Geomatics ,Faculty of Management Studies ,Faculty of Social Sciences and Languages

The Sabaragamuwa University is on tract to a major development process currently in both human and physical aspects. The vacancies in academic and non- academic staff are being filled to cater to the nation more effectively. Meanwhile, the implementation of the Master Plan of the University has taken off giving fresh hopes of dawn of a new era for the University. The University has been awarded some 155.5 Million rupees 2004/5 for improving the relevance and quality of undergraduates in higher education (IRQUE). This amount of money is in addition to the annuals government funds received every year.